Parliamentary.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

SAN THOMÉ AND PRINCIPE.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

March 30.

Mr. LYTTELTON asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can yet state the number of natives repatriated from the islands of San Thomé and Principe to Angola during 1913?

The UNDER-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Acland) : 2,071 natives, 1,371 males and 700 females, were repatriated from San Thomé to Angola during 1913. I am not at present able to state the number repatriated from Principe.

May 19.

Mr. T. E. HARVEY asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the minimum bonus of £10 promised to all serviçaes on their restoration to the mainland of Africa from the Islands of San Thomé and Principe has been withdrawn; and whether any reply has yet been received to Dispatch No. 77, White Book 7279, addressed to the British Minister at Lisbon on November 25 last?

Mr. ACLAND: The hon. Member must be referring to the provision of the Portuguese Decree of February 8, 1913, guaranteeing to every “servical" who entered San Thomé before January 29, 1903, the date of the inauguration of the Repatriation Fund, a bonus of 50 escudos, or about £10. As the hon. Member is aware, from the Regulations of 1909 (which are printed on page 3 of Africa No. 2 (1912), all serviçaes recruited subsequently to 1903 are provided with a bonus on landing in Angola in the form of deferred wages. As far as my right hon. Friend is aware, both the Decrees of 1909 and 1913 are still in force. With regard to the second part of the hon. Member's question, I may refer him to page 89 of Africa No. 1 (1914), where he will find the reply of His Majesty's Minister at Lisbon to the dispatch addressed to him on November 25 last.

Mr. T. E. HARVEY asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the statement made by the Portuguese Prime Minister in November last to the British Minister in Lisbon to the effect that repatriation of the serviçaes is restricted solely through insufficiency of shipping capacity; whether this statement corresponds to the facts set forth in the recent White Paper; and, if not, whether the attention of the Portuguese Government will be drawn to the inaccuracy? Mr. ACLAND: My right hon. Friend's attention was called in November last to the statement that repatriation of the "serviçaes" was not pro

ceeding as fast as it should owing to the insufficiency of vessels to convey the labourers to the mainland. His Majesty's Minister at Lisbon was instructed early this year to continue to impress on the Portuguese Government that His Majesty's Government must rely upon the activity of the Government at Lisbon in impressing upon the local authorities the necessity of repatriating the "serviçaes" punctually when their contracts terminate. June 9.

Mr. HOARE asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the White Book, No. 7279, dealing with labour conditions in Portuguese West Africa applied to a considerable tract of territory within the Conventional basin of the Congo; whether his Majesty's Government on a former occasion submitted Mr. Consul Casement's report upon Congo abuses to the Powers signatory to the General Act of Berlin; and whether the Government would consider the advisability of forwarding through his Majesty's representatives a copy of White Book No. 7279 to all the Powers signatory to that Act.

Sir E. GREY: The White Book deals with the whole of Angola, and only the part of that province north of the line laid down in the Berlin Act as the southern boundary of the Conventional basin of the Congo is within the Conventional basin. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative, but the results of that action were not satisfactory, and no good purpose would be served by communicating the White Book to the Powers in question.

PORTUGUESE WEST AFRICA.

May 1.

Mr. CARR-GOMM asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the two natives, Nekaka and Mantu, who accompanied Mr. Bowskill as peace envoys and acted as interpreters for him during his efforts to secure peace from the rebels at San Salvador, have been thrown into prison; and, if so, can he say upon what charge these men have been arrested?

Sir E. GREY: I understand that the two natives mentioned were arrested by the Portuguese authorities at San Salvador on January 18, but I am ignorant of the charge preferred against them.

May 11.

Mr. HOARE asked whether there is any reason to believe that the recent native rising in San Salvador was due to the carrying out of the provincial order contained in dispatch No. 65, in White Paper No. 7279; and whether His Majesty's Minister at Lisbon will be instructed to call the attention of the Portuguese Government to this order signed by the GovernorGeneral of Angola, whereby it would seem that an attempt was made by the Portuguese Governor himself to secure forced labour for private profit ?

Mr. ACLAND: The British Vice-Consul at Boma, who is now at San Salvador, has been instructed to report in connexion with the case of Mr. Bowskill on all the circumstances leading up to the rising, including the question of recruitment of native labour, and I would prefer to await his report before giving any reply to this question. As regards the second part of the question the order referred to provides for the voluntary recruitment of contract labour and not for forced labour. To what extent the decree was abused, and, if so, who was responsible for its abuse, is a question on which I must wait for the full report expected.

Mr. HOARE: When does the hon. Gentleman expect to have the British Vice-Consul's report?

Mr. ACLAND: I am afraid that is rather uncertain, as the means of communication appear to be very difficult.

