§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether there is any truth in the telegram stating that the Home Government and the Cape Ministry have agreed to tell the Basutos they must comply with the Governor's award or the Government will occupy the Guthing district, dispose of the same to the loyal Basutos and Europeans, and abandon the rest of the territory, except the position at Maseru, which will be strongly garrisoned; and, if not, whether he can give any information as to what is now going on in Basutoland, and as to the course of policy which Her Majesty's Government have pursued in the matter since last July?
§ MR. COURTNEY, in reply, said, that the statement which appeared in the newspapers from the Cape was not true. There had been no such authority ever given by the Home Government or the Colonial Government as was represented. The facts were shortly these. As the right hon. Gentleman the Member for East Gloucestershire knew, early last year the standing differences between the Cape Government and the Basuto Chiefs were referred—he would not say at the request, but with the concurrence of the Basuto Chiefs—to the award of Sir Hercules Robinson; and in the month of April Sir Hercules Robinson delivered his award, which was accepted subsequently by all the Basuto Chiefs. This award had not, however, been carried into effect, although the Cape Government had displayed great ability and extreme forbearance and conciliation in endeavouring to enforce it. The loyal Basutos naturally occupied a position which enlisted the warm sympathy of the Government. In this position communications had passed between the Cape and Her Majesty's Government as to what should be done, and the Cape Parliament had been summoned for the 17th of March to consider what should be done. Communications were still passing between Her Majesty's Government and. the Cape; but it would be impossible at; the present moment, and in the present state of the negotiations, to communicate to the House exactly the position of these affairs. But as soon as that stage was passed, which he hoped would be in a lew days, Papers would be laid before 388 the House which would communicate all that had been done.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHsaid, it had been his intention to refer to this matter in the course of the debate on the Address; but, in view of what had just been said, he should refrain from doing so. He hoped, however, an opportunity would be given of discussing the Papers on an early day.