§ MR. BYLES (Salford, N.)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has noticed the opinion publicly expressed by Mr. W. B. Morcom, K.C., a member of the Natal Legislative Assembly, that, as there had never been a state of war in the country, martial law ought never to have been proclaimed; and that the prisoners could just as well have been indicted and tried at a session of the Supreme Court; and, seeing that the proclamation of martial law tended to engender racial animosity, will the Secretary of State bring pressure to bear on the Natal Government to put an end to it.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe Secretary of State has read Mr. Morcom's statement in the newspapers. As Mr. Morcom is a member of the Natal Legislative Assembly he is readily enabled, and no doubt fully qualified, to press his views upon the Government of Natal by speeches from his place in Parliament.
§ MR. BYLESasked whether the Government at home would bring pressure to bear on the Natal Government.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI do not think that the fact that a Member of the Natal Parliament has made a speech to his constituents or at a public meeting affords any fresh grounds for the Imperial Government's adopting any action different from that which they have hitherto taken.
§ MR. BYLESasked whether, seeing that there were a million of natives towards whom the Imperial Government had responsibility, and that in the opinion 409 of Mr. Morcom martial law was unnecessary, the Imperial Government would not exercise pressure on the Natal Government to withdraw martial law.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI cannot think that is a new fact that justifies a new policy.
§ MAJOR SEELYasked whether the Government would make representations to the Government of Natal with a view to bringing this martial law to an end.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI am afraid that its continuance must necessarily be governed by the continuance of a state of serious insurrection and of the military operations.