§ MR. HENRY J. WILSON (Yorkshire, W.R., Holmfirth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he has now any information as to the case of Mr. C. J. Lotter, a Member of the Cape Parliament, who, together with his son and manager, was arrested on or about 24th January, 1901, by the military in the Uitenhage district of the Cape Colony, and was committed for trial only on 8th January, 1902. Can he state by whose authority, and on what ground has he been kept in prison for fifty weeks without trial, what is the charge against him, and what is the tribunal before which he is now to be tried.
§ MR. BRODRICKMr. Lotter was arrested on the 22nd January, 1901, on a charge of high treason. He was sent to Uitenhage on 30th January, and released on bail on 27th February. The case was then dealt with by the civil authorities under Special Treason Act, and he was formally committed to trial by a magistrate on the 7th January, 1902. It was notorious that he bad been very active in his district in fomenting sedition, and he was detained in consequence. The Attorney General found that the legal evidence available against Lotter was not strong enough to secure conviction, and consequently he was not prosecuted.
§ MR. HENRY J. WILSONHas he been released?
§ MR. BRODRICKI assume so.