§ MR. COURTNEYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, When the Papers relating to South Africa, promised in Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, will be laid upon the Table of the House, and whether they will extend to cover the period of the arrests of Messrs. Kruger, Pretorius, and Bok; and, whether he can inform the House of the number of the forces of all arms now in the Transvaal, and will make a Return of the revenue and expenditure of the Government in the Transvaal from its annexation; also of the existing liabilities of the Government, showing how the deficiency of revenue to meet the expenditure has so far been supplied?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHSir, I hope to place upon the Table tomorrow Papers relating to South African affairs up to the end of 1879, and that they will be in the hands of hon. Members by Wednesday next. Further Papers up to the date of the meeting of Parliament will be published about a week later, and among them will be found a despatch received last week announcing the arrest of Messrs. Pretorius and Bok. I have not heard that Mr. Kruger has been arrested. I believe that there are at present about 3,900 troops of all arms in the Transvaal; but, of course, it must not be implied from this that this force will be permanently retained there. I have not, at the present moment, any statement of the revenue and expenditure of the Transvaal Government up to a later date than the 31st of March, 1879; but I am anxious to give the House the fullest possible information upon the subject. The hon. Gentleman will remember that a great deal of in- 518 formation, up to a certain date, was supplied in the Report of Mr. Sergeaunt, which has already been published. I am informed, by telegram, that there are financial statements on their way to this country; and I hope, in a very short time, to give the House such information as will enable them to form an opinion both of the past and of the present condition as well as the future prospects of the Province with regard to finance. Perhaps I may say that the deficiency of revenue, which, of course, includes the interest on the heavy debt inherited from the late Government, has been supplied by the grant made by Parliament nearly three years ago, and by an overdraft on a local bank on the terms described in Mr. Sergeaunt's Report.