The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-09-14
NeWS From Across The
- Puddle e<<

dent set by himself in the case of Aus
tralia, the Prince of Wales had de-
cided to go to South Africa. and open
the parliament for the first time.
The bill, which was largely the re-
suit of Sir Henry de Villers tact,
knowledge, and devotion, proposed to
set up one parliament for the whole
of South Africa, and to aynalgamate
South Africa in a union closer than
the union of Canada, closer even than
the union of Australia.
After detailing the powers of the
second chamber and the provincial
councils be stated that the parlia-
ment would take over all the debts
of the four colonies and the control of
all railways. The Dutch and English
languages would be in position Of
absolute equality
schedule in the bill laid down
certain conditions providing that if
hte Central South African government
wished to take over one or more of the
protectOrates. certain broad principles
which that house held dear sho'liJ be
observed
The sale of liquor to natives should
be prohibited the land should be
guaranteed to them, and form of
government was to be set up which
woula prevent a sudden break by the
change from one form of government
to another
Coming to the question OF franchise,
he said the goverc.nent regretted. the
use of the words "of European des-
cent" but they eo::ned part OF ar. es
sential compromise. " len the hou ,e
81 Auted self-gov 5rr.ncnr L. the : ians-
,aal and the Crane, colony, it gran.SG
a franchise when exc! Il ! tn naive.
from the vote ain from the parlia
II is. On the one hand, the 'cal'c
Fac for 80 years hai Il restricted fran
chase which SON, natives had enjoyed
The compromise now effected was
that while every native in Capt Col
ony retained the right to vote, on
the other hand the native was de-
barred from sitting in the union par
lament because he was debarred from
sitting in two of the existing parlia-
ments
He regretted that the words "of
European descent" should have been
inserted, for there were in South Africa
many highly-ed natives. He
hoped that some day that step would
be retracted
He was told by those who had the
best reason for knowing that if they
were to smash this great act of union
for the sake of those words the result
to the native races of South Africa
in breaking down that happily grow
ing sympathy between the two races
might be disastrous in the extreme.
He did not think the South African
parliament would attempt to deprive
the Cape Colony nation of their vote. |
Such a course wouHS by the terms of
the bill. have to come under the con- !
sideration of the colonial secretary.
The measures could not but bring |
great advantages to the natives, and !
tend to make their lot happier than
it had been Then, again, if union
meant prosperity, which he thought it i
did the natives must share in that |
The provisions of the bill |
amply safeguarded the natives.
The bill would abolish existing re- |
striction on commerce by establishing |
free trade within South Africa. !
The bill was q real not a paper !.
union. a union of people who had been !
too long estranged. All parties in |
South Africa and all parties in this |
had earnestly striven to bring |
about this most desirable end but !
especial credit should be given to the |
late Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman.