NATAL AND THE NATIVES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 5

NATAL AND THE NATIVES.

; / LAND QUESTION.: , ASSOCIATION— COPIEIBHT ' ~,, v Durban,. April 23. I llio .Natal ~Govornm'ent7is'Providing"', for. i ; sppcial; t] 10 ; s legislative: Couhci].: ' r -; I ,It is intended to create a Council of Native ■ A^ irs > a,ld to BetOeni(entti ; ;with inalienable land grants' 'to' indindudi's!' • "A EUROPEAN LAND GRAB." ; .The proposed .r'efohns.toucli 1 direct#' on some ■ ? f I t !) o ,S, r l o Md,..coYered>by ! -Mr.'E.''(J. JelliSn : ■m ills letter to Lord Elgin! .which created such , annoyance in Natal.' In this letter Mr." Jellicoo ' 1 0 P^i a ? a ß amst th ' ? Government of Natal:'— '(1) that, the causa causans'. of . the : nativetroubles which liavo arisen there duririi? the ' g?ab S and 1907 v was . a Europein ? land ■ (2) The impossibility iof;i)inizniir ever : hoirier able .to obtain in Natal.;;a'.!fair 'trial- of 'thecharges L made aminst him.- ' • • • ° (3) • Undue influence on tho 1 part of ' the" a«.es in procuring the' eyitjence of wit-. • A £ tc , r espying ' thoj'jystem ; '-o'f-land -Itenhre; m Z-idulaud and the appointment bf Diiiizulu as a-Government Induna,..tb act as.tho adviser ot, the Governor s HrpEjcq'sohtativis' in', Zulu-■ ; ' land, J.nnatra matters' and: as'.chiif over the' people, _ Mr. Jellicoo declares; that the so-called ' f u " rest ff 0111 -the,. publication in 1901-' 21 th0 ln r ®p p '' t °f the Delimitation : Commission; ■ bmce.. the statement-proceeds, the Government of 'Natal has beeii : iii ;, tho""hah'ds~of "the' ; larpje ! landowners god South African- specula---tors. , Jhey are tho taskmasters of the people : they own the legislature.jtthey'owu tho ballotbox; they own the Cabin'ot-rand.'~the'Ksfa"gis-'trates, • and they - havo so* fa'r 'succeeded 'in suoicessfullj resisting any readjustment .of,Uhe .incidence' of;, taxation therii' to contribute, in respeotVofi.eitherv'thoir lands' or income. .The member'of Parliament takes no,interest in tlie,iiativo.'who.hns^no"voice in his. election." •), lii 1905- Itlio 'poll-tax .was ,imJ posed, and. Mr. Jollicoo 'reports ' Sir.' Charles'. Saunders, - tho" Resident Commissioner of Znlul'and, as'.sayirig,' in his" report of '1906, that "it : was a - most unpopular .measure. / Sir Charles added that ■ the collection; on -, tho' ivhole . proceeded in as; ' nmiTner 'as^could''' have been .expected, and this -he' attribiitedto the fact'.that,Diuizul'u ''speerploegw cmfwy to' tho fact., that - peoploiworo the .first to pay. . ■- As regards the reported unrest', Sir'.-Henry M'Callum,': the .then Governor,' in 'January - -1906,. said no substantial foundation' could be found for- tile rumours,' aud ; a Government circular was ; -issued assuring tho population that therp-'was for~alarm> ; . The establishment of martial law in the following month was 'succeeded' by the expedition against Bambaata. Mr. Jellicbe says rib" .return has been i published giving tlie particulars of the"native' reserves' or lands confiscated % ' tho Govern'ment or otherwise rendered, vacant by- tlio alleged rebellion, or ofjtliblstbek'.'crop, or huts destroyed of ':byrthe :authorUiqs' under martial'law. ;• -Bijfc' ho .again quotes Sir Charles Sauitders,. who,-j!io;~says,' stated that the general- idea 'amongst tho interested class of-Europeans whs to grab.|B the laud possible' The recent , undisclosed illSJalities .uiider martial law will, says Diniziilu's champion,- require to.'be validated by an Act'of'lndemnity and beforo the Royal Assent ; is.. given :.it i 5. imperative, ho says,' that-.the -'Imperial' Parliament should insist upon' tho c#aHon ; 'df .'auiuiperial Judicial Commission to " iliq'uire and report 111)011 the necessity for the, last 'proclamation of martial- law ibid the administration 'of tlm" law by tho Natal Government-and its officials "All the native needs in order to work out his own destiny,' is and educational advantages.as the white man enjoys. It is now generally admitted throughout South Africa . that Natal can neither "assimilate govern, nor destroy its overwhelming native ■ population., and. .that it is- the duty, of Great - Britain, either with or without tlie assistance of a united South Africa.'instantly to remove;the native population frojij'.thb' jurisdiction of tho Natal Government, and by an amncstl' or 1 soifto similar means to' save the race' from ■ horrors'such as those perpetrated under martial ' law and from the risk of any repetition of those horrors'in future." , "" :'