§ 7. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether among the alienated lands of the British South Africa Company, the value of which is to be deducted from the compensation due to the company, is a grant of 50,000 acres of Southern Rhodesian land to the Northumberland mining syndicate made in the year 1892; whether this grant was made more than a year prior to Sir Starr Jameson's invasion of Matabeland; by what right this concession was granted in a territory which at that time was in no respect under the British Crown; and what consideration was received by the company for this concession?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI am not in a position to add anything material to the information given in Appendix 5 to the proceedings of Lord Cave's Commission, 7 beyond observing that further investigation showed that the greater part of this land grant was subsequently abandoned. As to the third part of the question, I may observe that the company had acquired the Lippert Concession early in 1892, and I presume it was thought at the time that they were acting in accordance with the terms of that concession. In any case, it is clearly not possible now to question the grants made by the company prior to the conquest in 1893.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODAm I to understand that no consideration was received by the company for this concession?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI forget about that.
§ 15. Mr: LINFIELDasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether communications, both individual and collective, have been received from the white inhabitants of Northern Rhodesia protesting against the land claims of the British South Africa Company in that territory; and if he will say what steps are being taken by His Majesty's Government to give these settlers an opportunity of stating their position before reaching any settlement with the Chartered Company?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI would refer the hon. Member, as regards the first part of his question, to Appendix I in the second Report of Lord Buxton's Committee (Cmd. 1471), and, as to the second part, to the answer which I have just given to the hon. and gallant Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme.
§ Mr. LINFIELDI suppose that there is no question of the annexation of Northern Rhodesia to Southern Rhodesia?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORENot that I know.
§ 16. Mr. LINFIELDasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that Lord Cave's Commission fixed the amount conditionally due to the British South Africa Company and the means by which the net figure was to be reached, and that, when this Commission was proposed, Lord Milner received a written statement from the company in advance that they agreed to the request of His Majesty's Government for an assurance that the company would accept the recommendations as binding, 8 he will say whether the company's attention has been drawn to this material fact in the present dispute, and with what result?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe correspondence with the British South Africa Company which led up to the appointment of Lord Cave's Commission, and the terms of reference to that Commission, are included in the Papers published in Cmd. 1129. It is the fact that the company, as well as His Majesty's Government, are bound by the award of the Commission, but the present discussions relate to the issues raised in the company's Petition of Right.
§ 11. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that Lord Buxton's Commission, whilst unanimously recommending the reference of the Northern Rhodesia land case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, drew attention to the fact that there were interests other than the Colonial Office and the company to consider, he will say what steps His Majesty's Government is taking to meet the interests of the white settlers, the native people of Rhodesia, and of the Treasury?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Bedford, Mid., on 13th June, in which I indicated that the interests of the natives of Northern Rhodesia were being carefully watched in the discussions with the British South Africa Company. The same remark applies to the other interests concerned.
§ 23. Mr. CHARLES BUXTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether His Majesty's Government is proposing to include Northern Rhodesia in any grant of the letters patent promised for Southern Rhodesia; and whether the settlers in Southern Rhodesia have withdrawn their opposition to any arrangement which would involve Southern Rhodesia in any liability for the administration of Northern Rhodesia?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe reply to the first part of the question is in the negative; as regards the second, the draft letters patent do not contemplate any such arrangement as that suggested by the hon. Member.