§ MR. MONDI beg to ask the Under-secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the number of Chinese coolies convicted for offences of all descriptions, whether tried summarily or otherwise, since January 1st, 1906.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe total number of convictions for the first three months of the year was 4,446, of which 3,734 were cases of desertions and absence of various descriptions, being rather in the nature of breaches of regulations than criminal offences.