LORD HARRISMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government whether the evidence taken by Mr. Bucknill in his inquiry as to vice in Chinese compounds was upon oath or not.
§ * THE EARL OF ELGINSo far as I can tell from the Papers, the evidence taken before this Commission, as is customary with respect to the evidence taken before Royal Commissions and Committees in this country, was not taken on oath. I believe there is a, power to the Transvaal Government under the Ordinance to issue orders to a public inquiry for the evidence to be taken on oath; but in this case, the inquiry being confidential, I have no doubt that that was not done.