HC Deb 06 March 1912 vol 35 cc359-61
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with regard to the Royal Proclamation of 1858, guaranteeing to the inhabitants of the territories previously administered by the East India Company that, so far as may be, of whatever race or creed, they should be freely and impartially admitted to offices in the Royal service, the duties of which they might be qualified by their education, ability, and integrity duly to discharge, whether he consulted the Indian Government before placing upon this guarantee the interpretation that the words so far as may be were compatible with a regulation specifically excluding from the civil and police services all persons who are not of pure European descent on both sides.

The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)

The answer is in the negative, but seeing that candidates for appointment as probationers in the Indian police are required to be of European descent, I have no doubt that the Government of India share my view as to the interpretation of the words to which my hon. Friend refers. My hon. Friend has perhaps not realised that the appointments which are confined to Europeans constitute only a very small proportion of the total number of posts in the public service in the Far East.

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

Is the Colonial Secretary of opinion that the appointments to the Indian police are limited to persons of purely European descent on both sides?

Mr. HARCOURT

I said that candidates for the Indian police are required to be of European descent.

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that there are avenues of entrance into the higher offices of the Indian police, and that provision is made for them in India?

Mr. HARCOURT

I am not fully acquainted with Indian habits.

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

With a view of more adequately discharging his duties, will the right hon. Gentleman inform himself of the practice in India?

Mr. HARCOURT

I shall make myself acquainted with such matters as seem necessary.

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

asked whether the reason for excluding from the Civil and Police services of Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States all persons who are not of pure European descent on both sides is that Malays and Chinese dislike and resent officers of alien origin being placed in authority over them unless these officers are of European descent; whether the Chinese and Malays have ever made representations to him on the subject; and whether the Colonial Office has ever taken any and, if so, what steps to ascertain the views of the Chinese and Malays?

Mr. HARCOURT

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Regulation to which my hon. Friend's question relates was introduced on the urgent representations of past Governors, who were actuated largely by the decided views expressed by the Malay rulers and by prominent members of the Chinese communities, who must be regarded as representing the views of their fellow-countrymen.

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware there is only one Chinese member of the legislative assembly at Singapore, and that he is unaware of such Regulations, and has given notice to ask a question in the legislative assembly there, and whether that has been done?

Mr. HARCOURT

I did not know about it. No doubt the question will be asked.

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

asked why no mention is made in the Colonial Office List of the fact that the Colonial Office has within the past seven years established, a colour bar to the Civil and Police services of Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States; and whether he will see that in future issues, so long as the colour bar remains, due mention of it will be made, in order that British subjects in those Colonies may not spend time and money in preparing themselves for the public service only to be informed some months previously to the examination that they are excluded by the colour bar?

Mr. HARCOURT

As my hon. Friend will see, if he will consult the title-page, the Colonial Office List is not a Government publication. I cannot admit the assumption in the latter part of the question.

Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTT

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that on the title-page of the Colonial Office List it is described as prepared by two gentlemen of the Colonial Office, and will he take steps to secure that the authority of the Colonial Office is not used for diffusing inaccurate information with regard to appointments?

Mr. HARCOURT

I do not think there is any authority for that statement. Valuable assistance is gratuitously given frequently by some members of the Colonial Office.