§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now satisfied that all three members of the Commission on the reduction of Native Reserves in Rhodesia were either officials or ex-officials 1927W of the Chartered Company; and if the Chairman of that Commission was entitled under the Jameson Secret Agreement to take from the Matabele his share of land, gold claims, and loot?
§ Lieut.-Colonel AMERYThe Chairman of the Southern Rhodesia Native Reserves Commission was the present Governor of Uganda, Sir R. Coryndon. At the time of his appointment in 1914 he had been for seven years serving directly under the Crown in Swaziland, for the first few months as Deputy-Resident Commissioner and afterwards as Resident Commissioner. In January, 1916, he was appointed Resident Commissioner of Basutoland, and in November, 1917, he was transferred to his present appointment. As stated by the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in reply to a question in this House on the 2nd August, 1917, he was in the administrative service in Northern Rhodesia when appointed to Swaziland. Sir F. Newton and his alternate, Mr. Atherstone, were Treasurer and Surveyor-General, respectively, of the Administration of Southern Rhodesia. Colonel Garraway, the other member of the Commission, who is now Resident Commissioner of Basutoland, was, I understand, connected with the service of the British South Africa Company for a few days at the end of 1895, when he was transferred from the Bechuanaland Police, with which he was employed as surgeon to a similar position in the service of the company. As stated in the answer already referred to, it does not appear that any of the gentlemen mentioned has ever served in the company's commercial department. With regard to the last part of the question, I observe from a work of reference that Sir R. Coryndon, being then a youth of twenty, joined the Pioneer Force for the occupation of Mashonaland in June, 1890.