§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether, after Mr. Bethell's murder, the Transvaal Government forced Montsioa to submit to their authority; what is the position of Montsioa now; and, how much territory and how many of his tribesmen Montsioa has lost in consequence of his loyalty to Great Britain in 1881 and since?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYIt is difficult to answer that Question. ["Hear, hear!"] What I mean is this—it is difficult to answer in a few words. The complete Papers will be in the hands of Members in a very short time. The exact position of Montsioa now I cannot say without making a speech. If the 346 hon. Member asks me to make a speech, I will do so. It is impossible for me to give the figures in reply to the third Question.
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS - BEACHI think I can answer the last part of the Question. I observe it is stated, with some apparent authority, in the public Press that Montsioa's territory is now confined to 10 farms. What I want to ask is, when Papers will be laid on the Table?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYreplied, that he was urging the printers forward. One batch of Papers had been, he believed, delivered that day, and the other batch would be in the hands of Members on Friday or Saturday.
§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTgave Notice that, on that day fortnight, in order to give the hon. Gentleman time to obtain the information, he would ask, Whether it was not the fact that the boundaries of Montsioa's territory between his own lands and those of the Boers were fixed by the Conventions of 1881 and 1884; and, whether he could tell the House how many of the tribes had since perished by the hostile action of the Boers?