§ *LORD LOCH, rising from the Cross Benches, said: My Lords, I venture to ask your Lordships' indulgence while I make a very brief statement in explanation of certain statements which have appeared in this morning's papers, extracted from the Paris Temps. It states that the Government of the South African Republic possesses proofs that in 1894, Sir Henry Loch, then Governor of the Cape and High Commissioner of South Africa, proposed to the Reform Committee the invasion of the Transvaal. To this statement I give the most unqualified contradiction. [Cheers.] The correspondent of the Temps further states that I asked Mr. Phillips whether Johannesburg could hold out for six days, and how many arms it possessed exclusive of the 3,000 rifles which had been announced. While denying the correctness of this statement, it may interest your Lordships to learn the possible reason that may have given rise to this statement. In June, 1894, I visited Pretoria in connection with the Swaziland Convention, which was then the subject of negotiation between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the South African Republic. The visit was also with a view of negotiating a Convention with reference to British subjects being exempt from compulsory military service in the Transvaal. On my arrival at Pretoria I was met at the station by President Kruger, accompanied by many of his Executive. There was a great crowd at the station, and it was with the greatest difficulty that President Kruger was enabled to have the way cleared for himself and myself going to his carriage. The crowd was a very excited crowd. They removed the President's coachman from the box, took out the horses; two men clambered on to the box with Union Jacks; and in this way we were conducted to Pretoria, a distance of from 314 a quarter to half a mile. On arrival at the hotel, where rooms had been prepared for me, there was a great crowd assembled in the streets, wishing to present addresses. I reminded those who were anxious to present addresses to me, that I was the guest of a friendly Power; and I refused to receive any addresses unless proper consideration was paid to the President, his Government, and the people of the South African Republic. There was much excitement in Johannesburg at this period, and I may remind your Lordships that Johannesburg is some 50 miles from Pretoria. The excitement existed there, not only in connection with the compulsory commandeering of British subjects to serve in the war, which was then occupying the attention of the Transvaal, with the natives to the north of that State, but there was also much excitement in Johannesburg in connection with the alleged grievances. They were very desirous that I should visit Johannesburg with a view to hearing personally from those interested the whole circumstances and details of the grievances. President Kruger, hearing of this, wrote me the following letter:—
Pretoria, June 26, 1894.—Dear Sir Henry,—I wished to ask you, in the interests of the friendly relations between the two countries, not to visit Johannesburg. A certain party (to which by a long way not all British subjects belong) has greatly stirred up some feelings. There is, therefore, a certain excitement on various sides whereby it would not be impossible that a collision would arise, to bear the responsibility of which would be a serious matter. It would be very agreeable to me personally, and would be regarded by my Government as an act of international friendship, if you would give up your intended journey to Johannesburg.
§ "S. J. P. KRUGER."
§
To that letter I sent the following reply:—
Pretoria, June 27th, 1894.—Dear President Kruger,—I need scarcely assure your Honour that it is my anxious desire to assist as far as possible in allaying the excitement which I am aware exists in Johannesburg and in other parts of the Transvaal where British subjects are residing. In conveying to you this desire I am encouraged by your frankness to be equally frank with your Honour and to explain the views I have formed from an impartial and perfectly friendly observation of the existing situation. The British subjects appear to me to have some very real and substantial grievances which have not, I think, received such a sympathetic hearing from the Legislature as the
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residents of Johannesburg, who are the most important taxpayers in the Republic, consider to be their due to any respectable and reasonable representation that they may make. It is not for me to make any detailed suggestions to your Honour on this subject, but I may bring to your notice one consideration which will prove to your Honour the importance of dealing with any grievances that may exist in a sympathetic spirit. There is, I believe, an alien white population at present in the Republic of about 40,000 persons. A few years may see this population almost doubled, and if they suffered under the same grievances it would be almost impossible to avert the dangers which have recently threatened. I am sure your Honour will not misunderstand my motives in making these observations. They are made in the spirit of a true friend, with a genuine desire to promote the prosperity of the people of this country, and I shall be gratified to learn that any grievances of which British subjects may complain will receive the early consideration of your Honour and your Honour's Government. I readily comply with your wish that I should not visit Johannesburg at the present juncture, and have arranged for the address being presented to me here by a small deputation of 10 or 12 persons.
