§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Secretary of State has had before him a proposed Crown Charter, now lodged in the Privy Council Office, which would create a great territorial and commercial company to acquire territories north of Bechuanaland, and west of the Portuguese territories in East Africa, and in any other parts of Africa; whether the grant of such a Charter, or any modification of it, has been approved; and, whether Parliament will have an opportunity of dealing with the matter before a private company is enabled to involve the country in great responsibilities?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSHer Majesty's Government have decided to grant a Charter to a company which has been incorporated for the purposes of trade and colonisation in the territories north 486 of British Bechuanaland and of the South African Republic. The terms of the Charter have not yet been settled. They proceed generally on the lines of the Niger and Imperial East African Companies' charters; but special provisions will be inserted for securing Imperial supervision over the relations of the company with Native tribes and neighbouring Foreign Powers. Her Majesty's Government are satisfied that the establishment of a powerful company of this kind affords the best prospect of peaceably opening up and developing the resources of those territories, and of securing British interests concurrently with the advance of trade and civilisation. The Charter will not permit the company to acquire any territory without the express sanction of Her Majesty's Government, nor will it supersede Her Majesty's protectorate in Khama's country, or affect the position of British Bechuanaland as a Crown colony.
§ SIR G. CAMPBELLI beg to give notice that I will call attention to this subject on the Appropriation Bill.
§ SIR JOHN SWINBURNE (Staffordshire, Lichfield)I beg to ask whether, considering the enormous territory over which Mr. Cecil Rhodes, the Duke of Fife, the Duke of Abercorn, and others, ask Her Majesty to grant them a Charter of Incorporation which practically gives them complete government and control, only stopping short of actual sovereignty, over a territory now declared partly under British protection and partly under British influence, with the right of unlimited extension over the rest of Africa, also a monopoly of all the mineralsina country larger than France, Her Majesty's Government will abstain from advising Her Majesty to grant such a Charter until the whole policy of granting such a monopoly can be discussed in the next Session of Parliament?
§ BARON H. DE WORMSIt is proposed to amend materially the draft Charter originally submitted, and, as amended, it will not give the company any power of government and control, nor permit such powers to be acquired in any district unless the sanction of Her Majesty's Government is previously given after full consideration. The issue of the Charter will not supersede the British protectorate and the British influence in the territories within 487 which the Company will be enabled to operate. There will be no right of unlimited extension, nor will the Company have any such monopoly as would annul any prior concession which can be shown to be valid. I find on inquiry at the Privy Council Office that the hon. Member for the Lichfield Division addressed a letter to that Department on the 17th inst., petitioning against the grant of this Charter on the ground that it does not recognise an alleged concession to himself. That Petition will be dealt with in the usual course; but it is most important on public grounds that the Charter should be granted without delay, and its issue cannot be postponed until next Session.
§ SIR J. SWINBURNEI have already given notice that I shall call attention to this matter on the Appropriation Bill.