§ MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether General Sir William Butler made to the War or to the Colonial Office any statement or communication as to the amount and character of the forces the Boers could put into the field in the event of war, or as to the extent and character of their armaments, or as to the special military difficulties to be overcome, and the best disposition of the British forces, or other steps advisable to meet those difficulties; and whether such statement or communication will be presented to Parliament.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThere is nothing, I believe, in any of Sir W. Butler's despatches to the War Office dealing with the amount and character of the forces that the Boers could put into the field in the event of war, or as to the extent and character of their armaments. There were some observations in the despatches of June last as to the distribution of the small British force then in the colony, and in those suggestions there were probably references to the special military situation of the district; but, so far as I know, I there is nothing in those despatches relative to the controversies which have divided us in our recent debates upon military matters.
§ MR. CHANNINGWere the suggestions made in the document referred to adopted or rejected by the Committee of Defence?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI will look into that matter, but I should think that probably they were adopted.
§ MR. W. REDMOND (Clare, E.)As there is so much interest in this matter, could the right hon. Gentleman see his way to have Sir W. Butler's despatches placed in full on the Table of the House?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; I answered a question of exactly the same purport yesterday in the negative.