§ 11. Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether anything is being done to restrain minor English officials in Ceylon from active hostility to the temperance movement, temperance societies, and advocates of temperance; whether the houses of temperance workers are still being searched by military and police; whether temperance workers are still being imprisoned without charge, released without trial, and given no rest until they cease temperance work; whether this policy has completely destroyed the temperance movement in Ceylon; and, seeing that the best and most educated Sinhalese resent this demoralisation of their people in the interest of an English trade, whether the connection between that trade and the Government of Ceylon can be diminished or rendered less obvious?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am satisfied that there is no ground for the suggestion that the Government of Ceylon is in any way hostile to legitimate temperance work, or that action has been taken against any individuals in consequence of their connection with the temperance movement.
§ Mr. GINNELLWould the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Cabinet are unanimous in denying these charges instead of granting an impartial inquiry for which the Sinhalese people have petitioned?
Mr. CHANCELLORAs there appears to be a good deal of unrest, will the right hon. Gentleman consider whether an inquiry is desirable?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI have already explained that my view and the view of the Government is that to raise this question now might cause a great deal of trouble.
§ Mr. GINNELLDoes the right hon. Gentleman deny that the Sinhalese people have any right to a view of their own in this matter?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNo, I do not.
§ 12. Mr. GINNELLasked what explanation he can give of the shooting, on 5th June, 1915, at Palankade, Ceylon, by direction of an English officer, of the man Mahagamage Singho Appu, without charge or trial; whether he disputes the affidavit of this man's widow, sworn before a magistrate at Colombo last September, that no inquiry whatever was addressed to either her husband or herself or anybody else before the shooting; that she was never told why her husband was shot, and that the shooting of him left her a destitute widow with seven children, the youngest of them about one year old; and whether Sir Robert Chalmers, then Governor of Ceylon, now Under-Secretary for Ireland, still holds that no inquiry ought to be made and no redress given in this case?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI have no reason to believe that there is any foundation for the allegations contained in this question.
§ Mr. GINNELLI have not asked if the right hon. Gentleman has any reason to believe. I asked if the right hon. Gentleman can deny the question on the Paper?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI do.