§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON (Dundee)asked the Secretary for the Colonies who were to be the members of the reconstructed Board of Directors of the British South Africa Company, and who among those directors were to be specially appointed to represent and protect Imperial interests.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.I think that this question has been put down under some misapprehension, and the hon. Member must be aware of what took place on the 326 subject. The Government undertook, as soon as the Inquiry of the Commission, into South African matters was concluded to consider and to deal with the whole question of the administration of the Chartered Company. We are now engaged in that Inquiry, which may take us some time. We have further undertaken, as soon as we have formed some views of our own on the subject we would submit them to the Chartered Company, to the High Commissioner and to the Government of Cape Colony, and I have since undertaken to submit them also to the Government of Natal for their criticisms and suggestions, and it will be only after that has been gone through that we can make any statement upon the matter.
§ MR. E. ROBERTSONI put down the question in the belief that the right hon. Gentleman stated that there was to be a reconstruction of the Board.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI suggested during my speech that the present constitution of the Board had proved to be unsatisfactory. No doubt that is one of the matters which will receive our most careful attention.