§ MR. BUCHANAN (Edinburgh, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies how much of the additional Estimate of £30,000 for Bechuanaland is to go to police charges, and how much to land survey; whether the lands to be surveyed are exclusively within the Crown Colony; whether the extra police are to be used solely in the Protectorate; and who are the Native Chiefs whose unfriendly attitude has caused this increase in the force; where is their territory situated; and what action is it intended to take against them?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. DE WORMS,) Liverpool, East Toxteth£25,000 of the additional Estimate is 1080 for police and £5,000 for surveys. The answer to the second and third paragraphs of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. It is not desirable to name publicly any chiefs whose attitude is at the present time unfriendly, as it may be hoped that if patiently dealt with they will before long appreciate the protection afforded to them. Their territories are in all cases within the British Protectorate, and it is not intended to take any action against them, but only to prevent any possible interference with telegraph construction or the passage of traders and others through the Protectorate. With regard to the supplementary question put by the hon. Member, the first paragraph of the letter referred to shows that the offer was made by the British South Africa Company; and the second paragraph shows why it was declined, namely, because it was not desirable that the Bechuanaland police should operate beyond the Protectorate.