§ MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, having regard to the recent proclamation by the Government to the effect that any attempted dealings with property in the Transvaal for non-payment of war tax or otherwise to the prejudice of British subjects would not be recognised by our Government so far as regards such impositions made since the outbreak of the present hostilities, whether this proclamation or its principle would apply to any action taken by the Transvaal Government in respect of the non-payment of the war tax which was imposed on landowners prior to the outbreak of hostilities, but not paid by them in consequence of the Colonial Office having given the opinion in writing on 20th May last, that it was a breach of the London Convention of 1884; and whether British owners of land in the Transvaal, who have paid the war taxes under protest and under threats of forfeiture of such lands by the Transvaal Government, will have their rights to recover back such war taxes saved.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.I have received no representations that farms have been confiscated for non-payment of war tax prior to the outbreak of the war. Any confiscation subsequent to October 10th is 24 covered by the notice of 26th January. Her Majesty's Government were advised subsequent to the outbreak of the war that in view of the arguments put forward on behalf of the South African Republic their protest could not be maintained on the grounds originally taken, and they cannot therefore pledge themselves in the matter.