SIR GEOEGE LEWISI was unable, Sir, on a former day, to give to the right hon. and gallant Gentleman opposite (General Peel) the exact information he desired with respect to the circumstances under which a charge of £19,385 15s. 3d. was raised against the Army Grants for the year 1860–1, for German Military Settlers in the Cape Colony. I have since obtained that information; and, with the permission of the House, I will state what were the circumstances under which that expenditure took place. The charge is divisible into two parts—namely, pay and allowances, and building money. The first partly originated from the three regiments of German settlers having been kept by the Governor of the Cape on full pay longer than was contemplated, in consequence of a sudden movement of a vast number of Kaffirs from the Cape Colony back to their own country beyond the frontier, which, it was imagined, might have been attended with considerable evil; and partly from the continuation of half-pay to those men who were not effective, until the end of the financial year 1860–1, to enable them to overcome the difficulties they experienced in their transition from soldiers to settlers. The second arose from the accounts for part of the building-money advances in 1857–8 having been received during the past year, and the amount thereof could not legally be charged otherwise than in the account for the first open year —namely, 1860–1. It is also to be observed that £28,613 16s. 3d., granted by Parliament for the service of the German settlers, was appropriated in aid of the excesses on the Parliamentary account for the period—namely, 1857–8.
GENERAL PEELsaid, he wished to know whether there has been any corre- 1104 spondence upon the subject; and, if so, whether there will be any objection to its production?
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, he understood that there was a voluminous correspondence between the War Office and the Governor of the Cape, upon which, he believed, the decision of the Treasury was founded. He had no reason to doubt that that correspondence might be produced, but he should like to look at it before he gave a final answer.