QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 27 February 1888)

THE EARL OF ROSEBERY

I rise to put the Question of which I have given Notice—namely, Whether the Government have had their attention directed to the importance of the Delagoa Bay Railway, and whether they contemplate taking any action in respect to it? I do not desire to make any remarks with regard to it except this—that the matter is one, I need hardly inform the House, of very grave importance and also of the most extreme delicacy. It is because of its extreme delicacy that I will not enlarge on the Question I have put on the Paper. I will, however, say this—I believe the whole test, or the main test, of the Colonial policy of the Government of this country must be found for the future in its dealings with South Africa, and that at this moment this railroad, which gives access to almost the only, if not the only, port on that enormous length of coast, is in danger of falling into hands which, if not hostile, are at any rate unfriendly, and into control which may not merely have an important effect in shutting in our South African Dominions, but may also have an important bearing on our commerce as a country, and be the means of leading to the imposition of differential and hostile rates on our commerce as a nation. I say these are grave matters, and the noble Marquess opposite will know that I have not stated them in 1467 their full gravity. But because they are grave and delicate is, I think, a reason not for discussing them without information, but for asking the Government the simple Question of which I have given Notice, and on the answer to which will depend the knowledge of how we stand in this most grave and pregnant matter.

THE SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (The Earl of ONSLOW)

As the noble Lord the Secretary of State for the Colonies has not yet taken his seat in your Lordships' House, he has asked me to reply on his behalf to the Question put by the noble Earl. I need hardly say that the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been very seriously directed to the question of the Delagoa Bay Railway, both as an inlet for trade between this country and the South African Republic, and also as a competitor for the trade coming in by the Cape and Natal, which is not of great volume and may possibly suffer by competition. Several proposals have been made. It has been proposed that Her Majesty's Government should acquire by purchase the territory now belonging to Portugal. But as far as I know at present a word which the noble Earl may, perhaps, consider "blessed"—the word compulsion—has not come into our international relations; and, inasmuch as Portugal is proud of her Colony and well satisfied with it, she is not disposed to part with it. Therefore, whatever may be the views of Her Majesty's Government, they need not be discussed at this moment. Another proposal has been that Her Majesty's Government should acquire the railway. This railway, however, does not run through British territory; it does not run from British territory; it does not run to British territory; and I believe I am correct in saying that for the British Government to purchase the railway would be an act perfectly unprecedented. I cannot conceive on what ground it can be argued that the British taxpayer should be asked to acquire, and not only to acquire, but also to work and control, this railway. If it is of importance to anybody, it is of importance to the Cape and Natal. The Cape and Natal are out of their long clothes; they are perfectly able to look after their own interests; they are wealthy and powerful, and I 1468 have reason to know that proposals for the acquisition by purchase of this railway have been submitted to the Government of the Cape. These proposals have not yet been decided upon. What they may be I do not know, and am therefore not in a position to state. But with reference to the remarks of the noble Earl as to the possibility of differential rates against goods coming in from Great Britain in comparison with those from other countries, we have in existence a Treaty with the Transvaal Government which places goods coming from England upon an equal footing with those coming into the territory from any other country. A Conference has recently been held between the Orange Free State and the Colonies of the Cape and Natal in relation to the better working of their systems of railways, and my own belief is that the outcome of that Conference, which will be made public at the beginning of March next, will tend towards a better arrangement for the working of the railways of South Africa. And, if so, if we can come to a satisfactory arrangement in that respect, I do not fear that this Delagoa Bay Railway will be of that importance which has been made out to us, or the bugbear that some people think it.