§ SIR. CARNE RASCHI beg to ask the Lender-Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the approximate number of indentured Chinese in the Transvaal when the Government took office; what are the numbers now: and how many have been repatriated.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe numbers on December 20th, 1905, wore 47,241; and before the appointment of His Majesty's present advisers, licences to import a further 14,700 had already been issued and were outstanding. Of these licences about 7,000 have been worked off up to the present time. The coolie population would therefore have been increased about 54,000 as the result of the policy of the late Government. But Lord Selborne has repatriated under various clauses of the Ordinance above 2,000 coolies; and the total number of Chinese upon the Rand on May 31st, which is our latest figure, was 50,974.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI have said about 2,000.
§ SIR CARNE RASCHDo these include the sick and dead?
§ MR. CHURCHILLThey include those who had been repatriated through sickness or misconduct, but certainly not deceased coolies sent hack in accordance with the custom of their country.
§ VISCOUNT HELMSLEY (Yorkshire, N.R., Thirsk)asked how many coolies out of the 2,000 had been repatriated under the most recent proclamation.
§ MR. CHURCHILLAs far as I am aware, up to date fifty-four have applied. [OPPOSITION cries of " Applied?"]—Yes, they have gone.