HC Deb 29 March 1900 vol 81 cc683-4
MR. BRYN ROBERTS (Carnarvonshire, Eifon)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can now inform the House of the result of his inquiries as to whether Mr. Barend du Plessis, a well to do farmer of Hanover District, Cape Town, was arrested on the 10th of December last on a charge of high treason based on the unsupported statement of a discharged native servant, and was kept in prison for ten days, and then set free, the Solicitor General refusing to prosecute; and whether any compensation will be made to this gentleman.

MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN

Mr. Barend du Plessis was arrested by the military on 11th December on a charge of high treason. Evidence was given by three native servants as to alleged treasonable words, but this was unsupported. He was committed for trial on 16th December and the papers sent to the Solicitor General, Grahamstown, who declined to prosecute, so du Plessis was released 20th December. Sir Alfred Milner informs me that he has not yet heard if the military consider this a case for compensation.

MR. BRYN ROBERTS

Were the servants discharged who gave the information?

MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN

I have no information as to that.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

What were they paid for it?

[No answer was given.]