§ DR. MACNAMARAI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the House will be afforded an opportunity of discussing the proposals for conferring local self-government upon the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies before those proposals become operative.
The hon. Member also had the following Question on the Paper:—To ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will afford the House an opportunity of discussing the Report and recommendations of the Physical Deterioration (1904) Committee.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)With the permission of the hon. Member I will answer both his Questions together. I could not give a pledge as to finding facilities for discussing either of the topics to which he refers.
§ DR. MACNAMARAThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the first Question—namely, whether an opportunity will be afforded to the House of discussing the proposals for conferring self-government upon these colonies before such proposals come into operation.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLreminded the right hon. Gentleman that a similar form of government given to Cape Colony was given by statute by Parliament, and was at least considered by the House of 1095 Commons first of all. This was a most unheard-of thing.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWell, it does not seem to me that the exact mode in which the new Constitution is established is at all relevant to the Question asked me. With regard to the Question asked me, I think I answered it. We certainly shall not postpone our policy with regard to the Transvaal in reference to any debates which may take place in this House. All I say in regard to the Question is that I am afraid I cannot undertake to give the House an opportunity of discussing the matter.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTON (Tower Hamlets, Poplar)Does the right hon. Gentleman seriously mean to say that this House is not to have an opportunity of discussing this most important question in connection with the government of the Transvaal; that he can make no promise that some time during the session the House will have an opportunity of discussing it?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo. The hon. Gentleman has made a strange mistake. In the first place, there has never been a precedent, so far as I know, in the many cases in which a Constitution has been granted to a colony, of a special day being allocated for discussing the provisions of the Constitution.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLAnnexation.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWell, what is the difference?
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLA Constitution is given by statute.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think if you go through the history of the Colonies you will find that a larger proportion than are present to the mind of the hon. Gentleman have been obtained by annexation. There is no precedent at all. In the second place, it is obvious that the House will have an opportunity of challenging the course the Government have taken on the salary of the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary for the Colonies.
§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman undertake that the House shall have an opportunity of discussing this before and not afterwards? Will he not undertake that the scheme of government which it is proposed to introduce into the Transvaal shall be laid upon the Table of the House before it is enacted, and that a sufficient interval shall be left to the House to discuss it?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI certainly am not in a position to give any such pledge. I am ready, of course, in deference to the right hon. Gentleman's wish, to consider the matter, but I cannot give a pledge.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that every Constitution in which representative or responsible—certainly representative—Government has first been conferred on a colony has been given by statute of this House, which gives an ample opportunity of discussion?
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! That is a larger Question than that on the Paper.