The North Cumberland Reformer. — 1890-06-06 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

SUPPLY. The House went into Committee of Supply upon the vote for the Colonial Services. Sir GEORGE CAMPBELL moved the reduction by £1,275 of the salary of the Governor of Heligoland, and urged the giving up of the island.—The House rejected the proposal by 150 to 27. Mr PICTON raised a discussion on the proceedings of Mr Crawford, who was in charge of the south-eastern district of Sierra Leone, who, he said, had perpetrated certain cruelties, including causing the death of a native, for which he was tried and sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, but subsequently liberated on the ground of ill health, and allowed to return to this country. He also protested againq the prevalent adoption by Government officials of bribing native chiefs with presents of gin or rum, and moved the reduction of the vote by £5OO. Baron DE WORMS said the sole purpose of the attack made on a native town by Mr Crawford was to rescue British subjects kept there in slavery, and in fact 525 persons were so rescued. He admitted there were many actions of Mr Crawford which he would be the first to condemn, but he could not disapprove his action in rescuing these people from slavery even at the expense of some of those holding them in captivity. Mr T. P. O'CONNOR declined to accept the explanation of Crawford's action, and said the expedition had been undertaken with its accompanying brutality in the interest of trade at 100 per cent. Mr OSBORNE MORGAN thought that a great deal more than was necessary had been done, and he hoped the Government would express some regret at the conduct of Crawford, who had acted with the greatest cruelty. Baron DE WORMS:strongly condemned the presents of spirits to natives, and said everything was done by the Government to put down the liquor traffic. Mr PICTON insisted that in reality nothing had been don d by the Government. If not so, could the despatch sent from the Colonial Office be produced? After an expression of regret by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that such matters should have taken place, Mr Labouchere, Mr Hunter, and others thought the Government had not acted with sufficient energy in the matter. Mr HANBURY wanted to know if Mr Crawford was to have a pension after perpetrating the atrocities he had. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought it impossible under the circumstances to grant Mr Crawford a pension. Mr H. FOWLER complained that the Colonial officers had not given sufficient information on the subject. Mr MAD ELY moved to report progress :—Ayes 61, noes 121. The reduction of the vote was rejected by 114 to 64. Sir G. CAMPBELL moved the reduction of the salary of the High Commissioner in the Western Pacific, as a protest against the bombarding of the native villages in the Solomon Islands. Baron DE WORMS said that a short time ago a party of Europeans were murdered by natives, and the bombardment was the only means they had of punishing them. It was only in extreme cases that such a course was adopted. After discussion, in which Mr Conybeare, Sir G. Campbell, and Dr Tanner took pari the proposal to reduce the vote was rejected by 113 to GO. The House adjourned at half-past twelve.