§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the fortified posts established by Colonel Colville and Major Owen, on the occasion of their recent expeditions in Unyoro and on the Nile, have been abandoned; if not, will he state the exact position of those which are still retained, and the garrisons left in each, and whether they are under English or native commanders; and if he can state whether any of the forts established by Captain Lugard, and afterwards abandoned by order of the Government, have now been re-occupied?
§ SIR E. GREYThe posts in question have not been abandoned, except Wadelai, where no new fort was made, and where there were only some locally enlisted troops, who were afterwards disbanded. The posts are at Kachumas, to the south of the Kafu river; Baranwa, on the Kafu; Hoima, near Kabarega's old capital; Kitanwa, near the Albert Lake; Kibiro and Mahaje Kahir, on the Albert Lake. They were, at the date of our latest information, held by 400 men, and were under the direct superintendence of British officers. It has been found necessary to re-establish two posts for the security of Uganda in the country where the forts of Captain Lugard mentioned in the last part of the question were placed. These are in Usungara and Toru.
§ SIR G. BADEN-POWELL (Liverpool, Kirkdale)asked whether it was not the fact that the British flag has been hoisted at Wadelai?
§ SIR E. GREY:I think the whole account of that was given about a year ago, when Major Owen went to Wadelai.
§ *SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)Are we to understand that any of these forts are considered by 1031 the Government as being outside the Uganda Protectorate, and within Unyoro Territory?
§ SIR E. GREYYes; most of the forts are outside Uganda Protectorate.
§ *SIR CHARLES DILKEThen I should like to ask the hon. Member a question of which I have given him private notice. It is whether, after the expedition "with the object of breaking Kabarega's power," reported by Colonel Colville July 15, 1894, Lord Kimberley replied, 23rd November—
You should "be careful to keep your action within the limits of such measures as may be necessary … in order to provide for the defence and security of the Protectorate;whether, after the letter of November 1894, reported by Captain Thruston to Colonel Colville, as sent by the former to Kabarega, making "the first condition … "that you should become an obedient British subject," the Foreign Office, 6th April of the present year, observed—No such condition of peace should be insisted on. Unyoro is outside the limits of the British Protectorate, and neither the chief himself, nor any of his subjects, can be considered as under the protection, still less as the subjects, of Her Majesty;and whether, having regard to further recent operations against Kabarega, in which it is reported that the Acting Commissioner of Uganda has been killed, the Foreign Office will insist that their cautions thus given should be fully acted on?
§ SIR E. GREYThe forts are outside the Uganda Protectorate. There does not seem to be any necessity for repeating instructions sent as lately as April 6 of the present year, and in view of the fact that the latest information received states that Kabarega had raided two provinces of Uganda, no instructions to withdraw from the forts could be sent without endangering the safety o Uganda itself. Captain Dunning, the only officer who is reported to have died of a wound, was not the Acting Commissioner of Uganda, and we have no news of any other British officer being injured.
§ SIR CHARLES DILKEWhat are the provinces that have been raided by Kabarega?
§ SIR E. GREYWe must wait for the despatches before we can give details, The telegram only said "two provinces."