§ Sir WILLIAM BYLESasked whether the Secretary of State has inquired, and, if not, if he will inquire from the Government of India if any communications were at any time received from the Abors, offering to surrender the murderers of the late Mr. Williamson if the hostile expedition against them was abandoned; whether the expedition has any other object than to avenge Mr. Williamson's death; and when it is intended to lay Papers on the subject before Parliament?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe Secretary of State does not consider it necessary to make the inquiries suggested by the hon. Member, as the Government of India have kept him fully informed on all matters regarding the proposed expedition, and as I said last week he has heard nothing of such communications as my hon. Friend suggests. As I stated in reply to the hon. Member for Bridgeton on the 17th August last, the object of the expedition to the Abor country is to exact reparation for the murder of Mr. Williamson. But advantage will be taken of the opportunity to carry out such surveys and exploration as may be practicable in the tribal area. As I informed the hon. Member on the 31st October, I hope to lay Papers very shortly.
§ Mr. WATTCan the hon. Gentleman say if he has formed any estimate of how many lives it will probably cost to avenge the death of Mr. Williamson?
§ Mr. MONTAGUIt is obviously impossible to form any estimate of that kind. It depends entirely on the conduct of the Abors.
§ Sir W. BYLESasked what is the total force accompanying the punitive expedition against the Abors, the friendly mission to the Mishmes, and, the mission to Rima, respectively; what is the estimated cost of these three expeditions; whether it is intended to go beyond the village of Komsing, where Mr. Williamson met with his death; whether that village is within or beyond the external frontiers of His Majesty's Indian Possessions; and what is the nature of the punishment which has been ordered to be inflicted upon the Abor people?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe total number of troops accompanying the Abor Expedition, including reserve, base, and line of communication, is about 2,350, in addition to a contingent of military police. The 1458 Mishmi Mission will be accompanied by an escort of 150 military police, and a company of sappers and miners. No mission to Rima, which is still in Tibet, is in contemplation. The total cost of the Abor Expedition is estimated at about £150,000, and that of the Mishmi Mission at about £27,000. It is intended that the Abor Expedition should visit as many as possible of the villages belonging to the Moyong section of the tribe, all of which are believed to have been implicated in the murder of Mr. Williamson's party. The villages in question (including Komsing) are not situated beyond the external frontiers of His Majesty's Indian Possessions. The nature of the punitive measures to betaken will depend upon the action of the Abors themselves.
§ Sir W. BYLESDoes it not amount to this, that because some unknown person or persons killed Mr. Williamson, the Indian Government is sanctioning the sending out of large numbers of troops to kill an indefinite number of persons who had nothing to do with the murder?
§ Mr. MONTAGUA British officer was murdered in the Abor country, and the Indian Government is taking steps to demonstrate that it is impossible to murder a British officer without serious consequences.