§ MR. R. N. FOWLERasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether his attention has been called to the following statement of the "Gra-hamstown Journal" of March 8th:—
The correspondent of the 'Independent' at Taungs, March, 4th, says—'On Feb. 13th a patrol of Boers and Mosheshe's men captured thirty unarmed men of Jan Macsibi's on the road from the Diamond Fields, took them to their laager and massacred twenty-seven of them. On the 21st the whole force of two hundred and fifty Boers with Moshete's and Matchain's people attacked Montsioa's station 1269 with three cannon; in the afternoon they tried to storm the station by driving cattle in front of them against the trenches; at the third attempt Montsioa sallied out, captured all the cattle, and repulsed the Boers to their laager. Their loss is unknown, but must he heavy. At daylight on the 25th the Boers again attacked the station.… Thirty-eight Boers and allies were left on the field, and among them the Boer commandant and the leader of Moshete's army;'and, whether he can give the House any information on the subject?
§ MR. COURTNEYI have not seen the paragraph in The Grahamstown Journal, except in the Question of the hon. Member; but we have received, under cover from Sir Hercules Robin-son, a letter from Mr. Bethell, agent to Montsioa, containing almost identically the same statements. Sir Hercules Robinson had already directed the Resident at Pretoria to inquire into the truth of the allegation of the murder of unarmed Natives, and we look for a further Report on this and other points.