§ MR. KNATCHBULL - HUGESSENsaid, he wished to ask a Question of the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, of which he had not been able to give him Notice:—Whether he could give the House any information as to the truth of the report contained in the newspapers that morning of the annexation of the Transvaal Republic?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies does not appear to be in his place; but I can state that no official announcement of the annexation of the Transvaal has been recived, but I am informed by Lord Carnarvon that he has no reason to doubt that Sir Theophilus Shepstone, having exhausted every means of arriving at a settlement of the difficulties with which he had to 366 contend, has been compelled to adopt the measure in question.