§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to telegrams appearing in the newspapers giving an account of several captures by the Chartered Company of large numbers of cattle from the Matabele, and if he can say whether these captures are in accordance with the ordinary usages of war, and who become the possessors of these cattle; whether he has noticed a telegram published 9th December, purporting to give the substance of a Report from Dr. Jameson to Mr. Cecil Rhodes, in which the former reports he has selected a township having a radius of four miles, and enclosing Buluwayo, and that he is about to mark off a second township of a similar area on the largest visible gold belt yet seen in the country; and whether it is to be understood by this that the Chartered Company has confiscated Buluwayo and these two areas, notwithstanding the notification of Her Majesty's Government to Sir Henry Loch that nothing in regard to the future settlement of the country by the Company must take place without the concurrence of the Imperial Government?
§ MR. S. BUXTONYes, Sir; my attention has been called to the telegrams 1045 referred to; and we at once addressed to Sir H. Loch a telegram pointing out that it was stated here in newspaper telegrams that Dr. Jameson was marking out townships in Matabeleland, one of which included the Buluwayo kraal, that patrols were continuing to seize large numbers of cattle from the Matabele, and that the Matabele were being prevented from sowing until they surrendered their arms. If these reports are in substance correct, we went on to say, Her Majesty's Government cannot acquiesce in such proceeding, nor in the continued seizure of cattle from people who have ceased to offer any effective or organised resistance; while it would appear that the final settlement of the question was being seriously prejudiced. We have instructed Sir H. Loch to communicate, as soon as he can reach him, with Mr. Rhodes, drawing his attention to these statements and our views in regard to them. We are also addressing the Company in London on the same subject, and do not doubt but that they will adhere to the promises they have given us on the matter. At the same time, it must be recollected that the Company, under their Charter and Concessions, do hold land and mineral rights in Matabeleland as well as Mashonaland; and it must be borne in mind, as I have already stated, that the population in Matabeleland is very sparse, and that the land is far more than sufficient for the needs of the present population.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI suppose the hon. Gentleman does not assert that that is the view taken by all the Members of this House—that the Company hold any rights in Matabeleland?
§ [No answer was given.]