§ 60. Sir WILLIAM SEAGERasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that, after the rebellion in 1896, the late Mr. Cecil Rhodes promised the Rhodesian settlers who fought in that campaign a tract of land for farming purposes; that land on the Wankie was given them but was found to be uninhabitable, and that after many applications the case was laid before Lord Cave's Commission, but the settlers were again referred to the Wankie district; and whether, seeing that the wish of the late Mr. Cecil Rhodes is still unfulfilled and that consequently the volunteer settlers are suffering a grave injustice, he will make inquiries into the matter?
§ Lieut.-Colonel AMERYI understand the position to be that Mr. Rhodes is stated to have made a verbal promise of the grant of farms to certain of the volunteers at the time of the 1896 rebellion. Certain farms were offered by the British South Africa Company in pursuance of this promise, but it appears that some of the volunteers are not satisfied with the conditions attached to the proposed grants or the locality of the farms offered. I am not aware that any injustice has been suffered, and the matter is one in which previous Secretaries of State have not thought it necessary to intervene.