MR. BRYN ROBERTSI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that Mr. Westlake, Q.C., and other leading internationalist jurists are of opinion that the Transvaal Dynamite Concession is not an infringement of the London Convention; whether he sought any and what legal advice before complaining of the Concession as contravening the Convention; and, whether Her Majesty's present and every former Government acquiesced in the Concession without complaint from its original grant in 1882 until after the Jameson Raid in 1896; and, if not, when complaint was first made.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI have observed a letter in the Spectator from Mr. Westlake to this effect. The action of Her Majesty's Government was taken upon the advice of the Law Officers of the Crown. Her Majesty's Government were not made aware at the time of the first Concession in 1882 and are now not aware of its terms. The Concession granted in 1887 was brought to the notice of Her Majesty's Government in 1891, and upon this, representations were made to the Government of the South African Republic and the Concession was cancelled. The present monopoly dates from 1893 and is nominally a State monopoly. The reasons why Her Majesty's Government have only recently protested against it are given in the Papers shortly to be distributed.
§ MR. COURTNEY (Bodmin)Can the right honourable Gentleman say when discovery was made of the last arrangement?
§ J. CHAMBERLAINPerhaps the right honourable Gentleman will put that question down.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)How soon will the Papers be distributed?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINCircumstances change so quickly that I have some difficulty. I hoped to distribute them after Whitsuntide, but I am afraid now they may be some time.
§ No answer was given.