HC Deb 08 May 1907 vol 174 cc209-10
SIR H. COTTON (Nottingham, E.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he can make any statement to the House regarding disturbances reported in the Mymensingh district, and in other parts of Eastern Bengal; and whether he can give an assurance that the local authorities are co-operating with the leaders of both communities in restoring those friendly feelings between Hindus and Mahomedans which prevailed in that province before the recent partition of Bengal.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. MORLEY,) Montrose Burghs

I have received no official reports of the alleged disturbances; but the hon. Member's own experience as a servant of the Crown will bear me out when I express my belief that it is the desire of every member of the Indian services that all classes of His Majesty's subjects shall live at peace with one another.

Later,

MR. A. J. BALFOUR (City of London)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he can give the House any information about recent occurrences in India which have been the cause of some anxiety in the House, and on which, I am sure, information is anxiously desired.

MR. MORLEY

I think the right hon. Gentleman is quite within his rights in asking a question of this kind, and I have no doubt the country is anxious. I received last night a telegram from the Viceroy. I cannot report it all to the House, for a pretty obvious reason, but I may mention this. In view of the existing situation in the Punjab, Sir Denzil Ibbetson, whom I have already described as one of the ablest and most experienced administrators, now Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, made a formal official application to the Government of India for the arrest and deportation of two of the most prominent agitators, under Regulation III of 1818. The Government of India were unanimously of opinion that immediate action was necessary, and the warrants were accordingly issued yesterday. I may explain that deportation does not mean in this case deportation from India, but from one province to another.

SIR H. COTTON

Will the right hon. Gentleman give the names of the two persons against whom warrants have been issued?

MR. MORLEY

I must decline at the present stage to state the names, but they will in due course by made known.