§ EARL CARRINGTONasked the Prime Minister whether, as it had been determined that no punishment or penalty was to be inflicted on those persons who were the instigators of what was known as the Jameson Raid, he did not consider that it was right and just that the commissions of Sir John Willoughby and of those officers who obeyed orders under mistaken impressions should be restored to them. The circumstances were so well known to their Lordships that he would not say anything else except to express their very earnest hope—he might say the general hope—that Her Majesty's Government might be able to see their way to consider this matter favourably.
§ LORD CHELMSFORDsaid he should like to support the prayer of the noble Lord. He thought they all felt—he certainly did himself—that the punishment which had been inflicted upon these officers had been a very severe one. Although, of course, legally speaking, they thoroughly deserved what they had received, at the same time he thought the punishment had been very unequal. He trusted that the noble Lord might receive a sympathetic answer.
*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (The Marquess of LANSDOWNE)With my noble Friend's permission, I will answer the Question. Her Majesty's Government are not aware of any reasons which would justify the restoration of their commissions to these officers. If the Parliamentary Inquiry, which has lately been concluded, had had the result of materially altering the aspect of the case, we should have been glad to reconsider our decision, and, if it could have been shown that any injustice had been done, to take steps for the purpose of redressing it. But no facts materially affecting their position have been elicited, and the Committee has made no recommendation in their favour. Their case seems to us to stand substantially where it did when the decision of Her Majesty's Government was conveyed to Sir J. Willoughby in the official letter of September 16, 1896, which has been published with the proceedings of the Committee. I quote the following passage from it,—
The statements now made by you only show that you had allowed yourself and others to be led into the commission of a very serious 1448 offence by most erroneous information as to the attitude of the Imperial authorities. Moreover, I am to observe that you disregarded the order of the High Commissioner to retire immediately from Transvaal territory. I am to add that, to an officer of your standing and experience, it should have been evident that an authority given by the Administrator of Matabeleland to organise and take part in an attack on a friendly State was ultra vires and invalid, and in such a case it was your duty to verify that authority by direct application either to the High Commissioner or to the Secretary of State.Nothing has, in our belief, happened since that letter was written to justify us in arriving at any other conclusion. The House will remember that 13 officers were implicated in the Raid, and that eight of these officers were, at the suggestion of the Attorney General, discharged on the ground that, although they had undoubtedly taken part in the expedition, there was nothing to show that any of them had beenconcerned in the preparation and fitting out of, and actively engaged—or engaged at all—in, the getting up of the expedition, or that they did more than some hundreds of others did in obeying the orders of their leaders at the last moment.The five officers committed for trial were differently dealt with, because, to quote the words of the Attorney General, they wereprominently connected with the scheming, preparing, fitting out, and inducing others to join in the expedition.Of this offence they were convicted, and for it they were sentenced by a properly-constituted Court. It was clearly established by the evidence that they had disregarded the express orders of the Queen's direct representative to withdraw immediately from Transvaal territory. They were—I am quoting from the High Commissioner's message—directed "to return immediately," and told that—This violation of the territory of a friendly State was repudiated by Her Majesty's Government, and that they were rendering themselves liable to severe penalties.Our decision followed the finding of the Court, and we do not consider that we ought to go behind it, nor do we admit that, even if it were shown that some of the persons concerned in the Raid have been less severely punished than these 1449 officers, this would of itself be a sufficient reason for asking Her Majesty to exercise her prerogative for the purpose of restoring to them the commissions which they were required to resign last year. I greatly regret that it is my duty to announce to my noble Friend a decision which may seem to him a harsh one. We are, however, unable to arrive at any other.
§ EARL CARRINGTONsaid this was such a serious matter for a brother officer that he need hardly apologise for trespassing upon their Lordships' time for a minute or two while he said a word in reference to the answer of the Secretary for War, which he had heard with the greatest possible disappointment. He had read a letter, dated September 15, 1896, in answer to a letter written by Sir John Willoughby. With the permission of their Lordships, he would like to read that letter. It was dated
H.M. Prison, Holloway, Sept. 1, 1896.To General Sir Redvers Buller, V.C., G.C.B., etc.Sir,—I have the honour to state that I took part in the preparation of the military expedition and went into the Transvaal in pursuance of orders received from the Administrator of Matabeleland, and in the honest and bonâ fide belief that the steps were taken with the knowledge and assent of the Imperial authorities. I was informed by Pr. Jameson that this was the fact. It was in these circumstances and on these statements that I took in time other officers with me—namely, Major II. F. White and Captains R. Grey and R. White, and the foregoing explanations apply to them, also.—I have, etc.,
§ "JOHN WILLOUGHBY."
§ This letter had never been withdrawn. Sir John Willoughby, who, when he signed that letter, thought Jameson had approved of the actual words, and that Jameson had seen the letter as drawn out and signed by him, was only by severe cross-examination got to admit that he might have worded it differently. But neither he nor Jameson ever denied that the effect and result of their conversation was to make Sir John Willoughby certain that the Government would not object, and he was therefore justified in saying so to his junior officers, who had no option but to obey. About these officers not having returned when in the middle of the enemy's camp and having received a message from the High Commissioner, 1450 as far as he could see there was no evidence to prove that this was ever shown to any junior officers. Sir John Willoughby, perhaps, got the order and read it, and wilfully disobeyed it. That he himself did not know. But there was no evidence to prove that either of the junior officers knew that this distinct order from the Government had been sent out, and he was bound to say that, as an old brother officer, knowing these officers well and what they had done, it was with the most profound disappointment and regret that he had heard the decision of the Government. It seemed to him that in this matter fair play had not been exercised, that there was one law for the rich and another for the poor, and that, although the instigators of this disgraceful and unhappy business had escaped without penalty and punishment, it had fallen on those who, after all, to the best of his belief, were only their dupes and agents. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ *THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI think it would be useless on the present occasion to attempt a general review of the evidence given either during the trials or before the Parliamentary Committee. I only wish to make one observation with regard to what the noble Earl has said. He is quite mistaken when he expresses his belief that there is nothing to show that the orders sent by the High Commissioner, first from Mafeking and afterwards Irma Johannesbug, failed to reach the officers for whom those orders were intended.
§ House Adjourned at Twenty Minutes past Eight o'Clock, till To-morrow, a Quarter past Four o'Clock.