§ MR. HAROLD COX (Preston)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether coloured persons in Cape Colony are admitted to the franchise on the same terms as whites, and how many natives, British Indians, and other coloured persons are entitled to exercise the franchise.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe reply to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. The number of natives on the list of voters in 1902 was 19,505, of British Indians 399, of Malays 747, and of Chinese 67.
§ MR. HAROLD COXI beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the population in the Transvaal of natives, of British Indians, and of other coloured persons, respectively; whether all these persons pay taxes for the support of the Colony; and what steps His Majesty's Government 1020 propose to take to secure representation for these persons in any Constitution that may be granted to the Colony.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe population of aboriginal natives in the Transvaal in April, 1904, was 945, 498: the number of all other coloured persons including British Indians was 23,891. They all pay taxes. In accordance with the terms of surrender, the question of granting the franchise to natives will not be decided until after the introduction of self-government.
§ MR. HAROLD COXasked whether the term "natives" in the Vereeniging Treaty had any relation to British Indians.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI supposed it covered all but Europeans; but I will look into the point.