consulting the. inhabitants of the coded areas prior to the agreement, or of receiving representations either from them, the Governor, or from Parliament by way of PQ's. Moreover, Parliament's own attitude g was one of such gratification that so many and serious differences with "rance had at last been composed that the debate on the Bill confirming the Agreement produced very little dissident sentiment of any kind (in the Lords there were only 2 speeches on it).
:
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Consultation, of the inhabitants' wishes, even if ever intended, was thus sacrificed to secrecy and the larger objects of the Agreement. Their interests were cared for by HMG in the manner and respects indicated above (pp.-4) and, it seems, with only small regard for them. Apart from the subsequent protest of the 90-odd native Gambian traders on commercial grounds, mentioned above, which was in any case really directed to the danger of a further cession of territory to France, the only other protests (from the Los Islands) were from expatriate organ- izations. Though the CO was sympathetic with these, Parliament does not
appear to have known of them.
Heligoland, 1890.
Parliament took a more active interest in this cession than in
either of the other two dealt with here, and the absente of consultation or consent of the inhabitants played a large part in the grounds of
opposition to it.
There were many Pas and speeches in both Houses, and the division in the Commons on 24 July 1890 was resisted and the debate
carried on to the next day. Though some of the longer speeches were concerned with the constitutional point concerning the need or otherwise for submitting the cession to Parliament, or with the question of the quid pro quo (3. Africa etc) we got for Heligoland, the majority of the speeches opposing the bill, and a larger majority of the Pas, included severe criticism of the non-consultation of the inhabitants' opinions transferring British territory and subjects, as it was variously put, like "cattle" or "chattels". Criticism was considerably sharpened by the government's constant prevarication on whether it had, or hadnt, really consulted the inhabitants.
Three background points should be borne in mind in this case as well. First, opppoition from the tieligolanders had certainly been anticipated
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