HL Deb 09 April 1883 vol 277 cc1734-5
LORD BRABOURNE

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he was able to confirm or contradict the rumours which were in circulation to the effect that a peace was about to be concluded between the Boers and the Chief Mapoch; and whether, if so, Her Majesty's Government had interfered or remonstrated with the Boers, with the view of obtaining favourable terms for the Chief Mapoch? He had received a letter from an officer of the Cape Mounted Rifles, and he asked permission to read it, because it gave information which their Lordships might be glad to receive. The writer said— Let me explain that Mapoch's stronghold is situated between Lydenburg, the base of operations during the Secocoeni War, and Fort Weeber, which was the main camp during the long campaign. Mapoch's country is extensive, and the road through it, by which most of our supplies had to come from Lydenburg, was kept open to transport by Mapoch. The boundary of Mapoch's country joined that of Secocoeni's, and never, during the long war, did we get attacked by Secocoeni's Kaffirs while on Mapoch's country. This says something for the way in which he kept his frontier. Another road, outside his territory, being shorter was tried on one or two occasions, and there we got such a slating that it was not used afterwards except by an occasional despatch rider. I had the pleasure of despatch riding for many months between Lydenburg and the forts, and can, therefore, speak with accuracy. Further, Mapoch furnished Kaffir runners to carry the more heavy portion of the mail from and to Lydenburg, and fed the despatch riders' horses, allowing their masters to rest and sleep at his kraal. All that was known to the Secretary of State was that Mapoch refused to pay taxes. The claim made upon him was, in the opinion of many English, a most unjust one, for although the Boers, prior to the annexation, claimed Mapoch as a subject, still the question could but occur to us on the spot, why, in that case, do Boer farmers living in this district pay taxes to Mapoch? The writer then went on to remark that— We hear of Mapoch because he is strong enough to make a fight of it; but what of the countless small villages of kraal Kaffirs? He next related the cruel manner in which the Boers seize upon and sell the cattle of these poor people under the pretence of collecting taxes; and then he gives the reason why they are so unfairly treated— Because, during the war between the Boers and the English, these Kaffirs refused to act as spies for the Dutch, and offered to fight for the English, if permitted. From first to last, these Kaffirs were thoroughly loyal to the English., from whom they now reap their reward. These same Kaffirs came to me immediately after the surrender of the Transvaal to the Boers, and asked, Baas, we were told distinctly that the Dutch would never again have the country hack, that your great Chiefs had said so, that all we had to do was to he loyal to the English Government who would protect us. We were true to your Government, and we ask you now, Who has lied, Baas?

THE EARL OF DERBY

, in reply, said, the noble Lord seemed to have risen more for the purpose of supplying him with information than of asking him for information from the Government. With regard to the latter part of the statement read by the noble Lord, it seemed rather an argument against the retrocession of the Transvaal two years ago than against anything that had been done by the Government at the present time. He was not aware that it had ever been questioned that Mapoch did render important assistance to the English against the Boers during the war. It was quite true he did; but it was equally true that he then, and he certainly now, declined to consider himself subject to the authority of any Government. At the time when we administered the Transvaal he regarded himself as an independent Chief; and that was a contention which the Transvaal Government had never admitted. He (the Earl of Derby) could not say that, in those circumstances, the Boers were not right in taking steps to enforce what authority they possessed. Mapoch had made no appeal to Her Majesty's Government for support or assistance against the Boers. He was not able either to confirm or to contradict the report which his noble Friend had no doubt seen in Reuter's telegram in regard to the proposed terms of peace. If there was any question of peace between Mapoch and the Boers the Government would, no doubt, receive some information on the subject; but up to the present time they had none.