§ MR. CHARLES HARRISON (Plymouth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether the areas in South Africa, defined in the Orders in Council, of the 27th January 1885, 9th May and 12th December 1891, and 18th July 1894, are now, and, if so, from what date under, or will be placed under, the direct government, both civilly and judicially, of Her Majesty's High Commissioner for Bechuanaland and Imperial officers; and (2) whether or not the same areas are now under a police, directly recruited, equipped, maintained, and paid by the Imperial Government, or by the Chartered Company; and, whether the charter of the Company enables it to carry on, as one of the objects of the Company, government in, or to employ, pay, maintain, or recruit a police in, any area in South Africa defined in any Order in Council to which civil and administrative government is directed by any such Order to lie applied?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.A great portion of the area defined in the Orders in Council 1163 of January 27th 1885, May 9th and December l2th 1891, is still under the direct government of Khama, and the other native chiefs to whom the territory belongs. Whatever jurisdiction Her Majesty possesses within that territory, has been and will continue to be exercised on her behalf by the High Commissioner. So much of the area defined by the above Orders in Council as was formerly under the Government of Lobengula, was, by the Order in Council of July 18th 1894, placed under the administration of the British South Africa Company. Owing to recent events, the maintenance of the police will be henceforward in the hands of the Imperial Government. Sir Richard Martin has been appointed to the command of the police. The cost is to be paid by the South Africa Company. The answer to the second question, as to whether the charter of the Company enables it to carry on, as one of the objects of the Company, a government in, or to employ, pay, maintain, or recruit a police, in any area in South Africa denned in any Order in Council to which civil and administrative government is directed by any such Order to be applied, is in the affirmative, but all arrangements made by the Company in respect of police will be subject to my approval.