§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received a memorial, sent through the Governor of Natal, from MR. Joseph Baynes, a colonist of over fifty years standing and a member of the Legislative Council of Natal, anent certain grievances affecting the natives; and whether he has taken, or proposes to take, any action in connection therewith.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe Secretary of State has received such a document calling his attention to disabilities from which the natives are suffering and more particularly to the Game Law Consolidating Act, 1906. The Act in question is in operation and Ministers have pointed out that it contains no material alterations of the previously existing laws which, they say, have never been found to bear hardly on the native. The Secretary of State is not prepared to advise His Majesty to exercise his power of disallowance with respect to the Act. In regard to the other matters, MR. Baynes holds a seat in the Natal Parliament and has had and will have the opportunity of bringing his views before it. They are not matters in any respect outside the competence of that assembly.