§ MR. HENRY LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether the cattle in Matabeleland seized by the Chartered Company, called the King's cattle, were distributed amongst the natives under the same conditions as to milking as during the sovereignty of the late Lobengula; what is the present number of cattle possessed by the natives, and how many of these cattle distributed amongst them in February last have either died or been killed in 1646 consequence of the rinderpest; how many have been captured and retained by the Chartered Company during the present military operations; and, whether the cattle that come into the possession of the Company in consequence of seizure after the last Matabele war, or in consequence of the present military operations, are retained by the Company as its property, or have been distributed among the European settlers, or sold to them; and, if retained by the Company, how are they cared for, and by whom?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINAs will be seen from the last Paper in the Blue-book C 8,130, pending the final distribution of cattle among the natives, they were allowed to remain in charge of the "King's cattle," under the same conditions as before, but, as a result of the distribution, 40,930 cattle were handed over to the natives as their absolute property. It is obviously impossible at the present time to answer the other Questions put by the hon. Gentleman.