§ MR. MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that there is a considerable number of British subjects in the Transvaal who are being called out to take part in a war with which they do not sympathise, and on behalf of a Foreign Government, most of them not only disinclined but unfit to take part in such a conflict; whether the subjects of other Powers, e.g., of Portugal, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium, were specially exempted from this compulsory service, inflicted upon British subjects alone; and whether he will communicate with the British Resident in the Transvaal, and empower him to at once give to British subjects the same protection at least as is afforded by the other Powers of Europe to their subjects in the Transvaal?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. S. BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarA considerable number of British subjects have been called out for military service by the authorities in the South African Republic. Whether they detest that Government I am not in a position to say, but I should be surprised to learn that this were so, seeing that these persons have selected the Transvaal in which to reside. Whatever may be their inclination, I cannot admit that most of the Englishmen settled in the South African Republic are unfit to take part in fighting when there is any going on. The exemption of the subjects of the Powers mentioned in the second part of the question is enjoyed by them under Treaties negotiated between those Powers and the South African Republic. We have no such Treaty. The Secretary of State has instructed the Acting High Commissioner to state to President Kriiger that Her Majesty's Government hope that the Government of the South African Republic will agree to similar exemptions in favour of British subjects, and to press this in courteous terms as soon as possible.
§ MR. DARLING (Deptford)Does the hon. Gentleman admit the assumption in this question that there are British 1080 subjects disinclined to take part in any conflict?
§ [No answer was given.]