BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8289, 17 November 1906, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

BRITISH FARMERS IN SOUTH AFRICA. Reoeived November 16, 9.2 a.m. LONDON, November 15. Lord Elgin, Secretary of State for the Colonies, replying fta a question by Lord Lovat, in the House of Lords, evasively declined tu give assurances that the Government would specially safeguard the interests of thirteen hundred British farmers who had settled in the Transvaal and Orange Free State, alleging that the matter concerned still unsettled constitutions. Lord Milner, ex-High Commissioner, for South Africa, declared that unless the farmers were safeguarded before the Letters Patent for the Transvaal Constitution were issued it would be too late to intervene in the Orange Free State, because the Transvaal precedent would prevail. The Earl of Ripon, Lord Privy Seal, promised to carefully consider the appeal.

CHINESE] ON THE RAND. Recieved November 16, 10.40 p,m. LONDON, November 16. Mr Buenill's confidential report on the moral conditions of the Chinese compounds in the Rand was debated in both Houses. In the House of Lords the Marquis of Lansdowne promised his party's Tsnpport of any energetic steps taken to stamp out the evil. In the House of Commons Mr W. Churohil' said that the offence was nos a matter of open public soandal. It bad not been tolerated, but prevailed in most compounds. All suspects would be repatriated wholesale. The report sealed the fate of the Chinese labour. (Cheers). Mr Churchill added that (the Chinese question must be left to the Transvaal Assembly for settlement. Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman believed that the Government's measures would suffice to eradicate the evil.

THE EDUCATION BILL.

Received November 17, 10>.40 pi.ni. LONDON; November 16. The House of Lord continues to amend the Eduoatiou Bill. The Marquis of Salisbury declared that Ministerialists bad been deluded into supporting the Bill. It would be converted into a measure which the Opposition could approve of. The Duke of Norfolk was afraid that making the Bill equitable and workable was beyond their ability. He feared that when it came to the third reading it would be the duty of the House to reject the Bill altogether.