HC Deb 12 May 1884 vol 288 cc28-9
MR. GUY DAWNAY

asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether his attention has been called to a telegram in The Times relating to recent events in Zululand; and, whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to take any steps to put an end to the anarchy existing in that country?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

The last part of the hon. Member's Question, as to the intentions of Her Majesty's Go- vernment, deserves, I think, a formal Notice, and, besides, I understand that my hon. Friend the Member for Perthshire (Sir Donald Currie) has given Notice this evening of a similar Question to the Prime Minister for next Monday. I should be unwilling to anticipate anything that may be said by the Prime Minister on that occasion. As to the recent events in Zululand, the information we have is that the Usutu party were molesting the loyal people in the western portion of the Reserve territory, and that last week Mr. Osborn, our Resident Commissioner, went with a great force of loyal Natives to maintain order. This afternoon we have received a telegram stating that Mr. Osborn, with3,000 Natives, summoned the Usutus near Inkandla to answer for their molestation of the loyals. The summons was disregarded and other loyals molested. Thereupon Mr. Osborn sent a force to take cattle as a fine and punishment. There was a collision, with the loss of six men on either side. The following morning Mr. Osborn's camp was attacked by the Usutus under Dabulamanzi; but they were repulsed with a loss of 20, the loss of Mr. Osborn's force being only two. That is all the information we have. As to the action of Boer adventurers on the Zulu border, the reports we have received are so uncertain and contradictory that I am unable to speak positively as to any details; but I have no doubt that there is either an actual or a threatened inroad of Transvaal trekkers into a portion of Zululand.

MR. GORST

Are we to understand that Mr. Osborn has in this matter been carrying out the instructions of the Government?

MR. EVELYN ASHLEY

His instructions have always been to maintain order in the Reserve.