Mr. HOARE: Is it a question of weeks or months?

Mr. ACLAND: As I do not know how difficult the means of communication are I could not give any useful estimate.

May II.

Mr. HOARE asked whether, when His Majesty's Vice-Consul Bell arrived at San Salvador to inquire into the arrest of Mr. Bowskill, the Portuguese administration surrounded His Majesty's representative and his carriers with a body of soldiers under white officers; and whether, in spite of assurances that there were no rebels in the company, the Governor retained this military demonstration around the Vice-Consul for some hours, and until the Governor's action had become notorious amongst the natives of the district?

Mr. ACLAND: The only dispatch as yet received from Mr. Vice-Consul Bell makes no mention of such an incident, and I cannot, pending a report from him, make a statement as regards information from other sources.

Mr. HOARE: Is there no telegraphic communication between the place at which he is and this country?

Mr. ACLAND: I think not.

NEW HEBRIDES.

March 26.

Sir GEORGE TOULMIN asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, during the last four years, he has received complaints from His Majesty's officers of the Australian Squadron with reference to the condition of affairs in the New Hebrides; and whether he will consider the advisability of laying a selection of such Reports upon the Table of the House?

Mr. CHURCHILL : Reports have been received from time to time at the Admiralty from naval officers serving on the station, but it is not proposed to lay papers at present.

April 2.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS asked the Secretary for the Colonies whether he cabled to the British resident at Vila, in the New Hebrides, directing that the Rev. Dr. Campbell Nicholson, a British subject, should apologize to the French Commandant Rogue; and whether Dr. Nicholson's only action consisted in resisting an attempt at an illegal raid by French officers on his station on the island of Tanna.

Mr. HARCOURT: This incident has formed the subject of discussion with the French Government, and I do not consider it desirable to make any statement with regard to it at present.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS: Will the right hon. gentleman in the meantime send instructions to the British missionary not to apologize to the French Commandant ?

Mr. HARCOURT: I do not think I can enter into the communications which have taken place between myself and the French Government.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS: If I raise the matter on the adjournment on Wednesday will the right hon. gentleman be prepared to give us the information?

Mr. HARCOURT: It would be contrary to the public interest that I should discuss the matter at the present moment.

April 23.

Dr. CHAPPLE asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in order to allay the apprehensions of the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, he will extend an invitation to them to be represented on the Conference to be held on the subject of the New Hebrides or, as an alternative, give to these Governments an assurance that ample opportunity will be provided during the progress of the Conference for their point of view to be expressed in anticipation of a final agreement, rather than in subsequent criticism of a tentative arrangement they might find it embarrassing or ineffective to disapprove?

Mr. HARCOURT: I have been in correspondence with the Governments of the Commonwealth and New Zealand in regard to the questions to be discussed with the French Government, and, as I stated on March 2 in reply to my hon. Friend's question, I have undertaken to consult them further before any new arrangement is entered into. I need not say that the fullest consideration will be given to any views expressed by the Commonwealth or Dominion Government.

May 7.

1. Mr. WILLIAM REDMOND asked the Secretary of State for Foreign. Affairs when he expects to be able to make a statement as to any fresh agreement that may be entered into with France as to the New Hebrides; and whether, in concluding any such agreement, the views of the Government of the Australian Commonwealth will be ascertained?

Sir E. GREY: The arrangements for a conference are now under consideration with the French Government; and as to the latter part of the question, the Secretary of State for the Colonies stated on April 23 that he had been in correspondence with the Governments of the Commonwealth and New Zealand in regard to the questions to be discussed with the French Government, that he had undertaken to consult them further before any new arrangement was entered into, and that the fullest consideration would be given to any views expressed by the Commonwealth or Dominion Govern

ment.

May 13.

Dr. CHAPPLE asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the dissatisfaction in the New Hebrides over the working of the Condominium, he has been urged to station a British man-of-war in the group throughout the year; and whether he has any intention of considering such a proposal favourably?

Mr. CHURCHILL: It is hoped that it will be possible for British menof-war to spend a considerable time in the New Hebrides this season. One is on her way there at this moment.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies. whether his attention has been drawn to a petition presented to the French Resident in the New Hebrides, purporting to be signed by British subjects, requesting that the Archipelago may be brought under the French flag; and whether information has reached him, either directly or through the Admiralty, showing that several of the signatories were of doubtful nationality and that most of them had been charged with grave irregularities. towards the natives?

Mr. HARCOURT: My attention has been drawn to the petition in question, and I have received information with regard to certain of the signatories which prevents my attaching undue weight to their representations.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS: Is not what is in the question practically accurate?

Mr. HARCOURT: I would sooner that the hon. Member did not take more than I have said.