§ MR. LONSDALE (Armagh, Mid)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the opinions of Boer leaders have been sought and obtained in reference to the proposal to set up an Imperial Land Board in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony; and whether such opinions are favourable or otherwise to the scheme.
§ The following Questions were also on the Paper:—
§ MR. LONSDALETo ask the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to be in a position to announce the steps to be taken by the Government to safeguard the interests of British farmers and others who have taken up land under the Land Settlement Ordinances in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies.
§ MR. LONSDALETo ask the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether the attention of the Secretary of State has been called to the fact that the Dominion Government, in setting up the new provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, retained in its own hands the control of Government lands and of immigration; and whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government, to apply this principle to the question of land settlement in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony.
§ MR. CHURCHILLNo statement of the policy of His Majesty's Government in regard to the question of land settlement or to the position of the land settlers can be made without detriment to public interests separately from or in anticipation of the publication of the Letters Patent of the Transvaal Constitution and the similar announcement in regard to the Orange River Colony. The Government have already under-taken that on both of these subjects Parliament will be fully and precisely informed before the prorogation.
Sir GILBERT PARKERIs not this the one question on which no statement has been made to the House by the 396 Government, so that we do not know what their position is?
§ * MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is making a debating speech.