§ MR. MACKARNESS (Berkshire, New bury)To ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Lord, Milner's attention has now been called to the statements contained in Blue-books (Cd. 2819 and Cd. 2786) that prior to June 1905, corporal punishment had been inflicted by the mine authorities of the Witwatersrand upon their Chinese 1116 labourers, and that this took place with his knowledge and sanction; whether, seeing that this corporal punishment was in direct contravention of the assurances given, in February 1904, by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to the Chinese Minister in London, and telegraphed to Lord Milner, Lord Milner has been asked for any explanation of his conduct, and, if so, what is the nature of his explanation.
(Answered by Mr Churchill.) I desire to refer the hon. Member to the statement offered by Lord Milner yesterday in another place.