§ MR. PHILIP STANHOPEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether his attention has been called to the account given from Buluwayo by the special correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette of the battle of the 6th instant, in which it is said that the rebels were shot down under the horses hoofs, no quarter was given or asked for; and, whether Sir F. Carrington is now solely in charge of all the military operations in Matabeleland, or whether the Chartered Company of South Africa is responsible for these alleged severities, and what steps Her Majesty's Government propose to take to stop them?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.I have seen the report referred to. Sir F. Carrington is in sole charge of all the military operations, and he is no doubt responsible, as commanding officer, to do his utmost to insure that the operations are conducted according to the usages of war; but I may remark that it is impossible to give quarter to an armed enemy who is not disabled and who does not ask for quarter.
§ MR. STANHOPEasked the right hon. Gentleman whether, as he was, of course, conscious that the rebels in this case were now confined to particular districts and that the forces under the command of Sir F. Carrington were amply sufficient to crush out any further acts of rebellion, he did not think the time had arrived to make overtures for the bringing about of accommodation, if possible, with the natives at present in rebellion in order to avoid further bloodshed.
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINsaid that as that was a very argumentative question he would prefer it should be put on the Paper.