§ MR. BOLAND (Kerry, S.)To ask the Secretary of State for War if he can state the amount of land purchased from private or public bodies during the last twelve years in Mauritius for military purposes; what was the total cost of such purchases; and were the purchases in each case made direct from the owner, or through a broker, or within a few days after the owner had disposed of the land to a third party, who resold it to the military authorities at a higher rate than he had paid for it.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) Within the period mentioned, the War Department has bought 372 acres of land including some buildings at a cost of £19,750. The purchases were made direct from the owners, or their agents holding a power of attorney, and not through a broker. The minimum period between the date of purchase by any of the vendors and the proposal to resell to
| Year. | Number of Troops. | Estimated cost of maintenance of garrison. | Contributions paid by the Colony. |
| 1894–5 | 886 | 100,890 | 17,531 |
| 1895–6 | 978 | 104,248 | 16,528 |
| 1896–7 | 1,076 | 127,805 | 21,235 |
| 1897–8 | 1,214 | 111,942 | 20,754 |
| 1898–9 | 2,733 | 184,574 | 22,168 |
| 1899–00 | 3,830 | 203,218 | 26,480 |
| 2,638 | |||
| 1900–1 | 3,576 | 169,501 | 26,433 |
| 2,340 | |||
| 1901–2 | 3,583 | 211,754 | 26,062 |
| 2,220 | |||
| 1902–3 | 3,601 | 238,494 | 25,554 |
| 1903–4 | 3,602 | 262,483 | 26,573 |
| 1904–5 | 3,605 | 278,841 | 27,620 |
| 1905–6 | 3,454 | 241,319 (Estimated) | 27,463 (Estimated) |
§ the War Department is seven months, and in this case there is reason to suppose that the Department acquired the land at a less rate than that paid by the vendors.