HC Deb 23 August 1883 vol 283 cc1746-7
MR. W. E. FORSTER

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether, as the Session is about to close, he can give the House any information as to the present position of the Bechuana Chiefs and people who have been despoiled of their lands?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

We have received very little information lately respecting the state of things in Bechuanaland. In Stellaland and Mankoroane's country there seems a lull and no movement. He apparently retains all his cultivated and ploughing lands, and it is only his veldt or hunting ground that is occupied by the intruders. To the North, however, in Montsioa's country, there appears to be a stir in the way of an advance on Moshette and his Boer allies. The following is what we have received through the Cape from Mr. Bethell, who resides with Montsioa:— Telegram, Bethell, Barolong Agent, Molapo, dated July 16, received July 27—Montsioa now desires me to inform His Excellency that he and his allies have written to the freebooters of the so-called Land of Goshen, ordering them to leave his country, and that they have, as I anticipated in my second telegram to His Excellency from Kimberley, retired upon the Transvaal Border, and are some within and some without that State. The High Commissioner, on receipt of this, telegraphed as follows to Pretoria:— Information has reached us that hostilities are about to be renewed between Montsioa and the freebooters established in the so-called Land of Goshen. I hope that yon will impress on the Transvaal Government the duty of maintaining the neutrality of its territory, and of preventing persons from using the Transvaal as a base from which to renew hostile operations.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

asked at what time the telegram reached the Cape?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

said, it was received on the 27th of July.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, that, having been received at the Cape on the 27th of July, the information came here by letter. Could not his hon. Friend secure that important telegrams should be sent home by telegraph from the Cape, instead of taking three or four weeks to come?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

replied, that to send telegrams on all occasions would be very expensive. The telegram to which attention had been drawn was not a message asking for instructions. The Governor of the Colony was instructed to telegraph all news which he thought important.

MR. W.E. FORSTER

said, his reason for asking the Question was because the statement of his hon. Friend was that the position "is" so and so; whereas the position really "was" so and so a month ago.

MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT

asked whether the hon. Gentleman had received any confirmation of the reported advance of Mankoroane at the head of 2,000 men?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

said, that he had given the House all the information he could.