§ MR. CORRIE GRANT (Warwickshire, Rugby)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the statement made in the Cape Parliament on 31st October, 1902, by the Attorney General, Mr. Graham, that the Bushmanland Borderers Regiment was raised by the Imperial Government, and to the statement of Mr. Merriman on the same occasion, that the Bushmanland Borderers had committed outrages, and that two of them were in gaol at Malmesbury; and will he state what proportion of this corps were coloured men, and by whose orders they were enlisted and armed.
§ MR. BRODRICKThe Bushmanland Borderers was raised for local service in Cape Colony at the recommendation of the Premier of Cape Colony, their employment being specially restricted to the defence of their own locality and property in case of need, and they were consequently not enrolled for general service. I am not aware of the proportion of coloured men in its ranks. I must point out that the expression "coloured men" is commonly used in South Africa to mean half-castes, not natives, and many of such half-castes are on the electorate roll of Cape Colony.