Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the unofficial members of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlement who recommended by a majority the abolition of the Queen's scholarships, whereby many promising native students were enabled to complete their education in this country, and now occupy important positions, were nominated by the Government or were directly empowered to represent any local body of opinion; whether the majority was a European majority; whether the single Chinese member voted in the minority; what is the annual sum saved by this economy; and whether he is aware that educational authorities have declared that the abolition of the scholarships, by removing the incentive to prolonged study, will have a detrimental effect upon higher education?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)Unofficial members of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements are appointed by the 419 Governor subject to His Majesty's approval. The answer to the second and third parts of the question is in the affirmative. No saving has resulted, since the money has been spent on improving education in other ways. I have no definite information as to the last part of my hon. Friend's question, but I may say that in 1907, when it was proposed td abolish one scholarship, the majority of the educational authorities in the Colony were in favour of the abolition, or considered that the money could be spent to greater advantage otherwise.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTHas the right hon. Gentleman seen the Report of the Director of Education for 1908, in which he said:—
There is no doubt that the Queen's Scholarships gave the first start to all higher work, and have been the chief inducement to boys to remain at school after passing Standard VII. …. One great advantage of the Queen's Scholarships to the Education Department has been that our best local teachers have been boys who have competed for and just failed to get the scholarship.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is quoting from some document, and I think he ought to give notice.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the Report of the Director of Education on the subject?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI must ask for notice of the question.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the policy of abolishing scholarships part of a policy intended to exclude natives from the service of the Crown?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThat is part of the question of which probably the hon. Member will give notice.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary for the Colonies whether H. H. Suleiman Bin Almerhum Raja Musa, C.M.G., Sultan of Selangor, in the Federated Malay States, is of pure European descent on both sides; whether he has ever received any representations from the Chinese residents in Selangor to the effect that they dislike officers of alien origin being placed in authority over them unless those officers are of pure European descent on both sides; and, if not, whether he will exempt Selangor from the new regulation made by the Colonial Office whereby all British subjects who are not of pure European 420 descent on both sides are excluded from the civil and police services of the Federated Malay States?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThe answer to all three parts of my hon. Friend's question is in the negative.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTAre we to believe that the residents of this Protectorate have no objection to H. H. Suleiman Bin Almerhum Raja Musa, C.M.G., being Sultan, but they have an. insuperable objection to any official being appointed over them unless he is of pure European descent on both sides?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI hope my hon. Friend will not think it necessary to pursue questions regarding a distinguished ruler with whom we are in treaty relations.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that his reference and his policy is more complimentary to that ruler, who is a non-European, than. my attitude towards that non-European ruler?
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that Ho Kai, Esq., of Hong Kong, was educated at HongKong and at Aberdeen University; that he graduated M.B., and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons; that he was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn; that he has been for twenty years a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong; that he was created a C.M.G. in 1902; and that the King conferred the honour of knighthood on him on Monday of last week; whether he is now satisfied that there is some chance of British-born. Chinese being successful in the competitive examination for the Eastern Cadet service; and whether he will therefore alter the new Regulation made by the Colonial Office whereby all British subjects 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?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThe answer to the first six parts of the question is in the affirmative. I do not see that the very distinguished career of Sir Ho Kai has any bearing on the question of the admittance of non-Europeans to the examinations for the civil and police services. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIf the ability of Sir Ho Kai to pass examinations is not sufficient to convince the right hon. Gentleman that non - Europeans can pass examinations will the case of Dr. Lim Boon Keng convince him? The hon. Member further asked, with reference to the new Regulation made by the Colonial Office whereby all British subjects who are not of pure European descent on both sides are excluded from the civil and police services of the Straits Settlements and other Colonies, whether, for the purposes of this Resolution, an Armenian is to be considered of pure European descent?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThis question has not yet arisen. If and when it does I shall invite the ethnological assistance of my hon. Friend?
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that at the present time he has got an Armenian in the Civil Service of that Colony, and that at the present time there is in this country an Armenian, born and bred in the Colony, who is excluded by these Regulations, and who is therefore proposing to enter for the Civil Service of India, where he is not excluded?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThat subject will be better pursued after notice.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state by what means it is open to British-born Chinese and Malays in the Straits Settlements to demonstrate to him that they have any chance of being successful in the examinations for the Civil and Police Services so long as he refuses to admit them to the examinations; and, if he is satisfied that they have no chance of passing, will he allow them to sit for examination, seeing that no harm would be done thereby?
§ Mr. HARCOURTAs regards the first part of the question, I shall be happy to give full consideration to any evidence to this effect that intending candidates may submit to me through the Governor of the Colony. The suggestion in the second part of the question seems scarcely consistent with the views expressed in several of my hon. Friend's previous questions. I should be sorry (in my hon. Friend's own words) to encourage British subjects to spend time and money in preparing themselves for certain branches of the public 422 service, only to find themselves excluded at the last moment by the fact that they have been unable to compete successfully.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWhat kind of evidence will satisfy the right hon. Gentlemen of their ability to pass examinations if he refuses to admit them to the examinations? Is his policy one of "heads I win, tails you lose"?