§ MR. R. N. FOWLERasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the British Resident at Pretoria has brought under the notice of the Transvaal Government the circumstances of an outrage committed in August last, by a party of Boers, on the person and property of a Kaffir named Indabezimbi, who was at that time re- 591 siding in Natal; and, whether any steps have been taken by the authorities of the Transvaal, either to institute a judicial inquiry into the matter, or to surrender the offenders to the Government of Natal?
§ MR. COURTNEYOn the 13th of October the British Resident reported that, according to promise, the Government had caused an investigation to be made at Utrecht, and informed him that the result was somewhat to invalidate the statement of Indabezimbi; but that the documents connected with the investigation at Utrecht would speedily be forwarded to him, with a view to correspondence through him with the Natal Government. No further communication has been received. It must be observed that, in the absence of any extradition Convention, a judicial inquiry in this case is practically impossible, the outrage, whatever it was, having been committed in Natal, and the offenders being in the Transvaal. Her Majesty's Government are taking active steps to re-establish a system of extradition in pursuance of Article 29 of the Convention. The despatches on this subject will be given to Parliament when the Correspondence is completed.