MR. GORSTasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether accurate information has yet been obtained by Her Majesty's Government from their representative in the Transvaal as to the alleged attack of Boers on 72 MontsiΠin January and February last; whether it is a fact that one of the two cannon used in the attack was supplied by Commandant Jan Vilgoen, of Marico, and the other by Commissioner Hendrick Grieff, of Lichtenburg; whether the Government have ascertained that Joubert visited Marico in the month of March last, and exacted a fine of 3,500 head of cattle from a chief named Gassebi, living beyond the borders of the Transvaal, who had protected the English during the war; whether the beacons set up by Colonel Moysey, E.E. in September 1881, to mark the western boundary of the Transvaal, have been knocked down by Moshetti and the Boers; and, what steps, if any, Her Majesty's Government propose to take in reference to these matters?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYanswered the first Question of the hon. and learned Member in the affirmative. Captain Nourse had been sent by our Resident in the Transvaal to inquire into the facts in the early part of this year; and the Papers on the subject would be laid on the Table. The attack upon MontsiŒ was made by another Chief named Moshetti, and the Boers who helped him were volunteers, really hired by Moshetti to carry on the war. MontsiŒ's territory was outside the Transvaal border, so that any direct interference on the part of the Boers would be contrary to the Convention; but it was their duty to preserve the neutrality of the border, and prevent the volunteers from crossing. The Colonial Office knew nothing about the cannon referred to in the second branch of the Question. As to the third Question, the fact was, that in the early part of this year, the Resident in the Transvaal, Mr. Hudson, received information that the Chief Gassebi had invaded the Transvaal border, and made an attack on a smaller Chief, killing three men, and General Joubert was instructed to exact a fine of 4,000 cattle and the surrender of the murderers. The Chief acknowledged he was in the wrong, but pleaded that the fine was excessive. What our Resident said was, that the Boers were breaking the terms of the Convention by taking those steps without, first of all, consulting him. The Resident thereupon communicated with the Chief, and begged him to come up to Pretoria with all the evidence, and pay 1,000 head of cattle in advance by 73 way of fine. The last news the Colonial Office had was, that the Resident was awaiting the answer of Gassebi. As to the fourth Question, the Government knew nothing about it. With regard to the fifth Question, the Government were in communication with the High Commissioner and the British Resident on the matter.
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYsaid, they did not even know that cannon were used at all.
Mr. GORSTsaid, that perhaps the Government would make inquiries whether they were not supplied by a Government officer?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYsaid, that inconsequence of that Question they had already sent out to their Resident, asking him to state all the facts of the case.