§ MR. WEDGWOOD (Newcastle-under-Lyme)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the loss of £41,420 7s. 11d. entailed on the Exchequer through the failure of the Colonial Office to reply to the High Commissioner of South Africa as to the allocation of the charge for the administration of the compensation fund between Great Britain and the Transvaal; whether the responsibility for this loss has been brought home to any particular official; and what action has been taken in the matter.
§ COLONEL SEELYThe reference is, I presume, to Section 10 of the Second Report 328 of the Public Accounts Committee just laid. It is quite a mistake to suppose that any loss of public money occurred or that any additional charge was thrown upon the Exchequer through the action of the Colonial Office, for whatever may have been the merits of the question whether administrative expenses could properly be charged to the fund, the Colonial Government had unquestionably full power to spend the money in increasing the compensation paid to protected burghers. I would refer my hon. friend as regards this compensation fund to the Report of the Central Judicial Committee printed in Cd. 3028. I must deny that there was improper delay in the matter on the part of the Colonial Office. The money has since been revoted by Parliament.