§ MR. MARKHAMI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that the new Diamond Ordinance introduced into the Transvaal Council last week, and which has already passed through Committee stage, provides that any person accused by a detective of being in the possession of a diamond without a licence is presumed in law to be guilty, the punishment being penal servitude for twenty years, and whether, seeing that this special legislation is opposed to the principles of the ordinary criminal law, he will at once inform Lord Milner that His Majesty's Government cannot sanction legislation of this character.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINThe Draft Ordinance referred to follows the Cape Act of 1882. I have not yet received Lord Milner's report on this Ordinance, and, in the meantime, I do not consider it desirable to express any opinion as to its provisions.
† See (4) Debates, cxxiii., 943.