HC Deb 01 May 1902 vol 107 cc420-1
* SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state what course is being taken by His Majesty's Government with regard to claims for alleged war losses in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope where such claims have been allowed by the Compensation Courts, and what was the composition of those courts; whether a difference has been made between claims in the Bechuanaland Protectorate, which have been met up to the extent of 75 per cent. of the allowed claim by His Majesty's Government, and claims in Cape Colony, where 50 per cent. has been paid by the Colonial Government, while the Prime Minister of Cape Colony has declared that he cannot go beyond 50 per cent. without a guarantee of repayment by His Majesty's Government; and, seeing that the Cape Government has set aside £250,000 towards meeting the claims, whether the whole of that money has been repaid to the Government of the Colony by the Imperial Government or is to be repaid in the future.

MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN

His Majesty's Government have undertaken that claims for losses caused by the enemy or by His Majesty's troops which are allowed by the Compensation Commissions in the Cape Colony and which were sustained by persons not concerned in the rebellion, will, like similar claims in the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Natal, be met by the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony. Two compensation Commissions were appointed in the Cape Colony in July, 1900, each consisting of a magistrate, a leading farmer, and an officer selected for his knowledge of similar work. In the Bechuanaland Protectorate 75 per cent. of the allowed claim is advanced from Protectorate funds in accordance with the course adopted by Natal. In the Cape Colony 50 per cent. is advanced from Cape funds, in accordance with the provisions of the Cape Act No. 6 of 1900. These advances have not been repaid, but they, together with the balance of the allowed claims, will be provided out of the first loan raised on behalf of the new Colonies.