§ MR. R. G. WEBSTER (St. Pancras, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the scope of the proposed investigation regarding the recent raid into the Transvaal from the territory under the control of the Chartered South African Company will include a thorough Inquiry as to when and from what sources the funds were supplied to instigate and cause this raid into the territory of a friendly State?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.The hon. Member will find that this matter was dealt with in my speech on the 13th inst., which was delivered after the question had been placed on the paper.
§ MR. R. G. WEBSTERsaid, he heard the speech referred to, but he did not think the right hon. Gentleman told them distinctly what was to be the scope of the Inquiry.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINNo, I said I could not tell the House the scope of the Inquiry, because it was a matter which would have the consideration of the Government as soon as the pending inquiries were completed.
§ MR. C. B. STUART-WORTLEY (Sheffield, Hallam)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Cape Statute No 22 of 1882, relating to the extradition, of criminals, contains any exceptions or reservations in favour of offences of a political character; and whether any Order in Council, under Section 18 of the Extradition Act, 1870, of the imperial Legislature, has ever been made suspending in the Cape Colony the operation of the Act of 1870, under which it is expressly provided that a fugitive criminal shall not be surrendered if the offence in respect of which his surrender is demanded is one of a political character?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINThe answers to both questions are in the negative. The right hon. Member has, doubtless, in his mind the case of the South African Republic to which the Extradition Act of 1870 had not been applied.
§ MR. STUART-WORTLEYIs it not on the ground that the South African Republic is not a Foreign State that the Act of 1870 does not apply?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI should be sorry to answer that question negatively or affirmatively; but it is an undoubted fact that there is an arrangement between the South African Republic and the Cape Colony which is not an arrangement which comes under the Extradition Act which applies to the circumstances of Foreign States.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINThat is a question, which should be addressed to the Law Officers of the Crown.