§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLI beg-to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Bill to establish responsible government in Natal, passed by the Colonial Legislature, has been received by Her Majesty's Government; whether Her Majesty's Government had intimated to the colony the general conditions on which the Government were willing to advise Her Majesty to allow such a change; whether, subject to minor questions of detail, those conditions have been complied with; whether he will lay the Bill and Correspondence before the House; and whether the Government will delay advising Her Majesty to give her sanction to the Colonial Act till the House has become cognisant of what is being done and has had, in some shape, an opportunity of discussing it?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Baron H. de WORMS,) Liverpool, East ToxtethThe answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is no, and to the second yes. It is impossible to reply to the third question until the Bill has been received. As regards the last two questions Her Majesty's Government cannot at the present moment undertake to say that before they finally decide to grant responsible government to Natal, an opportunity for discussing the question in the House of Commons shall be given, because the intervention of Parliament is not necessary in this case; but when the Correspondence (which may yet be prolonged) is in a sufficiently complete state it will, with the Bill, be presented to Parliament.