THE EARL OF ONSLOW (in the absence of the Earl of BELMORE)asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expected to be able, without public inconvenience, to lay upon the 515 Table any Papers relating to the affairs of Swaziland?
*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (The Marquess of RIPON)My Lords, the last Papers relating to Swaziland which were laid before Parliament related to the occurrences of 1890, and they concluded at the time of the ratification of a Convention made in that year between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the South African Republic. At the time of the conclusion of that Convention an undertaking was come to with the Government of the South African Republic, that at a period which is now rapidly approaching the British Government would be willing to receive from the South African Republic any representations which they might desire to make with respect to the administration of Swaziland, and to give them fair and considerate attention. That time being now approaching, Her Majesty's Government had felt it right, in fulfilment of the undertaking given by their predecessors, to empower the Governor of the Cape (Sir Henry Loch), if it should still be the desire, as have every reason to believe it will be, of the Government of the South African Republic, to make representations to the Governor of the Cape upon this subject, to enter into communication with the President of that Republic. Under those circumstances, your Lordships will at once see that it would be impossible for me with propriety, on the near approach of negotiations with another Government, to lay before your Lordships the instructions which have been given to Sir Henry Loch for the conduct of those negotiations. Obviously that would be a course which would be likely to render those negotiations fruitless, or at all events much more difficult than they would otherwise be. Therefore, my Lords, I cannot undertake at present to lay those instructions upon the Table, but I have considered whether it would be in my power with propriety, as I am very anxious to give Parliament any information I can, to produce any Papers between the last Papers which were laid upon the Table between 1890 and the present time; but, my Lords, having carefully examined the matter, it appears to me that all that is material in those Papers is so intimately 516 connected with the negotiations which Sir Henry Loch is about to undertake, that it would not be desirable, and would place him in a less advantageous position than he would otherwise be in, if any of those Papers were at present to be laid before Parliament. Under those circumstances, I do not think that it is advisable that I should lay any Papers before the House.
§ LORD KNUTSFORDI quite concur in what the noble Marquess has said, but I assume the House may trust to him to lay the Papers on the Table as soon as the opportunity presents itself consistently with the public interest.
§ THE MARQUESS OF RIPONCertainly; that will be my earnest wish.