§ MR. HALSEY (Hertfordshire, Watford)I beg to ask the Secretary of State 632 for the Colonies whether it will be possible, in the final settlement in South Africa, to give favourable consideration to the case of those Englishmen, settled in the Orange River Colony, who have suffered imprisonment and the confiscation of the whole of their stock and goods, because they refused to take up arms against their fellow-countrymen in the war.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINThe question raises a very difficult point, on which we have to be particularly careful, in order not to create precedents which might hereafter be extremely inconvenient. Above all, we have to preserve a distinction between the cases of those who suffered by war in Her Majesty's possessions and those who suffered when resident in a foreign country to which they had voluntarily gone. At the same time, I may say personally that I have the greatest sympathy with those in both the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal who have suffered on account of their loyalty. The only answer I can give to the question is that the matter is under consideration, but no statement can at present be made as to the manner in which such cases will be dealt with or whether any compensation can be obtained.