§ MR. JOHN BRIGHTasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If, in reference to a statement of the Colonial Secretary that the disaster at Isandlana must be retrieved, and to the statement of the Government in Despatches now upon the Table of the House that no annexation of Zulu territory is contemplated, he will inform the House if any instructions have been sent to Sir Bartle Frere—or to any other person, if Sir Bartle Frere's hands are tied—as to conditions of peace; and whether the time has not now come, after successes over and the slaughter of some thousands of the Zulu forces, when a pacification may be hoped for by the offer of some reasonable term of peace to the Zulu King?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, Her Majesty's Government are most anxious to promote an early and reasonable pacification in South Africa, and they have furnished Sir Bartle Frere with instructions, both positive and negative, such as are, in their opinion, most calculated to bring about a satisfactory result.
§ Afterwards—
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERI should like to ask another Question. I understood the right hon. Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to say that instructions had been sent to Sir Bartle Frere with regard to the terms of peace. I also understood, and I think other hon. Members did so too, that the public were informed in "another place" last Friday that no definite instructions had been sent on that matter to Sir Bartle Frere, and that they had not been sent out because no answer had been received from him to a despatch which was sent out by the Government some time ago. I therefore beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether such answer has been received; and, also, if he can state the date of the instructions that have been sent?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, no answer has been received to the communications in question, and what I intended to convey to the House is this—that instructions have been sent out to Sir Bartle Frere, both negative as to what he was not to do as to the policy of annexation and other things of that sort, and positive as to the object which he was to aim at in taking steps to preserve the British Colonies from the danger by which they have been threatened by the overwhelming power of the Zulu force. These instructions have been given in a manner which perfectly indicates to Sir Bartle Frere what are the views of Her Majesty's Government on the subject; but at the present moment I cannot tell the precise terms of the instructions.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERMay I ask, has the despatch which the right hon. Gentleman refers to been laid upon the Table of the House?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUEROne despatch has not been laid on the Table of the House—a later despatch.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERDoes the right hon. Gentleman object to give the date of that despatch?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERIt is dated the 10th of April.
MR. SULLIVANwished to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Department, Whether it is true, as reported in the public newspapers, that on the occasion of a messenger from the Zulu Army bearing a flag of truce to Colonel Pearson, the flag of truce was disregarded and the bearer of it made a prisoner?
COLONEL LOYD LINDSAYSir, the statement is entirely new to me, and, therefore, it is impossible for me to say either aye or no to it; but I can hardly credit it.
§ MR. RICHARDgave Notice that he would, to-morrow, ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether there was any truth in the statement that the Zulu messenger to Colonel Pearson, carrying a flag of truce, had been put in irons as a spy under the advice of a missionary?