§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign. Affairs, whether he has observed that under the rule respecting the use of the prefix "Honourable" by Colonial Members of Parliament and 1581 Ministers when absent from their respective Colonies, the non-official Members of the Legislative Council appointed by the Governor of Natal and other Colonies of minor importance would be accorded a distinction denied to some of the most distinguished servants of the Crown, such as the Members of the Council of the Viceroy or Governor-General of India; and whether he can state the number of persons entitled, under the rule referred to, to be styled "Honourable" throughout the Empire, and also the number of officials and Members of Council disqualified by it?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarThe rule on this question refers, as I have already twice informed the hon. Gentleman, solely to the Members of the Executive or Legislative Councils of the self-governing Colonies. I have no information as to whether the Members of the Indian Council desire that it should be extended to them. The number of persons entitled would, therefore, be the number of Executive Councillors and Legislative Councillors for the time being in Colonies possessing responsible government, besides the ex-Executive Councillors to whom the privilege of retaining the title for life has been granted. The number of persons to whom the privilege has not been extended—there is no disqualification in the matter—would be the members of the other Colonial, Executive and Legislative Councils for the time being. I must be allowed to point out to the hon. Gentleman that the Colonies of "minor importance" to which he alludes include Canada, the Cape, New South Wales, New Zealand, and others, as well as Natal.