§ * MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he will grant a Return of the number of persons sentenced to death by courts martial since the declaration of martial law in Cape Colony, the number of such persons executed, the number of such capital sentences commuted to penal servitude, and the periods of penal servitude thus substituted, and the number of persons sentenced by courts martial to penal servitude or other imprisonment, and to fines.
§ MR. HUMPHREYS-OWEN (Montgomery)May I also ask the Secretary of State for War, whether, in continuation of the answer given by his predecessor to the Member for Montgomeryshire, on 18th May, 1900, he can say whether any further records of Courts purporting to have been held under martial law in Cape Colony have now reached this country; and, if so, whether they are open for inspection either by the public generally or by Members of the House.
§ MR. BRODRICKExtracts from the proceedings of all military courts held under martial law in the Cape Colony, so far as they have reached the War Office, will be laid on the Table of the House, but some little time must elapse before the Papers will be ready.
§ * MR. CHANNINGWill the numbers be shewn?
§ MR. BRODRICKI will give them as soon as I can.
§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)Will the Papers give the names of the gentlemen forming the Courts-martial?
§ MR. BRODRICKPerhaps the hon. and learned Gentleman will give notice of that question.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLAnd will they also, in the case of the 300 capital sentences, give the names of the relatives and friends who were ordered to witness the executions?
§ [No answer was returned.]
§ MR. HUMPHREYS-OWENAre we to understand from the reply of the right hon. Gentleman, that extracts only will be laid, and, if so, on what principle will the extracts be made?
§ MR. BRODRICKThe hon. Member does not suggest that the whole of the proceedings under martial law should be laid on the table of the House? What will be given are the records of the trials as sent over here.
§ MR. HUMPHREYS-OWENCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the full proceedings will be open to the inspection of Members of the House generally?
§ MR. BRODRICKWe have not yet got the information which the hon. Gentleman desires should be open to inspection, and without seeing it I could not say.