§ MR. GOSCHENsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he can communicate to the House any information with regard to the recent incursion of Indians into the Colony of Honduras, and to an action alleged to have taken place between them and a portion of the 3rd West India Regiment; and, whether his attention has been called to an extract from The Jamaica Gleaner, published in The Times newspaper of the second instant, containing serious imputations on the conduct of the English Officer in command on that occasion? He might explain that the imputation was that the Major in command, having about 150 troops under him, went into action with about fifty or 100 Indians, and beat a hasty retreat, leaving the ammunition, the medical stores, and the wounded behind him.
§ MR. ADDERLEY, in reply, said, a raid of Indians was made into British Honduras in December last, when great depredations were committed, and more than one British colonist was carried off for ransom. Upon that Lieutenant Governor Austin sent a Civil Commissioner with Major Mackay and some troops to the spot. The Indians were met, and a collision took place, but it appeared that both parties retreated. There is no report that the wounded of the West India regiment were left on the field. A statement had certainly been made to the Government reflecting very severely on the conduct of the English officers concerned; but he did not like to state anything more then, as only one side of the case had reached the Government. But the War Office at once commissioned Major General O'Connor, the commander of the Forces in Jamaica, to institute an inquiry into the matter. Lieutenant Governor Austin, immediately on hearing of the occurrence, applied for reinforcements from Jamaica. Sir John Grant instantly sent one detachment of troops, and followed soon afterwards himself with a second detachment. The report from Sir John Grant was that everything was now tranquil in the colony of British Honduras, and that there was an ample force of troops there to meet any exigency.