§ LORD NORTONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, What caution he has taken that taking Cetewayo out of the hands of the Cape Government, and bringing him round through England to his own country again, may not appear to implicate us afresh in South African war, which may consequently revive, and relieve the Colonists from the understanding of their primary responsibility for self-defence which was recently impressed upon them; and what official reception Cetewayo was to have from the Government?
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, he thought there must be some misapprehension in the mind of his noble Friend (Lord Norton) in putting the Question, for his noble Friend asked, in effect, what precaution had been taken in bringing Cetewayo from the hands of the Cape Government; and, whether that would be construed as a part of the policy of the Government, and relieve the Colony from their responsibility for self-defence? His noble Friend must have forgotten that the Cape Government, for convenience, only undertook the charge of 735 Cetewayo, and it had nothing whatever to do with the Zulu War, and was in no way responsible for the peace of the frontier of Natal. The fact of the Cape Government having taken charge of Cetewayo had, therefore, nothing to do with the question of the Cape Colony defending itself; and Cetewayo, being no longer in the custody of the Cape Government, had no bearing upon the question of policy. Cetewayo had all along been looked upon as a prisoner of war taken by the Imperial Government; and the Zulu War, and the whole of those proceedings, were very largely conducted by Imperial Forces, and in pursuance of Imperial policy, and any step taken with regard to Cetewayo by the Imperial Government, that Government would hold itself responsible for. He entirely agreed with his noble Friend that it was highly desirable that they should do nothing to diminish the responsibility of the Colonists in South Africa for their self-defence. The Home Government thought it of the highest importance that the Colonists should be encouraged to undertake their own defence; and they had shown their feeling on that subject by the course they had taken in regard to the Basuto War, and also by the proposal they had made in respect to responsible government for Natal. He must confess, with regard to the latter part of the Question, that he was somewhat embarrassed with respect to the official reception of Cetewayo in this country. He did not know what was meant by official reception by the Government, neither was he aware that the ex-King would have any official reception, except such a reception as might be given him when he would be asked to call at the Colonial Office to say what he had to say. Anything like an official reception he certainly would not receive, for to speak of one being about to be given him was giving him a sort of importance, which, though he was no doubt a person as to whom a good deal of interest was excited, did not properly belong to him; and it seemed to be elevating him to a kind of pedestal which would give him a wrong idea of his position. Cetewayo would have every opportunity of communicating with the Government; but there would be nothing of the nature of an official reception.
THE EARL OF CARNARVONsaid, the noble Earl opposite (the Earl of 736 Kimberley) had not noticed all the points put by his noble Friend (Lord Norton), the first of which was that, if the result of Cetewayo's visit to this country was to provoke a war, in that case the Colonists would have a right to complain. By bringing him to England they did incur some danger of creating disturbance in Zululand; and the responsibility for the consequences of that would ultimately lie at the door of the Home Government. Another point was that the fact of their having brought the ex-King to England was likely to convey a wrong impression to his mind; and on that point he (the Earl of Carnarvon) had been rather gratified to hear the noble Earl minimize the reception Cetewayo was likely to receive on visiting the officials of the Colonial Office, and that it was to be confined within the narrowest limits. To his (the Earl of Carnarvon's) idea, the wisdom of bringing him to this country was mistaken and doubtful, because, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it was calculated to create a false impression in the minds of his countrymen that it was but the prelude to his restoration.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, that the noble Earl (the Earl of Carnarvon) seemed to misunderstand the question. The noble Earl seemed to think that the visit of Cetewayo was a prelude to sending him to Zululand. Whatever might be the result of that visit, if it was followed by his return to Zululand, it would bring a certain amount of responsibility on Her Majesty's Government. Of course, if they took any decided steps in that matter, they would be taken in full appreciation of their responsibility; and the question would be whether these steps were steps of sound policy or not. If any step was taken by Her Majesty's Government in regard to Cetewayo that had an important bearing on South African policy, there was no doubt they would be responsible for it.
LORD ELLENBOROUGHheld it to be most unfortunate that Cetewayo should have been brought to England; and if he were permitted to return to Zululand, and a war ensued in consequence, Her Majesty's Government and this country would be bound to pay every shilling of its cost.
§ LORD NORTONsaid, that he understood most distinctly, when the question was brought before their Lordships a 737 few days ago, that it was the noble Earl's intention that Cetewayo should return to Zululand.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, he could assure his noble Friend that he had never made any such announcement whatever. Whatever Her Majesty's Government might intend to do in regard to Cetewayo, their intentions had never been announced. Although Questions had been frequently put to him on the subject, he had always replied that the Government were not in possession of sufficient information to enable him to give a satisfactory reply.
§ LORD NORTONsaid, that the noble Earl the Secretary of State for the Colonies was understood to imply as much in the answer he gave the other day to the noble Duke (the Duke of Somerset), when the noble Duke questioned him with regard to the object of making Cetewayo take such a roundabout course as to visit this country on his way from the Cape to Zululand. The noble Earl then replied in effect that it was very desirable, in the event of Cetewayo returning to Zululand, that he should in the interval see something of the greatness of the resources of this country, so that he would go back a very different man from what he was before, and know something of the position in which he would put himself if he placed himself in conflict with such a country as this. The assertion of the noble Earl, that the Zulu War was undertaken simply for Imperial purposes, was one which he (Lord Norton) altogether disputed. That war was waged primarily for local interests, and Imperial interests were but secondary in it. He could only say that if Cetewayo's going from this country to Zululand should lead to any revival of the war there, this country would be held to be responsible. As to the reception that might be given to him, he maintained that, while it was hoped that he was not going to be made a "lion" of, even such a reception as the noble Earl had hinted at was calculated to raise Cetewayo's opinion of himself and of his position, and, what was much more important, give the Colonists probably an erroneous view of the relations subsisting between Cetewayo and the Home Government. It seemed to him, however, that the reception he would get was not such as would make him less pretentious on his return to Zululand.
THE EARL OF KIMBERLEYsaid, it was important that his words should not be wrongly interpreted, for his noble Friend (Lord Norton) had put words into his (the Earl of Kimberley's) mouth which he had never said. He had never said that the war in Zululand was undertaken for Imperial purposes. If he had said so, it would have been contrary to his own opinion. What he had said was that it was conducted by the Imperial Government, and at the expense of £5,000,000, to which the Colonists contributed a very small part.