40. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked what is the constitution of the Federal Council of the Federated Malay States which has offered to present to the Imperial Navy a battleship costing £2,250,000?
Mr. HARCOURTThe Federal Council is composed of the High Commissioner for the Malay States (President), the Chief Secretary to the Government of the Federated Malay States, the Rulers of the four States, the British residents of the four States, and four unofficial members, representing the mining, planting, and general commercial interests, of whom one is Chinese and three are Europeans.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWith regard to the four representatives who are termed 445 unofficial members, are they nominated by the Governor with the consent of the Crown?
§ Sir WILLIAM BYLESWill the people from whose pockets the money will come have any say whatever in the expenditure of it?
Mr. HARCOURTI think the money to which ray hon. Friend is referring does not come out of the pockets of these people.
§ Sir W. BYLESIs not the policy of taxing the Colonies for Imperial purposes one against which history directs grave warnings?
41. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked what is the total population and the total revenue of the Federated Malay States?
Mr. HARCOURTThe total resident population, according to the Census of 1911, is 1,036,999. The revenue for 1912 is expected to be $37,900,000.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEWhat proportion of the Malay population is imported Chinese?
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTHas the right hon. Gentleman taken into consideration that the cost of this gift to the Imperial Government on these figures will amount to over £2 per head of the population?
Mr. HARCOURTI do not think it will amount to anything per head of the population. It will amount, no doubt, to a good deal per head of the owners of the rubber shares and tin shares in the Federated Malay States.