28. Lieut.-Colonel MURRAYasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the draft Bills embodying Constitutions for the Commonwealth of Australia and the Union of South Africa were brought from those Dominions and submitted by the Government for the consideration of Parliament, the same procedure will be followed in the case of the Constitution for the Irish Free State before His Majesty's Government either assents to or dissents from the terms of the draft Constitution?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI do not understand the comparison which the hon. and gallant Member suggests in his question. It is true that the Draft Bills embodying the Australian and South African Constitutions were submitted by the Government of the day for the consideration of Parliament, and exactly the same procedure will be followed in the case of the Irish Bill. Inasmuch, however, as the Australian and South African Bills were Government Bills, it cannot be suggested that they were submitted to Parliament before the Government had assented or dissented from the terms of the Constitutions which they embodied, nor would such a course be practicable in the present instance.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERWere not these Bills, when they came before Parliament, modified by this Parliament in certain particulars?
Lieut.-Colonel MURRAYIs it not the case that in the Union of South Africa Bill a modification was actually made as to control of natives on the Rand?