§ MR. SMEATON (Stirlingshire)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies by what authority the concessions, aggregating 4,000 square miles, in the Sierra Leone Protectorate were granted to the five Thompson brothers in 1901; whether these concessions have been sold to the West African Produce Company, of which Sir Frederick Cardew is director and chairman; whether, seeing that Sir Frederick Cardew was Governor of the Sierra Leone Protectorate till 1900, he will say whether negotiations for the concessions were proceeding during Sir Frederick Cardew's governorship, and what part Sir Frederick Cardew took in these negotiations; whether he is aware that in 1902 a law was passed, in the Protectorate prohibiting any person from holding concessions in respect of forest produce in excess, of forty square miles; what are the powers possessed by the company in regard to trading in India rubber throughout the 4,000 square miles of territory;. whether the claim made in the company's prospectus that every chief and headman will be dealt with in such a way that he will be individually responsible to the company, is a claim which the British Government, as protector of native tribes, sanctions; and what steps the Government propose to take in the matter.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe concessions were granted by native chiefs, upon their own authority. It appears from the prospectus of the West African Produce-Company that the concessions have been acquired by that company. Lord Elgin does not know whether the negotiations, were proceeding during Sir Frederick Cardew's governorship; they were not matters in which the Governor would take any part or in which his intervention, would be called for. The Secretary of State is acquainted with the law referred to. He has not seen the concession, but subject to the provisions of that law the-company will presumably have unrestricted powers of trading in india-rubber. The sanction of the British Government is not required in the Sierra Leone Protectorate to contracts of trade entered into by chiefs or headmen, who may reasonably be regarded as liable to be held responsible for fulfilling their legal engagements. The Governor will be 387 instructed to watch the operations (if any) of the company with a view to preventing any illegalities or abuses.
§ MR. SMEATONasked whether the Government should not have interfered, seeing that the underlings of companies of this kind were certain to be believed by the ignorant natives to be acting with Government authority.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI do not think we need be under any apprehension that the British officers engaged in the administration of our territories in West Africa would be disposed to acquiesce in the practices which we are led to believe have prevailed on the Congo.
§ MR. SMEATONI was speaking of native underlings.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe officers we employ in those parts of the world are responsible for all the actions of their underlings.
§ MR. DALZIELHaving regard to the fact that the person principally concerned, now chairman and managing director of the company, was formerly governor of the Protectorate, and to the case a short time ago in which Sir West Ridgeway was concerned, will the advisability be considered of issuing a circular to all governors advising them not to identify themselves after they have ceased to be governors with commercial undertakings in the country where they were employed?
§ MR. CHURCHILLI know my noble friend the Secretary of State very largely shares the views which have been expressed, and we are now considering whether any steps can reasonably be taken to bring that point of view strongly to the notice of those concerned.
§ MR. BYLES (Salford, N.)Can we have an assurance that precautions will be taken by the Colonial Office to prevent the concessions degenerating into veiled slavery, such as has grown up in the Congo?
§ MR. SMEATONWill the Colonial Office examine the concessions?
§ * MR. SPEAKERNotice must be given.