§ MR. COURTNEYasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether any protest against the annexation of the South African Republic has been received at the Foreign Office; and, if so, whether he will lay it upon the Table of the House?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, if the hon. Gentleman will allow me, I will reply to his Question, instead of my hon. Friend the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, as all matters relating to the States of South Africa have been as a matter of general practice referred from the Foreign to the Colonial Office. I mention this, as the practice to which I refer had been in force previous to recent events. I find that two protests have been received at the Foreign Office against this annexation—one from ex-President Burgers, and the other from the late Executive Council of the South African Republic. They are identical with those which appear in the Papers already presented to the House. I ought to add, and the hon. Gentleman will be glad to receive the information, that subsequent information has made it clear that these protests are not in accordance with the general feeling of the population, who appear to have cordially accepted the appointment of Sir Theo-philus Shepstone.
In reply to a further Question from Mr. COURTNEY,
§ MR. J. LOWTHERsaid: I hoped I had made myself clear, but if I failed to do so I must apologize to the hon. Gentleman. What I intended to convey was 1948 that the only protests which had been received by Her Majesty's Government at any office, Foreign or Colonial, were the two I named, and Copies of which are upon the Table of the House.