SOUTH AFRICA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8770, 23 March 1907, Page 2

SOUTH AFRICA.

Press Association.—Copyright. ' Pretoria, March 22. The Transvaal Legislative Assembly, after electing General Beyers as Speaker, proceeded to tho Upper House, where Wd Selboume deliver sd the inaugural speech. He announced that Ministers had resolved that the importation of Chinese must cease at the earnest possible date, but they will not be repatriated until substitutes are found, and if these are not forthcoming their indentures will be temporarily renewed. Ministers will do their utmost to increase the supply of Kaffirs. , The Assembly ■ passed the ordinance cabled yesterday through all stages, the Opposition co-operating, and after its third reading the measure was sent to the Upper House. Government wanted it settled forthwith, but the Council were about to adjourn, when Mr H.. C. Hull declared that unless the Bill was immediately passed the Assembly would adjourn aha thus wteok the Bill. MrFeltham and others declared that the Council declined to be rushed; and consideration of the measure was adjourned till to-day. A salient feature of the Assembly s proceedings is the effacement of Botha, everything being left to Smuts, secondly to Schalk Burger. Other Boers interpreting insisted that officials of the House should speak Dutch. This was after they had begun in English. The indentures of 407 Chinese on the Rand expire at the end of Juno, till remainder in August. Mr Smuts has announced that the matter will not be debated until Parliament reassembles in June. Sir George Farrar urges the appointment of a Labor. Commission. Botha contemplates a two million loan for a Laud Bank as soon as convenient. In the Transvaal Assembly Byers, whose racial partisanship _ is notorious, promised, speaking in English, to follow the best parliamentary traditions of tho Motherland, also of the Motherland Colony at the Cape. Capetown, March 23. T. P. Thefon, addressing the Cape Afrikander Bond Congress at Middleburg, declared that the Bond would do nothing to retard Federation, but it must emanate voluntarily from the people. _____________