§ MR. H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTERI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it be the fact that peaceable British subjects, natives of India, are liable to be expelled without trial from the Transvaal; and, if so, what is the crime alleged or disqualification on account of which these British subjects are punished; and whether the Government will take steps to make public in India the fact that natives entering the Transvaal are liable to expulsion without trial and with violence by subordinate military officers in the employment of the Boer Government, so that intending emigrants may not be exposed to unnecessary indignities?
§ *MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe hon. Member is mistaken in supposing that British-Indian subjects can be expelled without trial from the Transvaal. The Government does not propose to take the steps suggested in the second part of the question.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER,pressing for a further answer,
§ *MR. SYDNEY BUXTONexplained, that the dispute had been referred to arbitration. The Report of the Arbitrator had only just been received, and there had not been time to consider it.
§ MR. ARNOLD FORSTERThe hon. Gentleman has four times declined to give an answer. Can he tell us what were the alleged grounds upon which these British subjects were deprived of the opportunity of earning their own living?
§ *MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe complaint against them was the infringement of certain local sanitary laws. I have not refused in any case to answer the hon. Member. I have always informed him that an arbitrator was inquiring into the dispute, and we wished to see what the arbitrator said.