§ I have, &c.,
§ "HENRY B. LOCH."
§ The result of this communication was that a deputation came from Johannesburg—a very important and influential deputation—and presented me with an address, setting forth at considerable length their grievances. I informed them, for the reasons stated in my answer to President Kruger, why I thought it was desirable that I should not at the time visit Johannesburg. They, notwithstanding my reasons for not going to Johannesburg, still pressed upon me, if possible, to visit that town. Feeling certain that very serious consequences might result from my doing so, I asked them to consider the question from a business and practical point of view. I pointed out to them that, as I was then commissioned to visit Pretoria to conduct friendly negotiations with President Kruger in connection with Swaziland, and as also I had instructions to complete the Convention which had been commenced for the exemption of British subjects and property from compulsory commandeering, it would have been inexpedient for me at that time, and inconsistent with the duty I owed to Her Majesty's Government, to visit Johannesburg. I further pointed out that President Kruger had, at my instance, at once accepted the terms of the Convention which I had placed before him 316 for the exemption of British subjects from compulsory military service, and that, though the Convention could not be immediately completed, I had in writing an assurance that it would have the same effect as if it had received the sanction of the Volksraad. To strengthen my position with the deputation, I asked them what amount of arms they had at that time in Johannesburg. They informed me that they had 1,000 rifles, and that at the outside they did not believe they had ten rounds of ammunition per rifle. I then pointed out to them the situation, not as an encouragement to resist, but to show them what a futile measure it would be if any action on their part brought about disturbances, and a consequent attack upon Johannesburg. I further pointed out that if I went there—and they admitted it—there would be a danger of disturbances arising, and that if disturbances did arise, the Government of the Transvaal would have been justified, under all the circumstances, in putting it down with a very strong hand. I also pointed out to them that it would not be consistent with my duty to Her Majesty's Government, nor would it be in their own interest, that I should adopt a course which might be destructive to Johannesburg, destructive to many lives also, and much property. They then accepted that position. They agreed with me that it was reasonable, and they saw the force of my reasoning. This, my Lords, is, I believe, the sole ground upon which the statement is made that I inquired what arms they possessed in Johannesburg and how long they could hold out against the arms of the Republic. My Lords, I do not consider that that in any way justifies the statements that have been made by the correspondent of Le Temps. [Cheers.] There is, my Lords, another statement to which I also take strong exception. It is the statement that I promised Mr. Phillips an armed intervention in case of insurrection in Johannesburg, and that I engaged to prolong the difficulties in connection with Swaziland in order to facilitate British intervention. That is likewise, I need scarcely inform your Lordships, wholly untrue. [Cheers.] I would further merely remark that the statement that I am now the adviser of Mr. Chamberlain is, of course, totally incorrect. Mr. 317 Chamberlain's adviser with regard to South African affairs is Sir Hercules Robinson, the present High Commissioner in South Africa. But, my Lords, I may, perhaps, be permitted to add a few words to what I have already stated. In consideration of the excited state of Johannesburg at that time, with the probability—the near possibility at one time—of an insurrection arising in Johannesburg, I felt it to be my duty, in the position I filled as Her Majesty's High Commissioner, to take steps, if necessary, to protect the lives and property of British subjects. The steps I adopted were in connection with an assembly at certain points of the British and Imperial Bechuanaland police. My intention was that, if disturbances had arisen in Johannesburg—disturbances resulting from the administration extended by the Republic towards the Uitlanders in that city—it would have been my duty I considered to have informed President Kruger that he would be held responsible for the safety of the lives and property of British subjects. I should have further conceived it to be my duty to inform President Kruger that if he failed in providing the necessary measures for the protection of the lives and property of British subjects in Johannesburg—I should have felt myself at liberty to have taken such steps as I might have felt expedient to have given that protection which he would have failed to give. I think it will be admitted that a statement of that kind, coming from me as High Commissioner representing Her Majesty's Government, is a very different matter from the unfortunate action that has recently taken place, and which has brought so much sorrow and trouble upon the whole of South Africa. [Cheers.] My Lords, I thank you for the kind and patient way in which you have listened to my remarks, the first remarks which I have had the honour to address to your Lordships. [Cheers.]