§ 70. Mr. BLACKasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether requests have been received from the chambers of commerce of West Africa for the appointment of a Committee of Inquiry into the administrative expenditure; and what action has been taken in the matter?
Mr. THOMASThe Lagos Chamber of Commerce asked my predecessor in June last to appoint a Commission to inquire into Nigerian expenditure. My predecessor did not consider that any case had been made out for the appointment of such a body, and I take the same view. I will cause a copy of Sir Hugh Clifford's recent address to the new Legislature, which bears on this subject, to be placed in the Library.