Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether here are any, and, if so, what appointments in the medical department of the Government of Ceylon which are reserved for Europeans only?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)I am not aware that any posts are exclusively reserved for Europeans, though it is considered desirable to have a certain (comparatively small) number of European officers in the medical department.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTMay I take it then that there are no individual posts which are exclusively reserved for Europeans?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThat is my impression.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that in the Royal Proclamation of 1858, upon the occasion of the assumption of the government of India by Queen Victoria, it is declared that ft was the Sovereign's will that, so far as might be, Her subjects, of whatever race or creed, should be freely and impartially admitted to offices the duties of which they may be qualified by their education, ability, and integrity duly to discharge; whether he is aware that at that time the Straits Settlements were under the Government of India, and that the terms of the Proclamation applied to them as well as to India; whether he is aware that the people of the Straits Settlements regard the recent action of the Colonial Office in excluding from the civil and police services all persons who are not of pure European descent on both sides as a breach of the civil rights guaranteed to them in that Proclamation; and, if so, will he state what action he proposes to take in this matter?
§ Mr. HARCOURTWithout discussing the applicability of the Proclamation to a Colony which ceased to be under the Government of India some forty-five years ago, I would draw the attention of my hon. Friend to the limitation introduced into the passage to which he refers by the use of the words "so far as may be." In 1537 the interests of good administration it is necessary to adhere to the existing Regulation, which, as I have already pointed out to my hon. Friend, has been in force for a number of years. I hope that the people of the Straits Settlements do not hold the erroneous views attributed to them by my hon. Friend.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that the words "so far as may be" in the Proclamation to which he refers compatible with the absolute and total exclusion of persons not wholly of European descent on both sides?
§ Mr. HARCOURTYes, Sir.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he proposes to extend to the Legislative Assemblies of the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong the colour bar which he has erected by excluding from the civil and police services of these Colonies all persons who are not of pure European descent on both sides?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo, Sir; I have repeatedly pointed out that the restriction was not introduced by me. My action has been confined to removing any possible ambiguity in the wording of the Regulation.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWhy, if a person is not of pure European descent on both sides is not disqualified from serving in the Legislative Council, is the same person disqualified by his race and colour from serving in the civil and police services?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI think I am entitled to notice of the conundrum.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Legislative Assembly for the Straits Settlements was consulted before the Colonial Office altered the regulations governing entry to the public service of these Colonies so as to exclude from the civil and police services all persons who are not of pure European descent on both sides?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo, Sir; but I have no doubt that that body would by a large majority support the policy of His Majesty's Government.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTDid I understand the right hon. Gentleman to say that the Assembly was consulted?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo, Sir.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTThen, does not the right hon. Gentleman think it desirable, before effecting a change which diminishes the status of British subjects in that Colony, which were guaranteed to them by the Crown, to ascertain the views of the Legislative Assembly of that Colony?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo, Sir. I think not, but that is a matter of opinion.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the changes in the regulations whereby all persons who are not of pure European descent on both sides are excluded from the civil and police services of Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States, have been published in the Gazette; and, if not, what steps have been taken to prevent British subjects in these Colonies spending time and money in preparing themselves for the public service only to find, when they present themselves for examination, that they are excluded by the colour bar?
§ Mr. HARCOURTSo far as I am aware, the regulations have not been published in the Gazette, but they are printed in the Civil Service Lists of both the Colonies and of the Federated Malay States and are therefore readily accessible and well-known to the public and to intending candidates, who naturally make themselves familiar with the regulations before sending in applications. No candidate can present himself for examination without having some months previously filled in an application form, in which attention is specially directed to the qualifications required. I may add, that as the regulation to which my hon. Friend refers has been in force, in the case of cadetships, for seven years and, in the case of police appointments, ever since the examination was instituted, there is no reason to suppose that any unqualified person, who is now within the age limits has expended time or money in preparing himself for examination.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTMay I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman still adheres to his previous statement that this disability was imposed upon natives in accordance with the wishes and desires of the natives themselves?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI do not think my previous opinion was said in exactly those words; but I adhere to my previous opinion in the words in which I gave it.
§ Sir W. BYLESIf the right hon. Gentleman was not responsible for the imposition of the colour bar, has he any power to remove it?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI am not quite sure that I understand my hon. Friend?
§ Sir W. BYLESI understood the right hon. Gentleman to say that he was not responsible for the imposition of the disability to which my hon. Friend has referred. I want to know whether, apart from that responsibility, he has any power to remove that prohibitive regulation?
§ Mr. HARCOURTIf my predecessor had power to impose it, I should think I would have the power, if I thought it desirable, to remove it.
§ Sir W. BYLESDo you not think it desirable?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo, Sir.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the natives of that Colony were absolutely ignorant of the fact that this change in the regulations had been carried out until the matter was raised in Parliament?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo, I was not aware of that.