MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that Paper [Cd. 968] of 1902, entitled the Spion Kop Despatches, shows that certain despatches from Lord Roberts, Sir Redvers Buller, and Sir Charles Warren were altered by His Majesty's Government before publication in the London Gazette, so that portions of these despatches were omitted and in some 1320 cases other words and sentences substituted for those of the despatches themselves, without anything to show that the despatches as published were not exactly as they were originally written and received, he will state whether any others of the despatches received from military or naval commanders during the campaign and subsequently published have been altered in a similar or in any other manner; if so, will he state what are the published despatches which have been so altered and what the alterations are: will he further state whether any, and, if so, how many despatches have been withheld from publication altogether; and will he also state what was the single sentence criticising Sir Charles Warren which was excised from Sir Redvers Buller's despatches, and does the excision refer to Sir Redvers Buller's detailed remarks extending to seven paragraphs, dated Spearman's Camp, 30th January, 1900, and stated to be not necessarily for publication.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I have no information to give my hon. friend in regard to the Question on the Paper.