§ THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the latest intelligence from the Cape?
§ EARL CADOGANsaid, that the last official written despatch was from General Thesiger, and dated March 12th. From that despatch, it appeared that the Chief Sandilli, with a large force of Kaffirs, was in the Bush, and that General Thesiger was concerting measures to 1266 surround those Kaffirs. Since then, there had evidently been a great deal of Bush fighting; but he could give no official confirmation of the telegrams which had appeared in the papers. Perhaps the best thing he could do was to read the two telegrams which had been received at the Colonial Office from Sir Bartle Frere. The first was as follows:—
March 19th. (Received April 6th.) Water-kloof and Blinkwater cleared and occupied by force under Colonel Palmer, without loss. Amatolas being cleared to-day by force under direct command of General Thesiger. Robber bands, finding little safety in ancient fastnesses, are apparently breaking up, and rebels in many quarters anxious to lay down arms.The next was dated March 26th, and was received yesterday—Am glad to report Lieutenant-Colonel Warren, R.E., quite recovered from his accident. He was reported killed in action last week, and news of his death was telegraphed to English newspapers.The names of the officers given in the newspapers as killed and wounded were all local officers, except Major Warren. There was another telegram from Sir Bartle Frere relating to the Transvaal—March 18. I trust before long to send reinforcements to the Zulu frontier of the Transvaal, where there are no signs of improvement.He had just laid on the Table another set of Papers, bringing the history of those events up to the 15th of February, and he hoped to very shortly present others containing news up to six weeks later.