DR. RUTHERFORD (Middlesex, Brentford)I beg to ask the Under-secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the Johannesburg tramway by-laws, gazetted on the 17th May last, and especially Section 33, which empowers the council at its discretion to sot apart and licence any carriage or portion of a carriage for the use of passengers of European race only, or for the use either of passengers of Asiatic race or of coloured passengers only, or for the
†See (4) Debates, Clxxiv., 1656.350 exclusive use of both coloured persons and persons of Asiatic race; whether such legislation falls within that contemplated under subsection (a) of Section 39 of the Letters Patent, providing for the constitution of responsible Government in the Transvaal Colony, which requires the Governor to reserve any law whereby persons not of European birth or descent may be subjected or made liable to any disabilities or restrictions to which persons of European birth or descent are not also subjected or made liable; and whether there has been such reservation in respect of these by-laws.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe section of the Letters Patent which the hon. Member mentions relates to laws passed by the Transvaal Legislature. It does not cover municipal by-laws.