MR. KENDALL (Gloucestershire, Thornbury)I beg to ask the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies what steps he proposes to take upon the Report of Mr. Bucknill as to the condition of morality amongst the Chinese indentured labourers in the Transvaal.
§ The following Question on the same subject also appeared on the Paper:—
§ MR. MORRELL (Oxfordshire, Henley)To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government propose to lay upon the Table the whole or any portion of the Report made by Mr. Bucknill upon the alleged prevalence of unnatural vice in Chinese compounds and of the evidence upon which that Report is based; and what steps the Government are taking to deal with the matter.
§ MR. CHURCHILLOwing to the nature of the subject the inquiry conducted by Mr. Bucknill was from the first and throughout strictly confidential. Publication of his Report or of any of the statements upon which it was founded has never been contemplated. But the matters disclosed are engaging the most serious attention of the Government, who will adopt without delay such steps as seem to them to be necessary to deal with the case.
§ MR. RENDALLasked whether, as elections were about to take place in the Transvaal, some of the evidence ought not to be placed at the disposal of those who were opposed to Chinese labour, especially having regard to the fact that Lord Selborne had recently written a letter calling on the electors to attend pro-Chinese meetings.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, Stirling Burghs)I am concerned only with this one matter. This Report and the evidence were from the first absolutely confidential, and in the nature of the case must have been confidential, or the inquiry would not 539 have been successful. There is no ground for breaking that confidence now; but the Government are determined to deal with the matter vigorously and promptly.
§ MR. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy Burghs)asked whether, having regard to the public importance of the matter, the Government would consider the desirability of putting a copy of the Report and the evidence in the library in order that Members might judge for themselves, especially as certain persons had seen both Report and evidence.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI do not think it would maintain their confidential character if we laid these Papers in the library.