Mr. POINTERasked the. Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he would give the name, profession, or standing of each of the members of the Committee or Commission recently appointed to consider the question of Coolie Immigration in the Crown Colonies?
§ Colonel SEELYThe Committee is composed as follows:—
§ The Lord Sanderson, G.C.B., K.C.M.G.,. I.S.O. (Chairman).
§ The Lord Sandhurst, P.C., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E.
§ Sir George Scott Robertson, K.C.S.I.,. M.P.
417§ Sir James John Digges La Touche, K.C.S.I., a Member of the Council of India.
§ Hugh Bertram Cox, Esq., C.B., Assistant Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office.
§ Wilfrid William Ashley, Esq., M.P.
§ Selwyn Howe Fremantle, Esq., of the Indian Civil Service.
§ Walter Devonshire Ellis, Esq., of the Colonial Office.
§ Mr. Reginald Herbert Griffin, of the Colonial Office, acts as Secretary.
Mr. POINTERasked where and under what conditions the Committee for the consideration of coolie immigration held its meetings; whether all classes interested, including negroes and coolies, were allowed to give evidence; and whether special facilities had been offered to the latter in order to enable them to give evidence?
§ Colonel SEELYThe Committee holds its meetings at the Colonial Office. The evidence of all classes interested has, of course, been accepted and welcomed. A representative of the Trinidad Working Mens' Association and a representative selected by the East Indians in Trinidad to give evidence before the Committee have been heard on their behalf.
Mr. POINTERasked the terms of reference of the Committee on Coolie Immigration in the Crown Colonies, showing its power or authority; whether it was instructed to go into other matters related to the social conditions of the natives in Jamaica and elsewhere, or simply to confine itself to the indentured labour question; and whether particular care would be taken to ascertain whether there was any connection between the importation of indentured coolie labour and the extensive emigration of the native negro population?
§ Colonel SEELYThe terms of reference to the Committee are as follows:— To consider (a) The general question of emigration from India to the Crown Colonies, (b) The particular Colonies in which Indian immigration may be most usefully encouraged. (c) The general advantages to be reaped in each case, (1) by India itself, (2) by each particular Colony. The Secretary of State has not yet received the report of the Committee, but it is understood that in the course of their inquiry they have received evidence.as to the general social condition of the 418 population in the Colonies concerned with coolie immigration and as to any connection which emigration of the native population in such Colonies may bear to the introduction of coolies. The evidence taken by the Committee will be presented to Parliament with the Report.
Mr. POINTERasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he had received an application from His Excellency the Governor of Trinidad for permission to import 3,200 Indian immigrants during the year 1910–11; and whether, having regard to the prevalence of signs of unrest and dissatisfaction in the island, it was his intention to postpone consent to the application until the Committee on Coolie Immigration in the Crown Colonies had completed its labours and reported?
§ Colonel SEELYThe Secretary of State has received an application from the Governor and has approved the importation of the number of immigrants specified in my hon. Friend's question. It would not have been possible to suspend decision as to the number of immigrants required during the year 1910–11 pending the receipt of the report of the Committee on Coolie Immigration.