§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether there is any, and, if so, what instance during the last seventy years of the granting of representative or responsible government to any colony or dependency in the British Empire otherwise than by statute establishing the new colonial constitution, as in the case of Canada, the various Australian Colonies, and Cape Colony; and whether the usual practice will be followed in the promised establishment of representative and elective institutions in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think the hon. Gentleman has in his Question confused two different cases. There is the 1001 case of complete self-government; and the hon. Gentleman is right in supposing that complete self-government has never been given to any colony without action by Parliament. But smaller changes, with which alone we propose to deal in the immediate future, have not been, according to precedent, dealt with in this way, and we do not propose to vary the practice.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLIs it not the case that representative government, as distinct from responsible government, has always been given by statute?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe addition of elected members is constantly done by Order in Council.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLHas it been done in any case except the West Indies, which are under completely different circumstances?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think I have stated the precedent accurately. If the hon. Gentleman wants further information he must put a Question on the Paper.