UNITED NATIONS TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL OFFICIAL RECORDS SEVENTH SESSION ANNEX, VOLUME II NEW YORK UNITED NATIONS TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL OFFICIAL RECORDS SEVENTH SESSION ANNEX, VOLUME II NEW YORK NOTE All United Nations documents arc designated by symbols, i.e., capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS This volume contains dowments relating to agenda item 5, as well as a check list of all docu­ ments relating to the various items on the agenda of the seventh session. Documents relating to agenda item 5 Document No. Title Page T /L.88 First report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions 1 T /L.91 Second report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions 1 T /L.93 Third report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions . 7 T /L.100 Argentina and United States of America: draft resolution . 10 T /L.101 Fourth report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions . 10 T /L.102 China, Iraq and Philippines : amendments to the draft resolution sub- mitted by Argentina and United States (T JL.100) . 39 T /L.103 Fifth report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions . 40 T /L.104 Sixth report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions . 56 T JL.106 Seventh report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions. 61 T /L.107 Eighth report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions. 64 Check list of documents . 65 iii TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL - SEVENTH SESSION ANNEX VOLUME II DOCUMENTS RELATING TO AGENDA ITEM 5 Document T fL.88 fact that Mr. Togney was living in Paris, he could not bring the Trusteeship Council additional information First report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Peti­ of any value. Furthermore, the petition was of a very tions general character, and did not justify the extraordinary Chairman: Mr. M.P. Aquino (Philippines). procedure of an oral presentation before the Council. 5. The committee decided to recommend to the Coun­ [Original text : English] cil not to grant an oral hearing to the petitioner. [14 June 1950] 1. At the fourth meeting of its seventh session, the Document TfL.91 Trusteeship Council, acting in accordance with rule 90 of the rules of procedure, established an Ad Hoc Com­ Second report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Peti­ mittee on Petitions composed of the representatives tions of Belgium, China, the Dominican Republic, New Zea­ land, the Philippines and the United States of America, Chairman: Mr. M.P. Aquino (Philippines). with the task of undertaking a preliminary examination of written petitions and of any observations which the [Original text : English] Administering Authority concerned might have cir­ [28 June 1950] culated in accordance with rule 86, paragraph 2. The committee was also instructed to submit a report to 1. The Ad Hoc Committee on Petitions, established the Trusteeship Council on each petition considered by by the Trusteeship Council at its 4th meeting, was it, together with its recommendations as to the action composed of the representatives of Belgium, China, the to be taken by the Council in each case. Dominican Republic, New Zealand, the Philippines and 2. At its first meeting, on 14 June 1950, the Ad the United States of America. During its first four Hoc Committee on Petitions unanimously elected meetings, on 14, 21, 26 and 28 June 1950, it examined Mr. M. P. Aquino as its Chairman and Rapporteur. the following petitions which had been referred to it by the Council : 3. The committee had been instructed by the Council to examine the request made by Mr. J. E. Albert Petition from Mrs. Jane T. Wallace concerning New Togney, in his petition concerning the Cameroons under Guinea (T /PET.8 /2) ; French administration (T {PET.5 {79), for an oral hear­ Petition from Mr. James Toe concerning the Came­ ing. The committee examined that question at its roons under British administration (T /PET.4 /65) ; first meeting, on 14 June 1950. Mr. Laurentie par­ Petition from Mr. N. Skouloukos concerning the ticipated in the examination as the special representa­ Cameroons under French administration (T /PET. tive of the Administering Authority. 5 /69); 4. The special representative of the Administering Petition from Mr. Mathias Mbongue Minyangadou Authority expressed the opinion that no oral hearing concerning the Cameroons under French adminis­ should be granted the petitioner. In the first place, tration (T fPET.5/77 and Corr.l); the petitioner was not-as he claimed-qualified to speak on behalf of the Representative Assembly of Petition from the Committee of the Union des popu­ the Cameroons. Secondly, after the submission of the lations du Cameroun at Otele concerning the Ca­ recent report of the United Nations Visiting Mission meroons under French administration (T /PET. to Trust Territories in West Africa, 1 and in view of the 5/78); Petition from Mr. J. E. Albert Togney concerning the 1 See Official Records of the Trusteeship Council, Seventh Session, Cameroons under French administration (T /PET. Supplement No. 2. 