MR. BRYN ROBERTS (Carnarvonshire, Eifion)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that Mr. D. P. Faure, in a letter appearing in theSouth African News of 8th May, states that is. was paid for every signature to the Johannesburg petition, and that not twenty-one dozen out of the signatories would be willing to forfeit their nationality in order to obtain the franchise; whether Mr. Faure is the gentleman who was selected by Lord Rosmead to act as interpreter between the Colonial Office and the Transvaal delegates at the London Convention in 1884; whether he can state what steps were taken by Sir Alfred Milner to ascertain the genuineness of the petition; and whether he will instruct Sir Alfred Milner in future to refuse, in accordance with precedent, to receive any petition dealing with the internal affairs of the South African Republic?
§ The SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN, Birmingham, W.)Mr. Faure did make the two statements referred to in the first two paragraphs, but I do not know what authority he had for either. He was selected as an interpreter in 1884. The genuineness of the signatures to the Uitlanders' petition has been verified by affidavits. The answer to the fourth part of the question is in the negative.
MR. BRYN ROBERTSWill the right hon. Gentleman say by whose affidavits the genuineness of the signatures is verified?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINI do not think it would be giving the hon. Gentleman any valuable information if I gave the names of the persons who made the affidavits; but they were the persons who collected the signatures.
MR. BRYN ROBERTSThe right hon. Gentleman stated on a previous occasion that Sir Alfred Milner had satisfied himself in the matter. Did Sir Alfred Milner make the affidavit; and, if not, how did he ascertain the genuineness of the signatures?
§ Mr. J. CHAMBERLAINThat seems to me to be hardly a serious question; but Sir Alfred Milner has satisfied himself, and has come to the conclusion that the signatures are authentic. It is, of course, a matter of opinion, and, if the hon. Member takes a different view, I do not wish to deprive him of it.
Mr. BRYN ROBERTSI simply wished to know the grounds on which Sir Alfred Milner based his convictions.