§ MR. COURTNEYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he will lay on the Table a despatch of Sir Bartle Frere, which has been telegraphed to the "Standard" some time ago, relating to his interview with the Boers of the Transvaal, and to a memorial which they have presented to him for transmission to the home Government; also, whether the right hon. Gentleman is able to confirm the report which has since appeared, that the Volksraad of the Orange Free State have passed a resolution recommending the restoration of the independence of the Transvaal?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHI have received no information as to the resolution stated to have been passed by the Volksraad of the Orange Free State. The despatch from Sir Bartle Frere, which was telegraphed to The Standard, has reached me; but I cannot yet state when it can be presented to Parliament, as I think it would be fair to Sir Bartle Frere that other despatches which he has sent from the Transvaal should be published together with it, if this can be done without injury to the Public Service; and some of them must be still on their way, as the last received was dated some days before he left the Transvaal.