HC Deb 21 February 1881 vol 258 cc1384-6
SIR HENRY TYLER

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether Sir George Colley was in telegraphic communication with the Home Government when he advanced from Newcastle; and, whether he made that advance, and met with the defeats of Laing's Nek and Schaine Hooght, under orders from England?

MR. GRANT DUFF

To the hon. Member's first Question I have to answer "Yes." To the hon. Member's second Question I have to answer "No."

SIR HENRY TYLER

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether a telegram was received by Lord Kimberley from Sir George Colley on the 4th December 1880, containing the following words: — I am sending half battalion 58th to Transvaal at Lanyon's request; attitude of Boers requiring increased force at Pretoria; and, if he would state why the military forces in Natal and the Transvaal were not, on the receipt of that telegram, strengthened without delay?

MR. GLADSTONE

In answer to this Question, I have to say that the telegram to which the hon. Member refers is correctly quoted, and was received upon the day which he mentions. But the receipt of the telegram from Sir George Colley was unaccompanied by any request for further reinforcements; and, in fact, it shortly followed upon the despatch of a portion of the 58th Regiment from Africa to England. It was not considered by the Government to afford any occasion or warranty whatever to send new troops to Africa. It is quite obvious, I think, that Sir George Colley would have conveyed some view of that kind if he had seen any necessity of the sort. This movement of troops was from one part of Her Majesty's territories to another; and that with reference to a purely local exigency. In illustration of that, I may mention that in the very last despatch we received from Sir Owen Lanyon previous to December 19 — which was the day on which we received intelligence that we had to send forces to Africa—namely, the despatch dated November 14, and which we received shortly before December 19, he used these expressions— He did not anticipate that any serious trouble would arise out of the resistance at Potchefstroom, which he regarded as a repetition of what had occurred at Middelburg and other places. And in a despatch of the 19th of November, and not received until the 24th of December, after the order for the despatch of troops had been issued, he spoke of a notice that had appeared in the newspapers; and, while expressing the opinion that the time had come for the Government to take a more decided course with regard to the action of agitators, he wrote, in conclusion— I do not think there is much (if any) cause for anxiety with regard to the ultimate issue of the measures now being taken by the Government —that is, by the Local Government. These were the accounts which we received previous to the 19th.

SIR HENRY TYLER

Was any notice taken of the telegram of the 4th, and were any measures taken between that and the 21st?

MR. GLADSTONE

No troops were sent to Africa fn consequence of the receipt of the telegram of December 4; and it was, and is, our opinion that we should not have been justified in taking such steps on that occasion.

SIR HENRY TYLER

Was any use made of the telegraph between this country and Natal, between the 4th and the 21st of December?

MR. GLADSTONE

If the hon. Gentleman will allow me time to inquire at the Colonial Office, I will answer the Question; but, at present, I really am not aware of all the telegrams that have been sent between the 4th and the 21st of December.