§ SIR ELLIS ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he will ask Her Majesty's Representative at Pretoria to send information as to the reported attack by a Boer commando upon Magato, who befriended the British in the War of 1881, and as to the reasons for this attack?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON, Tower Hamlets, Poplar)said, that he was not prepared to undertake that special inquiries should be made by telegraph or otherwise of our 453 representatives at Pretoria. The position was simple. There was in the Transvaal a British representative, whose duty it was to send in reports. The Government had full confidence in the High Commissioner, Sir Hercules Robinson, who would send such information as might be necessary to enable the Government to make up their minds with regard to this or any other question.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked, whether the Government refused to give any information to Parliament except in cases where Her Majesty's Representatives in foreign towns might choose to send their information.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONsaid, that that was not stating the case correctly. It was the duty of the High Commissioner and of our Representative in the Transvaal to keep their Government informed of what was going on in matters affecting British interests or rights, and he was confident that they were fully competent to discharge that duty.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTsaid, that in consequence of the unsatisfactory reply of the hon. Gentleman, he begged to give notice that he would call attention to this subject on the Vote on Account.