HC Deb 13 July 1908 vol 192 cc400-2
MR. LYTTELTON (St. George's, Hanover Square)

I beg to ask the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to certain allegations reflecting on the voters' roll compiled under the late Crown Colony Government in the Transvaal, and on the care and good faith of the officials entrusted with the task of that compilation; whether he is aware that the Earl of Selborne specifically repudiated those allegations, and that no evidence has at any time been produced in support of them; and whether he will lay the correspondence between the Earl of Selborne and the Colonial Office relating to the matter.

COLONEL SEELY

It is well known that suspicion was frequently cast in statements publicly made in the Transvaal on the accuracy of the Voters' List; nor do I think this suspicion can be regarded as surprising when it is remembered that the list contained the names of 46,203 voters, whereas the census figures showed that the total number of white male adults on the Rand only eighteen months earlier was only 43,054. But it is true that Lord Selborne expressed the opinion that the doubts cast upon the accuracy of the list were not justified, and His Majesty's Government have no desire to dissociate themselves from that opinion. But the whole matter is now closed and the Secretary of State deprecates the revival of a controversy which is no longer of any public interest.

MR. LYTTELTON

Is not the effect of that answer that His Majesty's Government now say there was no absence of good faith in the officials entrusted with the compilation of the Voters' List, and that they also admit that Lord Selborne from the first strenuously asserted that fact?

COLONEL SEELY

I can only repeat what I have stated, that His Majesty's Government do not wish to dissociate themselves from Lord Selborne, nor from the view of Lord Selborne as explained by Lord Elgin in the House of Lords on 31st July, 1906, that he approved of the settlement arrived at; and in view of that fact they do not wish to revive the controversy.

MR. LYTTELTON

When the right hon. Gentleman says that his Majesty's Government do not wish to dissociate themselves from Lord Selborne, does that mean in plain English that they agree or do not agree with Lord Selborne?

COLONEL SEELY

Surely it is impossible to state more than I have stated. There is no proof in the possession of the Government that there was any tampering with the roll. At the same time there can be no doubt that in the process of the party quarrel two years ago grave doubts were cast upon it.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

As Lord Selborne's name has been brought into the question, is not the hon. Gentleman aware that Lord Selborne took a prominent part in the election in favour of one party, and notably in favour of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick?

COLONEL SEELY

No, Sir; I do not think that can at all be said.