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Sir J. D. REES: Is there any truth in the statement that Mr. Bowskill has been released?

Mr. ACLAND: Not to our knowledge.

March 10.

Sir J. D. REES asked whether arrangements have been made for the release of Mr. Bowskill?

Sir E. GREY: A telegram was received last night from His Majesty's Consul at Loanda reporting that the Governor-General had just received a telegram from the Governor of the Congo in which he stated that he had arrived at San Salvador on February 24, having been attacked three times on the way. On arrival he had found the head of the English Mission and three catechists prisoners. He had liberated the former immediately on parole pending inquiry. There were 600 refugees inside the fortress; the personnel of the English Mission alone had refused to enter. surgents had attacked the fortress on all sides on the 25th, as well as before the arrival of the Governor, but had been repulsed each time; on the second occasion with heavy loss. The Governor-General stated that he was very pleased to know that no British missionary had in any way suffered on account of the rebellion. The Acting British Consul at Boma, who, as stated in answer to a question yesterday, was prevented from going to San Salvador by the rebellion, has been instructed to proceed there as soon as he can safely do so, to see Mr. Bowskill, and to report fully on all the circumstances.

Mr. HOARE: Does the right hon. gentleman know at all the charge upon which Mr. Bowskill was arrested?

Sir E. GREY: No. I do not know the charge; that is what I want to find out. But I understand from this telegram that he is now liberated. I want to know all the circumstances why he was arrested, the nature of the arrest, and so forth; we cannot be content until we know.

March 12.

Mr. HOARE asked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether the news was correct that the Rev. Mr. Bowskill was to be tried by court-martial by the Portuguese military officials at San Salvador; whether the British Consul would be present at the trial, and if not, whether Sir E. Grey would make representations with the object of having the trial transferred to a place at which the British Consul could be present.

Sir E. GREY: Shortly, the answer to all the hon. member's questions

is in the affirmative, but I would say that, having specifically received the information which the hon. member has put in the question, I sent instructions yesterday evening to the British Minister at Lisbon to represent to the Portuguese Government that in my opinion it was absolutely essential that a British Consular officer should be present at the trial, and that the trial should take place before a properly-constituted civil tribunal, and that if possible the venue should be changed. I also urged that immediate orders to this effect should be sent to the Governor of the Congo direct, as well as to the Governor-General of Angola, as communications between Loanda and Noqui appear to be uncertain.

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VIEW OF NOQUI, WHERE THE TRIAL OF MR. BOWSKILL MAY TAKE PLACE.

RHODESIA.

March II.

Mr. SWIFT MACNEILL asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take to secure the representation of the natives of Rhodesia and their rights to the land, in the event of the Rhodesian land question of ownership of Rhodesian land being brought before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council?

Mr. HARCOURT: I do not think that there is any need for special representation of the natives, but I am considering the steps to be taken for safeguarding the interests of the Crown and of the natives in the discussion of the land question in Southern Rhodesia before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

NIGERIA (FLOGGING.)

March 12.

Mr. MOLTENO asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether a provincial court ordinance had been introduced into Nigeria providing for flogging without placing any limitation upon the number of strokes which may be inflicted.

Mr. HARCOURT: No, Sir. The proposed provincial courts ordinance. does not authorize corporal punishment for any offence for which it is not already a lawful punishment, nor does it increase the number of strokes which may be awarded for such offence.

Mr. MOLTENO asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he would state what are the crimes for which flogging may be administered under the new provincial court ordinance of Nigeria.

Mr. HARCOURT: In the Southern Provinces, pending the enactment of a criminal code, the law regarding corporal punishment which will be administered by the provincial courts is the English law in force on January 1, 1900, subject to the limitations imposed by chapter xxx. of the Southern Nigeria laws. In the Northern Provinces the Northern Nigeria criminal code, chapter x., of the laws, governs the matter.

SIERRA LEONE.

March 19.

Mr. MACCALLUM SCOTT asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is proposed to close the nursing home in Sierra Leone Colony to native practitioners possessing European qualifications; and, if so, upon what grounds is this decision based ?

The SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt): The Government of Sierra Leone have proposed to make a new rule, under which private practitioners would not be allowed to treat patients in the nursing home at Freetown. This rule would apply to all private practitioners, and would not affect native practitioners employed by the Colonial Government. The proposal is at present under consideration.

THE NATIVE IN PARLIAMENT.

By Our Parliamentary Correspondent.

SINCE the opening of Parliament, the interest of members in native races has been focussed mainly upon two questions: (1) The New Hebrides; (2) Portuguese Slavery.

