The Daily News FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7. CAPE COLONY POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 41, 7 February 1908, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7. CAPE COLONY POLITICS.

1)1-. .lamcson, whoso call to the Premiership of Capo Colony in February, IHD-l, wax oik- of several startling changes that liad grown out of tin- Jloer War, lias nut wailed to know tin- result of the lieiieral Flection (to be held this month), bu'has resinned office. Do is no longer IV-■• niicr nor the head of a parly. Tims earlv he has learned thill the constitu- < mies which have spoken in the election., for the Legislative Council., are ag.iin-l linn. This result of his appeal lo the counli.v long drawn out as it is over n period of some four month- \va-.■\|i,-i-led. Dr. dainc-oii nover had more ilian a hare maioritv to come and go upon, and his doiral 'had long been pre dieted. Hi- policy nt the Imperial Con fcv<Micc l.i-i year h.i- nm endorsed by a lai'-e and iii'llueiilial seclioii of his i',-i----low-coloniM,, and |...—ilily ha-ieiied I lie inevitable. The actual dis„olulion .'I I'ailiamolil. m is frequently the c.i-c. cane about over a seemingly in<i;:iiili , Mill item. H„ Seplcinher, when ! ilie U-Malive Council were ill cominii (,-.• oii'lhe Appropriation Hill, the "pp.. sili.m niove.l thai the Chair udo leave Ihe chair, and Ihi- n- carried again-l iln- timoruiiiciit by eleven vote to leu. I lie Cuvoriiiuoiil endeavored Id sccar- a reversion, but failed. The ilppu-hinu declined to vole Supply unless a di-olu-liun was promised, and this for a lime was refu-cd. Meanwhile the Assembly look a hand. .Mr. Merriman (who is now I'rauierl gave notice of motion in I In- oll'ocl thai the House, owing to the -tale of public business, advises a dissolution, undertaking to provide Supply for Ihe intervening period. Dr. .lamenoa temporised, in the hope of the Legislative Council reverting to the -status quo,'' but Ihis proving futile, he announced mi Ihe 17lh of the sumo, mouth that as the .pie-tiou had developed into a coiistilulional one he would appeal to the conntrv not lo allow parliamentary government to bo rendered impossible. lie would dissolve without delay, in the meantime asking for sullicient Supplies fill the elections could take place. This was done. Supplies wore granted and a dissolution followed. Dr. Jameson's phi! form fur the election consisted of four planks-namely, development of South African products mid industries, equal rights for all civilised men, the union of the Kuropean races, and the union of the South African colonies, lint neither he nor his platform "caught on." Indorneath the so-called constitutional crisis there was widespread dissatisfaction with .Ministers over their efforts to meet the Liquor party by relaxing the restrictions on the supply of drink to the natives, on which question feeling was inlon-e, and also by the effects of the policy of retrenchment, the general de- | pression. and other cumulative causes, which, in the natural order of things, occur after Uiree years of office. The prophets have since proved their predictions. Dr. .lanieson has not waited for j thU month's popular verdict, whii h is j said to be a foregone conclusion, and Mr. Merriman will meet the now Parliaineiil | as I'reniier on Mot .March.