Lords Sitting of 9 February 1897

EARL OF LIMERICK.
Report made from the Lord Chancellor, that the right of Henry Edmond de Vere Sheaffe Earl of Limerick to vote at the elections of Representative Peers for Ireland has been established to the satisfaction of the Lord Chancellor; read, and ordered to lie on the Table.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN AND PRESIDENT KRUGER.
LORD LOCH: I wish to ask the noble Earl, the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, a question of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether he has observed in the Daily Telegraph of February 1 a telegram from Pretoria stating that President Kruger had wished the correspondent of that paper to cable his views to the effect that—
"it was quite time Mr. Chamberlain qualified his personal accusation against him, which was
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the non-fulfilment of the promises made to the Uitlanders. Let the undertakings which had not been carried out be named;"
and whether any notice has been taken of this singular message?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (The EARL of SELBORNE): In reply to the question of the noble Lord, I have to say that the telegram mentioned by the noble Lord did not escape the notice of Mr. Chamberlain, and he inquired of the President, through Lord Rosmead, asking whether he had really expressed this wish. I am able to take this opportunity of saying that President Kruger has replied:—
"There must be a mistake. I can say that I am not in the habit of making observations on subjects of the nature of those treated of in your telegram through such a channel as that mentioned, and that I have not done so in this instance."
[Cheers.]

LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ELECTIONS) BILL.
LORD HERSCHELLmoved the Second Reading of this Bill, which, he said, had the approval of the Local Government

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Board and had passed the other House by common consent. A Bill dealing with the same subject was passed last year, but it was made only a temporary Bill to last for a year. The object of the Bill was to insure that where the date of election was fixed before March 25—and it was this year fixed for March 18—the qualification of those who entered into residence the previous March 25, which was the ordinary time for changing residence in many parts of the country, should be a good one. The second clause gave a margin of a month for holding the annual assembly of the parish meeting, instead of a fortnight as at present. It was thought this would be more convenient in some places.
LORD HARRISsaid the Local Government Board had no objection to the Bill, and was very anxious that the Bill should pass as quickly as possible in order that those persons nominated this year might be eligible.
Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.
House Adjourned at Twenty-five Minutes before Five o'clock, to Thursday next, a Quarter-past Four o'clock.