HC Deb 17 December 1906 vol 167 c1028
MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies are there any and, if so, what precedents for the continuance in office of a Governor of a Colony who administered that Colony as a Crown Colony when the Colony thus administered by him has become a Colony with responsible government; and on what grounds, under these circumstances, has Lord Selborne been continued in his present position.

Mr. CHURCHILL

Yes, Sir, in seven out of eight cases of the grant of responsible government, the Governors who had been in office prior to the change retained the governorship. In the eighth case, the change of constitution happened to occur just as the Governor's term of office expired.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

Have not all these been cases of Governors favourable to responsible government, and not opposed to it?

MR. CHURCHILL

We have no records on that point.