MR. HERBERTI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether there have been issued from time to time by the Colonial Office regulations to Governors of Colonies prescribing the conditions under which, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, martial law might properly be proclaimed; and whether he would lay those regulations upon the Table of the House.
§ MR. CHURCHILLAfter the Jamaica rebellion the subject of martial law was very carefully considered, and a circular despatch was sent on 26th January, 1867, to the Governors of all Colonies. This despatch, which deals 809 with the grounds on which martial law should be proclaimed will be found printed in the Parliamentary Paper entitled Correspondence relating to native disturbances in Natal, laid in May, 1906 (Cd. 2905). Papers relating to the administration of martial law in South Africa will be found in the Parliamentary Papers Cd. 981 of 1902 and Cd. 1423 of 1903.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid that in the case of Governor Eyre it was stated distinctly that the responsibility for proclaiming martial law lay primarily with the Governor of the Colony as the Imperial officer.
§ MR. BYLES (Salford, N.)asked whether, as far as was known to the Colonial Office, there was anything relating to disorder or threatened disorder among the population of Natal which justified, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, the continued denial of civil and legal rights to the population, whether white or black.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI should not like to choose any words on the spur of the moment to answer that Question.