§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether an English infantry patrol of twenty men, while raiding near Dundee, entered the farmhouses of the absent Boers and outraged their wives and children, and were surprised in the act by Republican soldiers, and some of them shot; whether, in another place, also near Dundee, a family of six females, named Bester, aged respectively forty-five, eighteen, fourteen, twelve, and two younger children, were outraged by men of an English patrol; and whether he has any official information of such occur- 142 rences to communicate; and, if not, whether he will cause inquiry to be made into these allegations.
§ *MR. WYNDHAMNo, Sir, we have no information. I understand that the allegations referred to are based upon the reported conversation of an officer serving in the Boer army, and I do not think that we should be justified in asking the generals in the field to investigate charges which rest upon such evidence. The crimes referred to, if committed on active service, would be punishable by death; and I am confident that the authorities in South Africa would require no instigation from us to investigate any charges of the kind.
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIENBut in view of the fact that it is stated that three or four soldiers were caught in the act and shot, is it not worth while to inquire?
§ [No answer was given.]