§ MR. KNOXI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the British South Africa Company has yet furnished to the Secretary of State accounts of its expenditure for administrative purposes and other Reports and Estimates for each of the three years since its incorporation, as prescribed by Article 17 of its Charter; if so, when these Accounts and Reports will be presented to Parliament; and, if not, whether the Secretary of State will require the Accounts, Reports, and Estimates to be furnished to him forthwith?
§ MR. S. BUXTONThe British South Africa Company have from time to time furnished certain Accounts to the Colonial Office; but, these being incomplete, it is not proposed to lay them. At the same time, it is but fair to state that Article 17 of the Charter can hardly be held to be entirely applicable to the period of initiation, but was rather intended as a rule for years of settled government and industry.