§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the attention of the Colonial Secretary has been directed to the speech delivered on Saturday last by Mr. Moore, the Premier of Natal, in which he commented on the action of Members of the House of Commons in putting Questions which were answered frankly and without protest in relation to the continuance of a system of martial law in that Colony, and the incidents of the administration of that system, and applied to the conduct of such Members the term "damnable interference." And whether, regard being had to the fact that Natal owes the preservation of its existence to the defence and protection of Imperial troops maintained by the sums voted by the House of Commons, the Governor of Natal will be requested to represent to the Prime Minister the impropriety of such expressions and the grave results they are calculated to produce.
§ MR. CHURCHILLrose to reply, when
§ EARL WINTERTON, on a point of order, asked Mr. Speaker to say whether, in view of his ruling of last May that there was no Department in this country responsible for the Colonial Premiers, it was in order to ask this Question.
§ *MR. SPEAKERI should like to have had an opportunity of seeing the Question. It is a long one, and has been sprung upon me at a moment's notice. I do not like to pronounce judgment upon it without having a few moments to consider it. I think it contains a quotation, and, as the hon. Member is well aware, quotations are not permitted in Questions. Perhaps the hon. Member will kindly put it down on the Question Paper.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLThe quotation is not put in the form of a quotation in the Question. I make myself responsible for it.
§ *MR. SPEAKERPerhaps the hon. Member will put it down.