§ SIR E. ASHMEAD - BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I beg to ask the 1020 Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Her Majesty's Government intend to protest against the new law, just passed by the Transvaal Volksraad, which forbids all right of outdoor meeting to British residents in the Transvaal, and which forbids all meetings indoors of more than six persons without special permission from the Boer authorities?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. S. BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarThe law in question applies as we understand to all inhabitants of the South African Republic; but we have not yet received the full text of the law, and I must refer the hon. Member to my answer of Tuesday.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTWhat I asked was whether Her Majesty's Government intended to protest against this law. Is the hon. Member aware that there are 70,000 British residents in the Transvaal, that they pay nine-tenths of the revenue of the country, and that by this law they are deprived of the right of expressing their grievances by public meeting?
§ MR. S. BUXTONThe Government have not yet received the full text of the law, and until it is received they are not in a position to make any statement.