Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Mr. Walter Schofield, Mr. Guy Hatton Sugden, and Mr. John Erskine Kempe, who passed the Civil Service examination held in August, 1911, have been appointed to the Civil Services of Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States, respectively; whether each of these candidates satisfied the Colonial Office Regulation that all candidates for appointments to the Civil Service in these States and Colonies should be of pure European descent on both sides; and will he state what evidence each candidate was required to produce as to his age and as to his descent?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Each of these gentlemen signed a declaration as to his descent, and there being no reason to question the declaration, no further evidence was required. In other respects each of them 377 was certified by the Civil Service Commissioners to be duly qualified under the Regulations for appointment to a cadetship.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the right hon. Gentleman say what evidence these gentlemen were required to give as to their age?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThey were required to give evidence which will satisfy me.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the right hon. Gentleman say what evidence was required to satisfy the right hon. Gentleman as to their age?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the right hon. Gentleman say why he is not prepared to take the word of these gentlemen as to their age, if he is prepared to take their word as to their descent?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI did not say I was not prepared to take their word as to their age.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the right hon. Gentleman state why he is not prepared to state the evidence he requires as to their age?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the academic careers of Dr. Lim Boon Keng, M.B.C.M., at Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities, of Dr. Wu Lien Teh, M.A., M.D., at Cambridge University, of Sze Jin Chan, LL.B., at Cambridge University and at Gray's Inn, where he held a 100 guineas Inns of Court studentship for three years, of G. S. Yeoh, LL.B., at Cambridge University and at Gray's Inn, of Song Ong Siang, M.A., LL.M., at Cambridge University and at the Middle Temple, where he held an Inns of Court scholarship of 100 guineas for one year, of Chan Sze Pong, B.A., B.C., at Cambridge University, of Chan Sze Jin, B.A., LL.B., at Cambridge, of Koh Lip Teng, M.B., Ch.B., at Edinburgh University, and of Tan Seng Suan, B.A., M.B., B.C., at Cambridge University; whether he can say how many of these gentlemen were enabled to pursue their studies in this 378 country by the aid of the Queen's scholarships in the Straits Settlements, which have recently been abolished by the Government; whether he is aware that these gentlemen are all excluded from the Civil Service of the Colony of their birth by the Regulation recently made by the Colonial Office excluding from that service all persons who are not of pure European descent on both sides; and whether he is now prepared to implement his promise to admit British-born Chinese to examination for the Civil Service of their Colony if he were satisfied as to the ability of Chinese to pass examinations?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI am acquainted with the careers of some of these gentlemen and I am content to accept as accurate my hon. Friend's statements with regard to the others. Five of them were Straits Settlements scholars, but I cannot say whether they would not have been able to pursue their studies in this country without the aid of the scholarships. None of these gentlemen would now be eligible under the Regulations made in 1904 for appointment to a cadetship in the Straits Settlements, but I have no reason to believe that any of them ever desired such an appointment. I may point out that some of them could have competed for cadetships if they had wished to do so, as the change in the Regulations was not made till after they had ceased to be eligible on the ground of age. I have never made the promise which my hon. Friend ascribes to me. What I said was that I would consider the question of admitting British-born Chinese and Malays to the Cadet Service if there were any chance of such candidates being successful in the competitive examination and if there were a local demand for the concession, which at present does not exist.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTDo not the names of those gentlemen indicate that there is a considerable class of Chinese in the Colony who are competent to pass an examination?
§ Mr. HARCOURTNo.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that the gentlemen whose names are here would have much more chance of passing an examination than the right hon. Gentleman if he were in competition with them?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThat may be quite true.
§ Mr. RONALD M'NEILLMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, with the view of relieving the congestion of business in this House caused by the questions of the hon. Gentleman (Mr. MacCallum Scott), he will have all matters relating to the Federated Malay States transferred to the Irish Parliament?