HC Deb 14 March 1904 vol 131 cc996-7
DR MACNAMARA

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the House will be afforded an opportunity of discussing the terms of any Ordinance for the introduction of indentured Chinese labour into Rhodesia before sanction is given to such Ordinance.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I cannot do better than refer the hon. Gentleman to an answer which I gave to a precisely similar Question put to me on the 8th of this month,† in which I pointed out that the principles underlying the introduction of Chinese labour in Rhodesia were identical with those which underlay the introduction of Chinese labour in the Transvaal, and I do not see why there should be two debates on what is in fact a single subject.

DR. MACNAMARA

Is the First Lord aware that the Colonial Secretary has †See page 456. stated here that the Ordinance for Rhodesia is different.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I have not got present to my mind the answer of my right hon. friend to which the hon. Member refers, but I do not think he ever suggested that the principles underlying the Ordinances were different in the two cases.