§ MR. ALFRED DAVIES (Carmarthen Boroughs)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state who are the present Transvaal Government to whom Boers are to send unpaid claims for damages caused by the Jameson raid, previous to their being entertained for payment by the British Government.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI think the hon. Gentleman must have misunderstood what I said before. Certainly I have never said that claims will in any case be entertained by the British—that is, by the Imperial Government. What I said was that, if there were any such claims which could be substantiated, which, personally, I do not believe, they
† See preceding volume, page 400.45 might be sent to the Government of the Colony. The hon. Gentleman asks me what is the Government of the Transvaal. It is the Transvaal Administration in Pretoria. At the present moment the head is Lord Kitchener until Sir A. Milner returns, when he will be the head. The question is one entirely for the Government of the Colony.
§ MR. ALFRED DAVIESWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether or not he did say that these claims would be entertained by the Transvaal Government?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINIf you will permit me, Sir, I desire that there should be no misunderstanding. Entertained, yes; that is to say, if there is any claim ad misericordiam on the part of any person, formerly a burgher of the Transvaal, who has been injured and was not compensated by his own Government; although the circumstances under which he was injured took place five years ago, I have no doubt it would be entertained—that is, considered—by the existing Transvaal Government. Whether it would be favourably entertained is another matter. It is not a matter for me; it would be a matter for the local Government; and undoubtedly it would be entertained entirely upon the merits of the case.