§ MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies when the first communication was received by His Majesty's Government from the Transvaal Government as to recruiting labour from Madagascar; when and what reply was given to the communication from the Transvaal Government; whether any communication on the subject has teen made by His Majesty's Government to that of the French Republic; and whether any reply has been received from the French Government.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe Governor's despatch on the subject containing Minister's request was received on 18th January. It was answered on 28th January by a request that a missing enclosure should be forwarded, and further communications have since taken place. No communication to the French Government has at present been made.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYasked whether the correspondence would be laid on the Table of the House.
§ MR. CHURCHILLMy noble friend has decided not to lay on the Table any correspondence on the matter until it is complete.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYWhen does the right hon. Gentleman expect to be in a position to give the House the information?
§ MR. CHURCHILLI cannot say. The Foreign Office is also involved in this matter.
SIE GILBERT PARKERasked whether they were to conclude, from the fact that negotiations had been entered into for recruiting natives of Madagascar for the Transvaal mines, that the supply of natives from the subcontinent had not been found sufficient by the Transvaal Government?
§ MR. CHURCHILLI cannot govern the inferences that the hon. Gentleman may choose to draw, but I am of opinion, as far as I am able to inform myself, that the supply of natives has proved very much in excess of the demand.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYasked whether the negotiations between the Home Government and the French Government were still in progress?
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe Transvaal Government have made a request to us to obtain information from the French Government. We have asked the Transvaal Government certain questions, and upon receipt of the answers to those questions, if we find they are satisfactory, we will make the necessary representations to the French Government.