§ MR. MACKARNESS (Berkshire, Newbury)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state what has occurred to delay the issue of the Letters Patent embodying the provisions of the Constitution for the Orange River Colony; whether a register of voters has been formed and a Boundary Commission appointed, as declared in his speech made in this House on the 17th December last;† and whether he adheres to the belief then expressed by him that the new Parliament of the Colony might assemble in Bloemfontein some time during the coming autumn.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe preparation of the Letters Patent is being pressed on and they will issue in the course of the next few weeks. Thereupon the registration of voters and delimitation of constituencies for which all is in readiness will proceed. No change either in point of time or method has taken place in the policy of His Majesty's Government upon the Constitution of the Orange River Colony; and no delay that was not expected last December has occurred. I see no reason to doubt that the new Parliament of the Colony will assemble in Bloemfontein in the autumn according to the anticipation which I then expressed to the House.