§ The following Question stood upon the Order Paper in the name of Mr. SMITHERS:
§ 17. To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has considered the report of the proceedings of the annual meeting of the North Charterland Exploration Company, held on the 27th November, 1933, containing a resolution, which was carried unanimously, contain- 1281 ing charges of bad faith against His Majesty's Government; and what steps does he propose to take in the matter?
§ Mr. SMITHERSBefore this question is answered, may I ask your advice, Mr. Speaker, and make a protest quite shortly? The question was put down for the Prime Minister, and, although we in this House know what Cabinet responsibility means, those outside do not realise it so much, and the interests out-side particularly wanted a reply from the Head of the Government.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member knows that one department can always transfer to another any question if it thinks that that other department is the most suitable one to reply.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe answer is given on behalf of the Government. I have received a copy of the report referred to. All the matters of which the North Charterland Company has complained have formed the subject of two public inquiries before Mr. Justice Maugham. In spite of the fact that the first inquiry was of the fullest character, the Government took the exceptional course of requesting the commissioner to reopen the inquiry in order that the North Charterland Company might have a further opportunity of substantiating the charges to which my hon. Friend has referred.
In paragraph 6 of his second report, Mr. Justice Maugham states that the Attorney-General, on behalf of the Crown, departing from the normal practice in relation to official documents, called every available witness whose evidence might bear on the matters in question or throw light on the good faith of the Colonial Office. As the result of these investigations Mr. Justice Maugham stated in his second report that the charges of bad faith brought against the Colonial Office had no foundation whatever. Copies of Mr. Justice Maugham's reports were placed in the Library of the House of Commons immediately they were received; and I would invite the attention of hon. Members to these reports.
§ Mr. SMITHERSWhile I am not in a position to judge, one way or the other, may I ask: are the Government going to take no notice of the allegations made 1282 against them at a public meeting in the City of London?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERReally I am amazed that the hon. Gentleman should make a statement of that kind. Charges were made, with which I am not really concerned, because they relate to matters which arose long before my tenure of office. I was quite determined, however, that a matter which involved charges of fraud against members of the Colonial Office staff and, for all I know, previous Secretaries of State, should be investigated fully. Two inquiries have been held by a Chancery Judge. Every single witness that could be produced has been produced, and that judge has found that the charges have no foundation whatever.