EXILED STRIKE LEADERS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 5

EXILED STRIKE LEADERS.

(HTHE DEPORTATIONS. SPEECH BY MR, HARCOURT. SILKEN CORD OF EMPIRE, By Telegraph-Press Afsociation-Cowrieht London, February 12. In tho House of Commons, Mr. Lewis Harcourt (Secretary of Stato for tho Colonies), in reply to.a question, said tho Colonial Office, 011 January 27, too lato for a reply, had received informati.oll of the' intended deportations. Mr.' Ramsay Mac Donald (Labour) moved an amendment to tlio AddrcssinJteply, to tho effect that' tho Government should instruct Lord Gladstone to reserve assent to tho Indemnity Bill until a judicial inquiry has been instituted. Ho contended that martial law and deiM.rtati.ons without trial Were unwarranted. ' Mr. Hareourt re-plied that tho indemnity question was 0110 for tho South African pooplo and Parliament to deal with. Mr. Mao Donald's motion Wtts defeats ed by 214 votes to 60. (Res. February 13., 11.30 p.m.) London, February 13. Mr. Harcourt commended Mr, Ramsay Mac Donald's moderation in speaks iug to his amendment, When replying Mi - . Harcourt said that the speeches that night would bo cabled throughout thi' Empire and any words in derogation of autonomous rights would reverberato through tlio Dominions, "Autonomy," ho said, "cannot bo divorced from Imperial unity, and carries 110 immunity from public criticism) but it is entitled to tho largest amount of relief from official ijitorfevoiiqc and Parliamentary censure," . Contimijjig, lie said that tliey could easily smash the Empire by a day's debate, 'if the House evinced a desire to meddle and muddle with the vital affairs. of tho Dominions whenever their actions mado what same people would regard as dangerous experiments. tralia and New Zealand, for in u lam.o, had compulsory miHtai',y -training, which at present was neither in force nor in f;.w voiw iu tho United Kingdom, in Canada, or in South Africa. ,§oino strikes wore -criminal offences'. British citizenship was really a misnomer, It was an attempt to translate too literally "Civis roniitnus sum." It entitled the posses-sor to :th.o Sovereign's protection through the Executive, but did not give individual rights of entry or any license ;in any part of tlio Empire. If attempts were made to violate tha laws, which were within tlio Dominion's competence,, tho Imperial Parliament could not- interfere- or intervene as if it were a Crown "colony. Tho position of South Africa's Governor-General was largely Analogous to tho position of the Sovereign of Britain. If Lord Gladstone had refused to follow its advice.) the Government would havo resigned, leaving him a solitary figure. facmg tho tumult wli.ie'h lie would bo unablo to conc-iliato ■or to quell Lord Gladstone's only resource was Uw Imperial, troops. "It is noither my duty noj- my intention to comment. 011 tho South (African Government's acts," .went oii' Mi'. Harcourt. "It would be an imwjscs iilid dai'igtsrous , nrcccdont. criticism regarding the • Doininious' conduct of their own internal affairs is the worst ceii.ie.nt wo can apply to the distant (IcniQcraciiis. We-/ ourselves, taught tho Soutli Africans a deportation lesson who.ll, in July, 1000, we deported 1700 people of various mtionaiities, without trial, owing to ii plot to. inurdcr officers in Jqhsvi'iii.esbiup. Deportations h-aVe been part of the ordinary law of the Transvaal foi' Six years,' and only amend? cd by the 1913 Immigration Law.' Admittedly it is within tlio cohipotqjieo of South Africa tp deJiiie what tyiio of immigrant it' is prepared 'to admit. Restrictive legislation of tliis kilid has loiig beeft in operation i.n Canada, Aus' tralia, and New Zealand." Proceeding, Mr. Harcourt said that 'if tho South African Parliament approved of vjio indemnity Bill it would ■ be in tlio highest degree Impolitic to -rojuso tlio Royal Assent, Tito New..Zealand Act or I§6G was not a case iji IKiint. Tlio assent there was withheld solely becaaso it did list contain a clause that acts '• for which iiidomnitv was sought should b© done .in good faith, Witeu an earlier Colonial Secretary asked Natal to suspend capital sentences., tho Natal Government resigned, and protests against tlio supposed British action were received from tho AVistrali.au a,nd New Zealand Gavenuiicnts within two days. Mr. Harcourt consl'.ided by an appeal ta the Labourites to remember that Labour, abgvo all other classes, was interested in tlio maintenance of self-government. Tho Empire was held together by a silken cord aiitl let them beware lest they twisted tire cord into a wWplasli. Tlio first erack of that iasli Would bo the doat'h-lnui'll of t-ho 1 Empire. "Wo have created great, free Parliaments, wideiitmg ihrough.out, the world," ho concluded. "They aro ovir constant pride ant), only for on occasional omhanassment, wo treat them with (vide con.fidence. and Wo and they shall win through -for all that is essential' as the basis of freedom aiid civili6atio.il,'' \ Tlio speed) was so satisfactory that the front Opposition bench decided not to participate in tho debate. Tlio rest t)f tliij speeches wore featureless and delivered to a thin House. "ENEMIES OF SOCIETY," 'MR, MERBIMAN WANTS THEM TO HAVE A TRIAL, Capo Town, February 12, Mr. J.' X. Merri.maii, speaking in tho. Assembly during tho debate on the Indemnity Bill, said tlio deported men woro enemies of sooioty, lnjt a gravo error had been mado in'departing'them without a trial. Heroes had been made of the sorriest lot of failures over seen. Tho right eourso was to bring the deported men back and: try tlveni. Tlio Government had struck two deadly blows a.t tlao Empire first, it had got into a mess w'itii the Indian Empire, and was now sending nine dangerous agitators away, to England to inflame public opinion, when Britain ivas on the verge of civil war. Mr. Morrinian, during tho debate oil tho Indemnity Bill, said he could eondono tho Government's action excepting in regard to the perpetual banishment of tho Labour leader?, without trial. WIVES OF THE DEPORTED. MEN. Johannesburg, February 12. A majority of the Vires of tlio deported men are awaiting their bus- , bands' instructions, Mosdatnes Bain and Pouts.ma have accepted free pits, sages. THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL. "Times"—Sydney "Sun" Special Cables. Cape Town, February 12. Tho Press is urging the appointment of Prince Arthur of Oo.nnuu.giit as Gov-ernor-General. GENERAL IIERTZOG. SUPPORTS SECOND READING, (Roc. February. 13, 10.15 p.m.) Gatto Towiij February 13. Mr. Merrimmi, _ in concluding his 1 speech, paid that if tho Government's.

principles Lad prevailed fourteen years ago, many Ministerialists ; (including himself) would have been deported aiid condemned by General Smuts for sneering references to tins M«gna Chiirta. He would yot.o for tho second leading. Genera! Hertzo.g condemned tho IMVtatiojis, without trial, A Sel.ett Committee, lie thought, should bo appointed to inquire into tho proclamation of Martini law, and enable pefiplc to ventilate .their grievances. If the Government had done its duty ir .Julie, lie declared that 110 lata- troubles would have arisen. Bo would support tho second reading, hut hoped that tho Government wmil.il .abandon tho f idea of: perpetual banishment. His speech was marked by many heated passages. THE HERTZOGITEST"WIN TWO HYKLECTIONS. (Reo. February 13, 10.15 p.m.) Capo Town, February 13. Hertzogitos defeated tlm Ministerialists by two txs quo majorities in tho Bethlehem iiild Frankfort by-clectiou's.