Mr. Bowskill's arrest has figured more largely in the Portuguese slavery question than the actual condition of the slaves, for several reasons. First, because it is fairly well known that when Sir Edward Grey speaks next in the

House upon native questions he will make a statement of exceptional importance upon the whole subject; hence, the comparative absence of questions upon the Order Paper. But another reason for the prominence of the Bowskill case is that the real cause of this is due to an effort of the Portuguese to establish another form of slave traffic, highly organized and under official sanction, to supply the labour shortage of the plantations, both on the islands and the mainland. This latter situation had already been anticipated by Lord Cromer, and to it was due the publication of What is Slavery? a reprint of which, circulated by the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society in both Houses of Parliament, created a considerable impression, and, in point of fact, prepared the members somewhat for the arrest of Mr. Bowskill. It is just possible that Sir Edward Grey will make his announcement on Portuguese Slavery and the progress of Mr. Bowskill's case on the Easter adjournment.

It is of supreme importance not only to secure a fair trial for Mr. Bowskill, but an exhaustive inquiry into all the circumstances which led up to the San Salvador rebellion. The persistence of Mr. S. J. G. Hoare, the member for Chelsea, and the incisive questions he has put to Mr. Acland, almost daily, have thrown a flood of light already upon the whole situation. Mr. Swift MacNeill, by an amusing question, held up to public ridicule the Portuguese official who, having by his illegal action brought about a rebellion, bolted for safety and hid in Mr. Bowskill's bathroom!

THE NEW Hebrides.

"How does that transaction differ from slavery? commented Sir William Byles upon an admission of Mr. Harcourt that 33 labourers had been transferred in the New Hebrides for £1,650, or £50 a head. In what respect this differs from an act of slave traffic every one else is asking, but nobody seems capable of giving a satisfactory reply.

Mr. Joynson-Hicks has been endeavouring to obtain from Mr. Harcourt the publication of reports which it is common knowledge are reposing in the official archives of both the Admiralty and Colonial Offices; sooner or later some of these at least will become public, and it is a terrible story they will tell. Mr. Harcourt on the 25th of July acknowledged to Mr. Joynson-Hicks that he realized "the gravity of the reports," but he still refused to publish them.

Mative Affairs in South Africa.

WE are glad to announce that at the end of last year a meeting was held at Cape Town, at which Senator Colonel Stanford took the chair, as a result of which it was decided to form a Society, to be called the Native Affairs Society, to watch the national native policy and to further legislation for

the betterment of native conditions. The meeting was convened by the Rev. Saul Solomon and Mr. Arnold Wynne, at the instance of Mr. R. C. Hawkin, a member of our own Committee, who was then on a visit to South Africa, who attended and made a valuable speech on the work of the Society, in which he asked his hearers to "share with us some of the responsibilities of our trusteeship for the coloured and black races under our influence." Among others who attended the meeting were Mr. Theo. Schreiner, M.L.A., Mr. M. Alexander, M.L.A., and Rev. Mr. Robson, some of whom were appointed as a Committee for the new organization. Mr. Hawkin dealt in his speech with the important question of the native title to the land in Rhodesia, and referred to the Protectorates, especially Basutoland.

Mr. Arnold Wynne said that the new Society was not only intended to co-operate with the London body on all matters concerning the native, but to assist the administrator in promoting the welfare of the natives, not for their own benefit alone, but in the interests of the whole country.

Our Society cordially welcomes the formation of this organization, which it feels is likely to be of great assistance in considering and handling questions connected with South African natives and in influencing public opinion in the sub-continent on questions affecting native welfare.

THE NATIVE LAND ACT.

In our last issue we referred to the discontent existing among the native population as to the Native Land Act. A petition has been sent by the Rev. J. L. Dube, President of the South African Native National Congress, to General Botha, Minister for Native Affairs, from which we make the following extracts, as it seems to give a clear statement of native objections:

You, Sir, are no doubt aware that money now is being raised to send a deputation to England to make an appeal to the King against the injustice of the Natives Land Act which became law on June 19 of this year, a step which you deprecate, as appears from your speeches. You are reported to have said that a political question of this kind would be better settled here; with which we entirely agree. But it has been pointed out to you, Sir, that we have already done all that we found possible to do with the Government here, before the Bill was passed; but scarcely any notice was taken of our representations.

Now, however, lest it be said that we have not exhausted every possible means to get redress of our grievances from the local authorities, before sending our deputation to England, we are making this appeal to you, Sir, and propose making a final one to Parliament if not successful.

Your petitioner avers that practically all the well-informed Natives of South Africa feel that never under the British flag have they suffered an act of greater injustice, and one which is more likely to embitter the hearts of the most loyal Native subjects against the Union Government.

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