§ MR. CROPPERasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he can assure the House that our recent allies the Chiefs Montsioa and Mankoroane are now able to obtain ammunition freely from the Cape Colony for defence against the Boers; whether he will proceed with the scheme for "making adequate provision for the interests of any Chiefs who have just claims upon us" without awaiting the obvious result of the Transvaal debate; and, whether he will be prepared to say after Easter, where he proposes to settle those Chiefs; what their provision will be, and what space he will allot to them; and, if their followers will be allowed to accompany them?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYI am not able to give my hon. Friend the assurance for which he asks; but we are inquiring further by telegraph as to how the matter stands. The view taken up to this time by the Cape Government is, that where Native Chiefs are in conflict among themselves, whether with or without foreign allies, there is a state of war, and, observing a position of neutrality, the Cape Government allow no ammunition to be conveyed over the borders to the combatants; but that where peace is re-established between the Natives, and the only conflict is with 927 marauders coming from outside, the regulation ought not to be one-sided, and the embargo may be removed. As to the second part of the Question, Her Majesty's Government do not think that their inquiry into the practicability of the proposed provisions should be suspended to await the result of the debate. I am unable to give a pledge that the details asked for in the concluding part can be stated immediately after Easter, as they require careful deliberation, involving inquiries as to how many, if any, of these Chiefs desire to come over into British territory; which of them have any claim on the Imperial Government; how many followers they may have entitled to accompany them, and whether suitable locations can be found for them; and all this must be done in concert and communication with the Cape Government.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHasked, whether the information would be given to the House before the resumption of the debate after Easter. He thought it of great importance that they should be in possession of some information as to what was meant by the word "provision" in the Motion of the Prime Minister?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEY, in reply, said, he could only promise that all the information which the Government could give would be communicated to the House before the resumption of the debate.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSWhat does the hon. Gentleman mean by the Chiefs "coming over?" Does he moan coming over, like Cetewayo, to this country?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYThe noble Lord must know what the expression moans. It means coming over the border of Bechuanaland into some portion of British territory.