§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Colonel H. Cooper, C. M. G., who held the position of Boer Commandant at Cape Town from 1st April, 1900, was present at the dinner given at Mount Nelson Hotel on Christmas Eve, 1901, and was at that time resident in the hotel; and that he did not stop the attack made upon Mr. Stanford in the grounds at the back of the hotel; can he state whether Colonel Cooper took any, and if so what, steps to investigate the matter; did he make any, and if so what, report to Lord Kitchener; why was the report of the legal proceedings, in which a sum of £1,500 damages and £2,000 costs were recovered by Mr. Stanford against ten officers in the High Court of Capo Colony, excluded from the Cape papers by the action of the Military Press Censor; why were not the apologies offered by the ten officers involved allowed to appear in the Cape Press, owing to the action of the Press Censor; and can he now give any explanation of this occurrence, and of the steps he intends to take in the matter.
§ MR. BRODRICKThese matters are at this moment the subject of inquiry; therefore, until the inquiry is concluded, I am sure the hon. Member will understand that I cannot reply to individual questions on the subject.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI desire to give notice that on the Estimates I will go completely into the details of this transaction, and give the names of the officers.