§ MR. MYER (Lambeth, N.)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that under the administration of martial law in Natal the Commandant of Militia has empowered the officer in charge of Leuchar's Field Force to inflict thirty lashes with the cat upon any person refusing to give information to any member of his force, vide Blue-book, Enclosure 2, in No. 30, and whether the Home Government has sanctioned such methods; and whether he intends to make any representations on the subject to the authorities in Natal.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. CHURCHILL, Manchester, N.W.)The officer in command of the field force has no such powers conferred upon him as are stated in the hon. Member's Question. Courts of a magistrate, or special courts-martial, have power after due trial and conviction to punish with lashes refusals to give information, but all cases tried by court-martial must be immediately reported to the Colonel-Commandant, and if more than thirty lashes are awarded confirmation of the sentence is necessary. The Secretary of State does not intend to make representations on the subject to the authorities in Natal.
§ MR. MYERBut is this in accordance with what is laid down in the Blue-book which I have in my hands?
§ MR. CHURCHILLsaid he had no doubt whatever that in framing the Answer the Secretary of State had the fullest cognisance of the Blue-book.
§ MR. J. WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)asked whether, in view of the odium attaching to a spy, it was advisable to hold courts-martial on those who refused to play the part of spies.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)Will the Government make representations to the Natal authorities against permitting this form of lashing of persons, against whom no form of crime is alleged.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI will make inquiries as to the points mentioned by the hon. Members, and if a Question is put on the Paper I hope to be able to answer it on Monday.
§ MR. MYERasked whether the hon. Member's attention had been called to the statement that if any individual "refuses to give information to any member of your force he may be sentenced to receive thirty lashes for refusing."
§ MR. CHURCHILLI have nothing to add to the Answer I have already given to the hon. Member.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)asked whether the procedure had not the sanction of the Governor of Natal, and therefore presumably of the House.
§ [No Answer was returned.]
§ MR. LEHMANN (Leicestershire, Market Harborough)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether His Majesty's Government have any official information from Natal to the effect that Colonel M'Kenzie's force, operating against the natives, had burnt many kraals and secured and divided much loot; whether Colonel M'Kenzie's force is composed in part of native levies; and whether he can say if any burning of kraals or destruction of property was confined to cases of military necessity, in accordance with No. 12 of the Rules published in Appendix I. of the Blue-book [Cd. 2905].
§ MR. CHURCHILLI would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by me yesterday to a similar Question, † addressed to me by the hon. Member for Woodstock, in which I indicated that the information in the possession of the Secretary of State does not support the belief that any destruction of kraals or property will take place except as being justified on the ground of military neces- 468 sity. The Secretary of State has no information as to loot having been divided: among Colonel M'Kenzie's force.
§ † See Col. 351.
§ MR. LEHMANNWill the hon. Gentleman make inquiries?
§ MR. BYLES (Salford, N.)We want an assurance that these seizures are not divided amongst soldiers.
§ MR. CHURCHILLsaid that, from his recollection of the general appearance of a Kaffir kraal, he did not suppose that loot found there would be worth dividing among Europeans. As to what might have been done by native auxiliaries he had no information.
§ MR. LEHMANNBut are we not responsible for the acts of our native auxiliaries?
§ MR. CHURCHILLIn regard to captures of stock made by the column operating in the field, I understand that the stock has been sold and the receipts paid into the Natal Treasury as some off-set against the very large sums of money which the Natal Government have been forced to pay for the purpose of carrying on the operations.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI will make further inquiries if the hon. Member wishes.