§ MR. FINCH (Rutland)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that Mr. Oliver Davis left Victoria, in Mashona- 265 land, because he had given cheques there which were dishonoured, and had put in claims for cattle lost there, which claims were fraudulent; and whether, in view of the serious charges which Mr. Oliver Davis has made reflecting upon the conduct of British officers in Mashonaland, he will make inquiries into the subject?
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI rise to a point of Order on this question. I wish to ask whether it is not a statement reflecting on a person who is not present? Is such a question in Order?
§ MR. SPEAKERI see nothing out of Order in the question.
§ MR. S. BUXTONI know nothing about the doings of Mr. Oliver Davis. As I have already informed the House, an independent inquiry has been ordered into the circumstances of the conflict near Fort Victoria in July; and the result of the inquiry will either prove or disprove the allegations made by Mr. Davis and others.
§ MR. FINCHMy interest in the matter arises from the face that I have a son out in the colony. I have in my pocket a South African paper, in which it is said that Mr. Davis "left here (Pretoria) for one good reason, that he gave cheques here which were returned." [Cries of "Order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is not entitled to give an explanation, but he is entitled to ask whether there is any truth in the rumour.