§ Mr. R. Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been called to the provisions in the regulations adopted for the House of Representatives and the Municipality of Freetown, Sierra Leone, debarring from becoming candidates persons who have been convicted for an offence in a court of law or who have been debarred from following their professions; and, in view of the fact that persons with records of public service whose offences have arisen from patriotic motives will in consequence be excluded from these representative bodies, if he will take steps to ensure that these regulations be rescinded or amended.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThese provisions were incorporated in the Freetown Municipality (Amendment) Bill on the recommendation of a Select Committee and subsequently passed unopposed by the Sierra Leone Legislative Council. Similar provisions were incorporated in the Sierra Leone (House of Representatives) Order in Council, 1956, at the request of the Sierra Leone Government. I understand that the matter is to be debated in.the Legislative Council later this month, and I would prefer to make no further comment until then.