§ Mr. RAMSAY MACDONALDasked the Secretary for the Colonies whether his attention had been drawn to the case of twenty-four British police officers who were recruited in 1910 by the Crown Agents for the Colonies to serve in the new Ceylon European police force; whether he is aware that these men were recruited on the assurance that they would materially improve their prospects and position, and that their duties would be those of sergeants; whether he is aware that, upon the men arriving in Ceylon, instead of performing sergeants' duties, they were placed upon ordinary street duty, and found that their prospects had been misrepresented; whether he is aware that, upon the chief superintendent being 427W approached by the men, he told them that they had been recruited as constables, the rank of sergeant being only nominal, and that, when the men thereupon prepared and presented a petition to be forwarded to the Secretary of State, the chief superintendent informed them that the petition was illegal because it was signed by all the men, and therefore could not be forwarded; whether he is aware that the men then presented individual petitions, but the Inspector-General refused to listen to their complaints; whether he is aware that a number of the men, on giving two months' notice to leave the service, were immediately discharged; that subsequently, owing to the men being stranded without financial resources, public attention was directed to the case, and they were then booked passages home by the authorities and classed as undesirables; and whether he will have an inquiry made into the case with a view to justice being done?
Mr. HARCOURTI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which I gave on 15th February to the hon. Member for Salford South. I have considered the case very carefully, and I am satisfied that there is no ground for intervention.