§ * MR. REESI beg to ask the Undersecretary of State for India whether he is aware that a punitive police force has been quartered on the town of Conconada in consequence of certain riots which occurred therein; whether, seeing that under Clause 5, Section 15, of the Police Act of 1861, provision is made for the exemption of any class of the inhabitants from liability to bear any portion of the 662 cost of such force, he will say whether the European merchants in the town lie under any suspicion of being party to the riots; and if not, why the local government has not exercised the power of exemption conferred on it by the above-mentioned provision of the law.
§ MR. BUCHANANThe Government of Madras have power to exempt any class of the community from liability to share the cost of the additional police quartered at Coconada. The Secretary of State has no information as to how they have exercised that power; he considers that the matter should be left to their discretion.
§ * MR. REESDoes the hon. Gentleman think it equitable that when a riot is made by natives of India from whom no money levy can be made, the Europeans who are the victims should have to pay the expense of the punitive force?
§ MR. BUCHANANI presume the Madras Government are satisfied with the method of distributing expense.
§ MR. J. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)We will send you out again.