*SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I Leg to ask the Postmaster General, as representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether the taxation on natives instituted by the Native Tax Ordinance, published in the Transvaal Government Gazette of 12th September last, is actually being levied; and whether, seeing that the taxation by the South African Republic which it replaced was not collected in the northern and north-eastern districts of the Transvaal outside the settled country, and that the new taxation exceeds the equivalent taxation levied on natives in the Cape and in Natal, he will consider the advisability of making some relaxation to districts in which native taxation was not previously levied.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN,, for Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN) Worcestershire, E.I have no information as to the extent to which this taxation is being actually levied. The fact that the Government of the South African Republic was unable to collect its taxes in certain districts does not appear to be a reason for relaxing in those districts the taxation which the present Local Government considers equitable.