South Africa

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 194, 14 February 1914, Page 5

South Africa

MOTION IK THE COMMONS. DEFEATED BY A LARGE MAJORITY. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright . .London, February 12. Mr. Harcourt; /Colonial Secretary, in reply, to a question, said the Colonial Ollice'on the 27th, when too late for a reply, received information of the intended deportations. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald moved an amendment to the Address-in-Eeply to instruct .Lord Gladstone to reserve the indemnity Bill until a judicial inquiry had been instituted. He contended that martial law and deportations without trial: unwarranted. > Mr. Harcourt said the indemnity question was one for the South African people and Parliament. Mr.' Ramsay Mac Donald's amendment was defeated by 214 to 50. Lord Robert Cecil argued that it would be im-

possible when self-government was once given to South Africa or Ireland for the Imperial Government to interfere or reverse the decision of its Parlia- . ment. rights of the dominions. definwby the colonial | -6jeobetary. Speech well received. ■ . Received 13. 11.0 n.m. : London, February 12. Mr i Harcourt .commended Mr. Macthat night would be cabled •throughout the Empire, and any -words <of derogation. with regard to autonomous rights would be reverberated to the Dominions. Autonomy could not be .divorced from unity, and carried no immunity from publiccriticism, but was entitled: to the largest amount of relief from 'official interference and ParliamentaJry censure. They could easily «nash the Empire by a day's debate, if the\House evinced a desire to meddle «nd mMddle with the : v;ital affairs of the

Dominions whenever their make what some people regard as dangerous experiments. Australia and New Zealand had compulsory military training which at present was neither in force nor favor in the United Kingdom. In

Canada and South Africa some strikes were criminal offences.

British citizenship, he continued, was really a misnomer. It was an attempt to translate too literally •"Civis romamis sum." It entitled a citizen to protection through,the Executive, but did not give the individual rights of entry or any license in any part of the Empire, if attempts were made to violate the laws which were within the Dominions' competence. The Imperial Parliament could not interfere or intervene as if it were.a Crown colony. The position of South' Africa's Governor-General was largely analogous to the position of the Sovereign of Britain. If Lord Gladstone had refined to follow its advice, the Government would have resigned, leaving him a solitary flsrure, fading a tumult which he would have perhaps been unable to conciliate or quell. Lord Gladstone's onry resource-war the Imperial troops. -i I«P***m Mr Harcourt continued: "It is neither my duty nor intention to comment on the South African Government's acts. It would be an unwise and dangerous precedent. The habit of nagging and criticism regarding the Dominion's conduct of their own internal affairs is the worst cement we can apply to dis-

tant democracies. We ourselves taught the South Africans a deportation lesson -~ when, in July. MOO, we deported- 1700 oi various nationalities without triaj/ owing to a plot, to murder officers in Johannesburg. Deportations had been part-of the ordinary law of the Transvaal for six years, and were only amended by the 1913 immigration law. Admittedly it is within the competence of South Africa to define what type of immigrant they are prepared to admit. Restrictive legislation of this kind has

long been in operation in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. If the South African Parliament annroved of the Indemnity Bill, it would be in the liiehest degree impolitics to refuse the Royal assent. The New Zealand Act of 1866 is not a case in point. Assent was

then withheld solely because the Bill did not contain a clause that acts of indemnity should be done in good faith." Mr Harcourt went on to say that when an earlier Colonial Secretary asked that Natal should suspend capital sentences, the Natal Government resigned. Protests against the supposed British action were received from the Australian and New Zealand Governments within two flays. Mr HaTcourt concluded with an appeal to the Laborites to remember that Labor, above all the classes, were interested in the maintenance of self-eov-ernment of the Empire, which was held together Vy a silken cord. They should beware lest they twisted the cord into a. whiplash. The first crack of that lash would bo the knell of the Empire. "We have created great and free Pariaments, wideflung throughout the world. They are our constant pride, and onlv an occasional embarrassment. We treat them with confidence, and they, shall win through, for all tha't is essential is the basis of freedom and civilisation." The speech was regarded as so satisfactory that the front Opposition Bench decided not to participate in the debate. The rest of the speeches were featureless and delivered to a thin House. DISCUSSION IN SOUTH AFRICA PARLIAMENT. APPOINTMENT OF VICEROY.;:. Capetown, February 1&' The Press is urging the appointment of Prince Arthur of Connaught as Viceroy. Sir. Merriman, in the Assembly debate on the Indemnity Bill, said he could condone the Government's action, excepting the perpetual banishment of the Labor leaders without trial. Mr. 'Merriman said the deported men were enemies of society, but it was a grave error to deport them without trial, and had made the sorriest lot of failures ever seen. The right course was to bring the deported men back to try them. The Government had struck two deadly blows at the Empire. They first got into a mess with the Indian Empire, and were', now sending nine dangerous agitators to inflame public opinion when Britain was on the verge of civil war. Johannesburg, February 12. The majority of the wives of the deported men are awaiting their husbands' instructions. Mesdames Bam and Pantsma have accepted free passages. Received 13, 10.15 pjn. Capetown, February 12.

had prevailed 14 years a?o many Ministerialists, including himself, would have been deported. He condemned Mr. Smuts' sneering reference to the Magna Cliarta, and said he would vote for tlio second reading. Mr Ilertzog condemned the deportations without trial. A Select Committee should have foeen appointed to enquiry into the declaration of martial law. He would not support the second reading, hut hoped tiio Govornment weuld .abandon the idea of perpetual banishments. The speech was marked by many heated passages. ' The Hert^^te^t'idjfffto.d;tlio;.Ministerialists by tw'o-to-anc majorities in ll.j