IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12021, 21 March 1903, Page 3

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S TOL'R. "Carted Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received 9.54 a.m.. M-frch 20th. LONDON. March 19. In tlie House of C'.'jmnn.tis Mr Ch-.mher-laiu declared il:v.l in «'>me ca-s?-; the natives of the Crown colonies in South Africa were insufficiently used. In the House r,f Commons Mr P.todrick. '.Secretary of State :cr- VCar. stated that contracts for the supply of meat to the At my in Britain stipulate'! that frozen mutton when it is supplied shall be from the British colonies exclusively. Tire Bill in favour of cmmtinj Wiles se!'-(.' r >vf-tin<«nt was negatived by 146 votes to IS. votes. Wier- the Hn"?e of Commons -was <!is-i-—-nr. r : th" .Arrnv vote providing for an army of 235.761 men Mr Vicarv Gibbs. member for St. Albans. drew Mr Brodrick's attention to the fact that he had given a pledge tint greater care •ao-tM l-e" taker* '"n the selection of recruits, : . n ,[ ; : •--. p .....; : mi'e in regard to ch:>r--<" .-i-.-;-~ t<> f';itnis:n?s of undesirables and ireffi'-ippts in the past. Received 12.50 a.m.. March 21st. LONDON. March 2T In the House of Commons Mr Chan-.b ■ - lain, speaking on the vote for twenty millions on account of the Civil Servi •:. and ia replying- to numerous interrug'.tions, daring which he was warm'v cheered, said that during his tour of South. Africa he had received one hundred and fifty deputations, and had been interviewed by five hundred representatives of all parties and shades of opinion. Besides the grant covered bv the Vereeniging settlement, grants to Britishers, and pay-

tuents of military receipts, Britain's lability included five millions to cover Lord Roberts' and other Generals' proclamations for protection. The total liabilities were fifteen millions. The surplus of the two colonies for 1904 would exceed very largely the cost of the charges of the two The Transvaal loan was not contingent on any other arrangement, direct or indirect. He stated that the Foreign Office allows natives- to be recruited experimentally in Central Africa for the mines. The settlement of the new colonies was progressing marvellously. One hundred thousand persons had been replaced on the farms, and would be assisted temporarily. He eulogised Lord Milner's work. Mr ChamberSain acknowledged the co-operation of the Boers. He said that if a majority of the Boers and the British asked for selfgovernment it would be unwise to refuse it. though he considered that, in the interests of the colonies and for the protection •of the minority, Crown Colony Government ought, to be retained for a few years. Moreover, a self-governing colony would be able to decide the Kaffir question, and the Motherland would not be able to interfere. Xo proposal had been made to him in reference to assisted immigration, and no request had ever been made for forced labour or Chinese labour. The accusations that the Boers ill-treated the natives had been exaggerated. Natives who had been formerly taxed 86s 6d were now taxed 40s, and those who had more than one wife 40s for each wife beyond one. Mr Chamberlain spoke hopefully of the supply of native labour, and suggested that recreations would brighten their lives and attract them to the Rand as they had done to Kimberlev.