§ MR. RYLANDSI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies a Question of which I have given him private Notice. I wish to ask, If the Government have formed any estimate of the amount which ought to be contributed by the Cape Colonists towards the war expenditure; and, whether any, and what stops, have been taken with a view to obtaining payment of such amount; and, whether any despatches upon the subject will shortly be laid upon the Table of the House?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHI see that the hon. Member for Burnley has given Notice of his intention to ask the House to express its opinion that the Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal ought to be required to contribute a due proportion of the military expenditure incurred in their interests. I can only assure the hon. Member that that is entirely the view of Her Majesty's Government, and that that is a matter which they have had in mind throughout all the circumstances which have occurred. From the Papers which are already in the possession of the. House I think hon. Members must be aware that when, now more than a year and a-half ago, re-inforcements were sent to the Cape in connection with the Transkei War, it was distinctly stated to the Cape Government that they would be required to contribute their due proportion of the expenditure. There have been, since that time, further communications upon the subject. We have had, of course, to endeavour to ascertain what the expenditure of the Cape Government itself may have been—I understand that it amounted to more than £1,250,000— and what our own expenditure was in the Transkei War; and it is only comparatively recently that we have been able to arrive at a knowledge of the full details of that expenditure. The Capo Government have informed us merely of the total amount at which they estimate their expenditure; and the last despatch which was written upon the subject was one conveying to them the detailed items of the expenditure which had been incurred by this country for the Transkei War, and asking them to furnish us, in return, with the details of the £1,250,000 which they said they had ex- 541 pended. That is how the matter at present stands. The Correspondence has not yet been presented. I think it would be well to wait for their reply before it is presented; but it will be laid, as soon as possible, before the House.
§ MR. RYLANDSsaid, that, in consequence of the statement of the right hon. Gentleman, he should withdraw his Notice on the third reading of the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill; and, if no further information were given by the Government, he should put it down on the Motion for Supply.
§ MR. CHILDERSWith respect to the answer which has just been given to my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley, may I be allowed to give the right hon. Gentleman the opportunity of supplementing his answer by asking this further Question? My hon. Friend referred in his Question not only to the Transkei War, but to the Zulu War; but in the right hon. Gentleman's answer, no reference was made to any share which the Colonists may have to bear of the other and larger expenditure in connection with the Zulu War. I would ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the Government have had any similar communications with the Colonial authorities with reference to the Zulu War; and, whether ho will lay upon the Table the Correspondence which has already taken place?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHWill the right hon. Gentleman give Notice of his Question?