§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONbegged to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies a Question, of which he had given him private Notice, Whether any steps were taken to communicate to Sir George Colloy the substance of Lord Kimberley's telegram to President Brand asking the mediation of the Orange Free State before Sir George Colley fought the battle of Laing's Nek on January the 28th, seeing that the said telegram was sent to President Brand two days previously?
MR. GRANT DUFFThe telegram of the 26th did not, as my hon. Friend supposes, suggest the mediation of the Orange Free State. It was a reply to a suggestion made by President Brand that certain terms should be offered to the people of the Transval, through Sir Hercules Robinson, if they ceased, from armed opposition. The answer of Her Majesty's Government was simply an amplification of its previous letter of the 10th to Mr. Blyth, and his telegram of the 11th, both of which are in the hands of hon. Members. There was no object whatever to be gained by re-communicating to Sir George Colley what he had already known since the 12th of January—namely, that Her Majesty's Government was quite prepared to make certain terms if the Boers ceased from armed opposition.