§ MR. WANKLYN () Bradford, CentralI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies a Question of which I have given him private notice, viz.—if it is a fact that a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, Mr. Vlok, has been deprived of his living for loyalty to the Crown and to the Government of Cape Colony during the war; if it is a fact that another minister, Mr. J. F. Botha, has been compelled to publicly apologise for having endeavoured to promote peace; if it is a fact that the national scouts and others who helped us in the later stages of the war have been threatened with excommunication; and if it is the case that many loyalists, both British and Dutch, are being subjected to persecution in Cape Colony by means of boycotting—
§ * MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must really compress his statement. He must ask a Question and not make a speech. [An Hon. MEMBER: "Crystallise" it.]
§ MR. WANKLYNI want to know if the Government of Sir Gordon Sprigg, under the control of the Afrikander bond, are providing compensation for rebels out of the proceeds of funds 240 derived from this country. In a sentence—is it the fact that many loyalists are being subjected to persecution by boycotting, while rebels are being compensated out of funds derived from this country?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI am afraid it is true that the Rev. Mr. Vlok has been deprived of his living, and that the Rev. Mr. Botha has publicly apologised for action which he took, as he says, in the interests of peace. I confess that I very much regret this action. Nothing could tend more to delay the union and prosperity of South Africa; and I regret this action the more because it appears to proceed from a religious body. I hope that the statements which have been made in this country with regard to the boycotting of the national scouts and the loyalists are exaggerated. I am assured that that is the case. As a matter of course it will have my attention; but in the meantime I should not like to say more than that I think that, while there do exist some grounds for complaint, I hope the proceedings which we should all deplore, have not been as general as may have been supposed by those who have read the accounts in the papers. As regards the alleged compensation to rebels, I think there is some misapprehension. As I understand the matter, the last Act affording compensation passed by the Cape Parliament provides that the amount contributed to this purpose shall, in the first place, be given to those who have been loyal throughout the war. But if there were any balance remaining after their claims had been satisfied, it was intended to proceed to compensate those persons who, having joined in the first rebellion, subsequently surrendered and remained loyal afterwards, and whose losses were incurred while they were loyal. That is a very different thing from what is suggested in the question; but in regard to that I ought to add that His Majesty's Government have informed the Cape Government that they will not permit any money derived from Imperial sources or from the resources of the Transvaal, to be employed in the compensation of rebels in any circumstances.