§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELLasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether Her Majesty's Government have any information of a disposi- 1490 tion on the part of the Cape Government to surrender not only the Basuto territory, which they have been unable to conquer, but also the other Native territories beyond the Kei, which were conquered by the aid of Her Majesty's troops, but in which a representative system has not been introduced; whether the small number of Europeans in Natal have so far declined to accept, on the terms proposed to them, responsible Government, and the dominion over the large unrepresented Native population; and, whether Her Majesty's Government have under consideration the question of undertaking the administration of the Native territories in South Africa which have accepted and become accustomed to British rule, but have not been brought within any Colonial representative system?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYSir, no official proposal for taking over the Transkei has come from the Cape Government. It is true that Natal has declined to undertake full responsible Government; but I demur to the terms of the hon. Member's Question which imply that this would have involved uncontrolled dominion over the large unrepresented Native population. Such a proposal was never made. Her Majesty's Government have not under consideration the undertaking the administration of the Native territories referred to in the Question.