DR. RUTHERFORD (Middlesex, Brentford)in accordance with notice given privately, asked whether the Transvaal Registration Bill had been received by His Majesty's Government for approval; whether this Bill was a practical re-enactment of the Asiatic Ordinance passed by the late Legislative Council of the Transvaal, which was disallowed by His Majesty's Government; whether, in view of the protests of the British Indian community, His Majesty's Government would, under the powers reserved to them, advise His Majesty to withhold his sanction from the measure; and whether the Government would represent to the Government of the Transvaal the advisability of accepting the proposals of the British Indian community adopted at a mass meeting at Johannesburg on March 11th, 1907.
§ MR. CHURCHILLYes, Sir. The Law has been received and is, except in a few minor points, identical with the previous Bill. After very careful consideration of this measure from the standpoint of Lord Elgin's despatch of the 29th November published in Cd. 3308, and having regard to the fact that the Law proposed is supported by the unanimous authority of a Parliament newly elected in a responsible self-governing Colony, the Secretary of State has decided to advise His Majesty not to disallow it.