5/79); 1 2 Petition from :\Ir. Njaillou Ousmanon concerning the by an army bomb disposal unit, and that no indigenous Cameroons under French administration (T /PET. person has been killed or injured except as the result 5/80); of indiscriminate handling of explosives despite official Petition from the Executive Committee of the Union warnings. des populations du Cameroun concerning the Ca­ 9. With regard to the petitioner's charges concerning meroons under French administration (T /PET. the usc of Native land for a new community, the Admi­ 5/81) ; nistering Authority states that the land in question was Petition from l\Ir. Daniel Kcmajou concerning the returned to the indigenous owners when it was found Cameroons under French administration (T /PET. that it was no longer needed as a site for a Native hos­ 5/8'2) ; pital. Petition from :\1r. Ernest Eyoum concerning the 10. The Administering Authority further states that, C:um•roons under French administration (T JPET. for the year ending 30 June 1949, the he~d. tax regu­ 5/·18). lations were not operative and that abohtwn of the tax is under consideration ; that the implication in the 2. l\lr. S. A. Lonergan, in the case of the petition petition that the indigenous inhabitants do not receive concerning New Guinea, Mr. J. K. Thompson, in the the same payment for their produce as Eur~peans a~d case of the petition concerning the Cameroons under Chinese is incorrect ; that the vernacular IS used m British administration, and Mr. H. Laurcntie, in the primary village schools and th~t a consid~rable pro~or­ case of the petitions concerning the Cameroons under tion of pupils attending schools m the Temtory are girls. French administration, participated in the examination as the representatives of the respective Administering Action taken by the Ad Hoc Committee Authorities. 11. This petition was examined and discussed at the 3. The Ad Hoc Committee herewith submits to the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Comm~ttee, on .14 J~ne 1950. Council its report on these petitions. The summary of the discussion IS contamed m docu­ ment T /AC.24JSR.l. PETITION FROM MRS. JANE T. \V ALLACE 12. At its third meeting, the committee approved _a CONCERNING NEW GUINEA (T jPET.8/2) draft resolution which is reproduced at the end of this report as draft resolution 1. Summary of the petition 4. The petitioner charges that the indigenous inha­ PETITION FROM MR. JAMES ToE bitants are made to clear up explosives from an area of CONCERNING THE CAMEROONS land and alleges that the Administering Authority is UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION (T jPET.4j65) attempting to deprive certain indigenous inhabitants of their land for the purpose of building a new commu­ Summary of the petition nity. 13. The petitioner describes various domestic diffi­ 5. The petitioner, believing that the head-tax was culties. Among other things, he complains that ~he introduced in order to force the indigenous inhabitants allotment money for two years and seven mon~hs which into contract labour, states that her late son shared was to have been paid to his wife was not pmd to her, the same views and advocated that the indigenous inha­ although the paymaster in Lagos told _him i~ had been bitants should be encouraged to plant their virgin land paid. He also mentions a court case m which h; ~as and that they should be given the same prices for their told by the district officer that he should call the distnct produce as were paid to Europeans and Chinese. She officer as a witness "for the sum of £1 5s. Od ". The also states that her son recommended that the verna­ petitioner states that he paid that sum but has " seen cular should be taught to children of both sexes until nothing which he has done ", and that although he the age of eight or nine before they were taught the wrote the district officer two letters, the latter " did not English language. Girls, she charges, are still barred care about such matter ". from school. 6. Attached to the petition are three extracts, two Summary of the observations of the Administering Au- from the Melbourne Sun, dated 15 December 1949, and thority one from the Age, dated 17 December 1949. 14. The written observations of the Administering Summary of the observations of the Administering Au- Authority are contained in document T /667. thority 15. The Administering Authority suggests that that 7. The written observations of the Administering part of the petition which deals with grievances about Authority are contained in document T /699.