§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he is able to explain a statement made by Mr. W. E. Bok, State Secretary to the Transvaal, in a letter addressed to the British Resident in Pretoria, on January 16, 1882, that, as his Government desired to see a better state of things established in Zululand, and also to prevent bloodshed, "a call was made upon Her Majesty's Government to release the Zulu King Cetewayo;" and, if this statement be correct, whether ho will inform the House what answer has been made to this message?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYMy hon. Friend will find a full explanation in the Papers which I have laid on the Table of the House relating to Cetewayo's detention. It is perfectly true 825 that within the last year the Transvaal Government made representations to us urging the restoration of Cetewayo, and the answer then given was that those representations would receive due consideration from Her Majesty's Government.