MAJOR SEELYI beg to ask the I Secretary of State for the Colonies a; Question of which I have given private notice—namely, whether his attention has been called to the statement as to the ill-treatment of natives on the Rand mines as disclosed in the Blue-book, "Cape of Good Hope, 9.4., 1904" recently presented to the Cape Parliament, and what action he proposes to take in the matter.
† See (4) Debates, cxxix., 1545.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. LYTTELTON,) Warwick and LeamingtonI communicated with Lord Milner some time ago in regard to the statements made in the Report to which the hon. Member refers, and the Papers which I am laying directly will contain full information as to the action of the Transvaal Native Department in safeguarding the interests of native labourers. Mr. Brownlee's Report in the Cape Parliamentary Papers contains certain criticisms which received immediate attention; but he states that he gathered that on the whole their treatment is good, and that the mine-owners and compound managers are anxious to make the treatment and condition of the native labourers as congenial to them as possible.