§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether Natal is about to receive a new Constitution, under which the number of elected members is to be increased, and the members nominated by the Crown will be a small minority; whether, at the same time, the franchise is to be liberalised and natives are to be admitted to it instead of being almost 55 wholly excluded as at present, or whether all questions of taxation, &c. affecting the great native population are still to be determined by the representatives of a handful of Colonists exercising a very restrictive franchise; whether the disposal of the Crown lands is made over to the Natal Legislature; and, who is responsible for the recent change by which Crown lands hitherto reserved have been opened for sale and sold as waste over the heads of the natives occupying them, as shown in Sir H. Bulwer's report of 25th August 1882, paragraph 61?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYSir, the change in question cannot be termed a new Constitution. It is only a modification of the pre-existing state of things. As to the first head—namely, the composition of the Legislative Council, the total number of Members is increased from 20 to 30—the elected Members to number 23, the nominated Members 7. As hitherto the elected were 15 and the nominated 5, there is no vital change in the proportion. As to the second head—namely, the franchise, it has been liberalized by extension to male inhabitants who have resided three years in the Colony, who have an income of £96 a-year at least, and who are British subjects or naturalized aliens. Hitherto the franchise has been confined to holders of real property worth £50, or payers of £10 a-year rental. This modification will somewhat increase the facilities for Natives being admitted to the franchise; but an education test is demanded from thorn. There has been no change made in respect to the other two points asked about. By the Charter of 1856 the disposal of the Crown lands is a subject of legislation vested in the Legislative Council. The Governor was, and remains, empowered to make grants, provided he conforms to any law in force relating to the subject-matter of his grant. As to the last part of the Question, we have no further information than is given in the paragraph referred to. It would, however, appear that some Natives wore in unauthorized occupation of certain Crown lands.
§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLAm I to understand that the Natives are eligible for the franchise in the same way as Her Majesty's British subjects?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYThey have been held to be eligible to the franchise 56 if they removed themselves from under the operation of the Native law, and conformed to the ordinary law of the Colony, as well as to the education test.