§ MR. REES (Montgomery Boroughs)To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the facts that the elephant marsh game reserve
† See (4) Debates, clii., 793.1390 extends up to Chironio town, which lions actually enter, so that the inhabitants go in fear of their lives; that several lives have been lost; that destruction of lions within the reserve is not permitted; that game of the same class as is preserved in this reserve exists in other parts of the British Central Africa Protectorate, where also game reserves have been established; that Chironio is a town growing in size, population, and importance; that complaints do not proceed from local planters, but from the inhabitants of the town; that no claim is put forward, or application made, for any of the land included in the reserve for cultivation, or for speculative purposes; and whether, in view of these facts, and for the reason also that injudicious reservation is prejudicial to the cause of game protection in Africa, the Government will consider the propriety of calling upon the Commissioner to amend the boundaries of the elephant marsh reserve, so as to remove it to a safe distance from the township of Chironio.(Answered by Mr. Churchill.) As I informed my hon. friend on May 14th, ‡ the Secretary of State has already addressed the Commissioner of the British Central Africa Protectorate on the subject referred to in this Question, and he proposes to await the reply to his despatch before taking any further action.