Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked whether the Indian Government proposes to follow the example of the Colonial Office in Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, 1208 and the Federated Malay States, in restricting appointments in the civil and police forces in these Colonies to candidates of pure European descent on both sides; and whether it has made any protest on behalf of the 300,000,000 British citizens whom it represents against their complete exclusion from these services?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI am, of course, always willing to consider suggestions made by my hon. Friend, but there is no present intention of modifying a procedure which I have no reason to suppose is not satisfactory. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative; no protest has been made, so far as I am aware, to the Secretary of State or the Government of India, and therefore it may be assumed that no grievance is felt. I may add that I must not be held to endorse my hon. Friend's description of Colonial Office practice.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the hon. Gentleman convey the information that the present system in India is working satisfactorily to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who seems so ignorant about Indian affairs?