§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)I desire to ask the Secretary of State for War, to whom I have given private notice of the question, whether it is the fact that on the night after the Vlakfontein engagement the British forces retreated, leaving their hospital and all their wounded in the hands of the Boers.
§ MR. DILLONI wish to ask the noble Lord whether, in view of the ample promise which he made yesterday of inquiry into this question, he will ask by telegraph for an answer to my question.
LORD STANLEYI am afraid that I cannot undertake to say that. But, as my right hon. friend has promised that a full inquiry shall be made into the matter, I have no doubt that the answer to this question will be elicited by the 253 information which has already been asked for.
§ MR. DILLONThat is not a fair answer to my question. [Cries of "Order!"] I think I am entitled, as this is a very serious matter, to press the noble Lord to say whether he will undertake, on behalf of the War Office, to give the same treatment to inquiries from Members on this side of the House with regard to this unhappy affair as he has already promised to the inquiries of hon. Gentlemen opposite.
LORD STANLEYThat can hardly apply. My right hon. friend, I am sure, has not the slightest intention to hide anything which happened on this occasion; and he will place the House in possession of as full information as he can in relation to every occurrence on that day.
§ MR. DILLONWhy, then, will not the noble Lord promise that he will inquire whether this all-important incident occurred?
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! That question has been answered. [Nationalist cries of "No."] The noble Lord has given an answer which he says is the only answer he proposes to give.
§ [Cries of "Order!"]
§ MR. DILLONremained standing,
§ * MR. SPEAKERIt is impossible for me to hear amidst this noise whether the hon. Member is rising to a point of order or not.
§ MR. DILLONI claim a right to be heard on a point of order. What I submit is that the noble Lord declined to answer my question. It is a very simple question—namely, whether he will undertake on behalf of the War Office to inquire by telegram whether the allegations contained in my telegram are true or not.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe noble Lord has given the only answer which he proposes to give, and he has stated so. In those circumstances, if the hon. Member desires further information, he must put down a question in the ordinary way.
§ MR. DILLONI shall put it down for Monday.