*THE DUKE OF NORFOLKasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs— (1) About what date the Report of Captain Macdonald on affairs in Uganda was likely to be received; (2) What was the scope of the inquiry that he has been directed to make; (3) Whether the Government would give facilities for the production of any Papers and Correspondence bearing upon the subject of the inquiry? He said that, considering the many Reports that had reached this country, it was to be regretted that, no official Report had as yet been made as to affairs in Uganda. He trusted that the scope of Captain Macdonald's Report would be such as would enable their Lordships to enter into a discussion on the question; because anyone, in order to discuss the question satisfactorily, must have before him the instructions of the Company to their agents. It was alleged that considerable grievances were complained of by the Catholics in Uganda, and hostilities were the outcome of those grievances. It was also alleged that offenders, if they belonged to the Protestant party, were dealt with leniently by the agents of the Company, while members of the Catholic party had been actually deprived of their laud by the Company. He urged that when documents were produced upon the subject extracts from letters and papers should not be made use of alone, but that the whole Paper from which any extract was taken ought to be produced. He was bound to say he wondered very much that the Company had not been eager to produce every scrap of evidence that would justify their rule, or tend to mitigate their responsibility for the catastrophe in which that rule culminated. In the Reports made to the Company by its agents that were published the statements were very meagre as to the events which led up to hostilities; but it was stated that arms were served out to the Protestant party, who, supported by a Maxim gun, were let loose upon the Catholics, that 886 Mengs was reduced to ruins and all the Catholic houses fired. The Catholics took refuge on the islands, but the Maxim gun was directed upon them, and many women and children were killed; and those who escaped that fate were made captive, and there was reason to fear they had been returned to slavery. Finally, the Catholics had had forced upon them the Treaty which gave them only one-seventh of the country. Their Lordships ought to have the evidence of all witnesses, Protestants as well as Catholics, bearing upon a story on which no Englishman would care to dwell. The Report ought to be a comprehensive one; it ought to go into everything connected with the administration of the East Africa Company, and it ought to be supported by the production of every document which was calculated to throw light upon the case.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Earl of ROSEBERY)I think my noble Friend will agree with me that nothing could be more inconvenient than to anticipate the production of Captain Macdonald's Report by a premature discussion of the events upon which that Report will adjudicate. Therefore I will not follow the example of the noble Duke, but I will proceed briefly to answer his three questions. As to the date when the Report may be expected, I have no means of knowing any more than my noble Friend. The cause of the delay in the production of that Report is very simple. My Predecessor in Office sent Captain Macdonald instruct ions—I think on the last day of June—to report on the various occurrences which had taken place in Uganda. These instructions did not reach Captain Macdonald in the country, or they crossed him on his return to the Coast, and he arrived at the Coast without having received them. Later on Her Majesty's present Advisers thought it well to reiterate these instructions by telegram to Captain McDonald, and ordered him to return to Uganda. He then returned, and from that time to this we have had no tidings from him except that he has arrived safely at Uganda. Under these circumstances, my noble Friend will agree with me it is useless, not merely to anticipate the Report by discussion, but to speculate as to the time when it will be received. As to 887 the scope of the inquiry, my noble Friend will find the instructions in the published Despatch of Lord Salisbury, dated June 24 last year, the first page of Africa, No. 8, 1892. We have not thought it well either to add to or to deduct, from these instructions, which seemed to us adequate, and I do not doubt my noble Friend will be as satisfied with them as we are. As regards the production of Papers, I can only say we have no more Papers to produce until we receive Captain Macdonald's Report. So far as I know, the noble Duke has had access to all Papers in my charge referring to this matter; and what more I can do at this moment, though he speaks in a tone of complaint, I am at a loss to see.
*THE DUKE OF NORFOLKsaid, he had not spoken in a tone of complaint, but rather in hopeful anticipation. Could not the Company be asked to produce papers in its possession?
THE EARL OF ROSEBERYWe have no authority to make the Company produce any papers. I am not aware they have been accused of having withheld any. My impression is they have fully and freely produced all they have. If it be not so, we have no means of compelling them to do otherwise.