§ *MR. MACKARNESS (Berkshire, Newbury)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether in July Dinizulu was committed for trial on charges of high treason, public violence, sedition, rebellion, murder, conspiracy to murder, incitement to murder, and breaches of the Firearms Act of 1905; whether all the charges upon which he was committed for trial by the magistrate have now been dropped except that for high treason; and whether he can state upon what grounds those charges were not proceeded with by the Natal Government.
§ COLONEL SEELYThe charges on which Dinizulu was committed are correctly stated in the Question, but I cannot say until the indictment is received what charges may have been dropped. The Government is sending a copy of the indictment home, and it shall be laid in due course.
§ *MR. MACKARNESSasked whether, in the event of the charges in the indictment failing to be proved, any further charges could be made against Dinizulu.
§ COLONEL SEELYThat is a hypothetical Question which I cannot answer.
§ MR. MACKARNESSI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether in August Dinizulu was so seriously ill that he was removed to a hospital; whether on his recovery he made a personal application to the Natal Government to be allowed out on bail; whether any response was made to this application; and, if so, what it was.
§ COLONEL SEELYDinizulu was removed to hospital in August and was subsequently returned to gaol. It would appear from the telegrams printed in Cd. 4328 that the regular life which he has been compelled to lead has considerably benefited his health. He applied to the Governor to be released on bail on 29th August, and the reply returned was that power to bail rests with the Supreme Court, with whose discretion the Governor could not interfere.