HC Deb 25 June 1902 vol 110 cc14-5
MR. FLYNN (Cork County, N)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to a letter from Lord Milner under date of 19th May, and written at Johannesburg, in reply to a communication from Sir W. Hely Hutchinson, which contained a copy of a petition in favour of the suspension of the constitution of Cape Colony, alleged to be signed by forty-two Members of the Legislature; whether this letter has received the sanction of His Majesty's Government; and whether he can state if the telegraphed version of Lord Milner's letter was censored at Cape Town.

The following Question also appeared on the Paper—

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

To ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been drawn to a letter, dated 19th May, alleged to have been written by the High Commissioner for South Africa, and giving his opinion on the desirability of the suspension of the Constitution of Cape Colony; whether it was written or published by the High Commissioner with the sanction of His Majesty's Government; and, if he is unable now to give this information, whether he will make the necessary inquiries.

TOE SECRETARY or STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition will accept this as an answer to his Question also. The reply to the first part of this Question is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative. I have no information as to the third. I think I ought to add that the letter was on the face of it the expression of Lord Milner's personal views at the time, and that it was written before the terms of surrender were arranged.

MR. FLYNN

Did not Lord Milner say in that letter that it would be improper for him to express an opinion on such an acute controversy?

MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN

No, Sir; that is not in the letter. Lord Milner said that he thought it would be improper of him to reply to a petition from Cape Colony, but that he thought himself justified in replying to his own personal friends.