§ SIR J. FERGUSSON (Manchester, N.E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will lay upon the Table further Papers on the subject of the contingents of mounted troops furnished by the colonies of Australia and New Zealand; whether the latter colony was not behindhand in complying with the invitation of Her Majesty's Government to send a contingent of bushmen, but had in fact anticipated that invitation; and if there are any further particulars of these acts of loyalty which he would state to the House.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.(1)Further Papers will be laid as soon as the correspondence as to the force now being raised is complete. (2) The New Zealand Government on the 3rd of February last offered, in addition to the four contingents furnished by the colony, to raise a further force of the bushmen class for general service in South Africa during the war. This offer was accepted, and the men, who will number 500, will serve on the same terms as the men now being raised by the Australian colonies. The total number offered and provided by New Zealand is 1,450. In proportion to population this would be equal to a force of 80,000 men from the United Kingdom. (3) Full information will be contained in the Papers.