CO885-(18-19) — Page 411

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

19 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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gradually grow up, the executive and the judicial. This would be a very gradual

process.

(v) That it should be a main object, as probably it is to a large extent already, to train the chiefs into becoming salaried officials of the government, gradually forming a subordinate native service.

(vi) That special attention should continue to be given to industrial and agricultural education, missionary effort being given every encouragement' in this and indeed in other directions ;

and generally, without special reference to South Africa.

(vii) That the questions of distinctions for natives, ofa special Standing Committee at the Colonial Office to collect informa- tion and advise on native questions, of framing model rules on subjects of special concern to native races, and most of all of a special branch of the Emigrants' Information Office to publish annual summaries of information on such subjects, be further considered.

As of special interest in connexion with the Natal report, I give the following extract from a letter from Sir M. Nathan in regard to that report.

It would have been good if the Parliament- here during the session that has just ended could have introduced legislation to give effect to the Report of the Native Affairs Commis- sion. But it was only published in the middle of the session when the legislative programme was already over full and much consideration was necessary before its constructive part could be dealt with. Rather curiously while generally recommending inore personal gov- ernment of the native the actual proposals of the Commission tend in an opposite direction. The magistrate is still to partly administer and decide the causes of the native, who is to be advised by a friendly Commissioner while the Native High Court remains as a court to which he can appeal, and a Native Affairs Council with a frequently changing personnel decides the lines on which the native admin- istration is to be carried on.

What I would have is the native chiefs under the magistrates in their administrative capacity and in their judicial capacity in so far as an appeal would lie in sorne cases to the magistrates from the chiefs' decisions.

I would have the magistrates as far as native matters are concernel, in a similar position in relation to four Commissioners for Native Affairs, who would be the real rulers of the natives of the country, and in somewhat the position of the Chief Commissioners of Ashanti and of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast, of whom Antrobus will tell you. The four Commissioners would for adminis- trative purposes be under the Secretary for Native Affairs, who should always be the Prime Minister in certain few cases an appeal should lie from their judicial decisions to the Supreme Court of the Colony; the Native High Court should be abolished. There should be machinery for the magistrates to obtain the views of chiefs and head-men on

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proposed legislation or taxation, and for the Commissioners to obtain the views of magis- trates, native chiefs, and, possibly through elected representatives, of native Christians. The four Commissioners with three specially appointed members of the Legislative Council should form a Council for Native Affairs under the presidency of the Secretary for Native Affairs to initiate all legislation dealing solely with natives in relation to each other,

to

report on legislation affecting natives brought forward in Parliament, to secure the native point of view being put before Parlia- ment through its three legislative Councillors and to make general rules for the administra- tion of reserves and locations.

I also include a copy of Resolutions passed by

a native and coloured conference recently held at Queenstown in the Cape Colony, relative to Federation and the native franchise. They were received since the above was written.

NATIVE CONFERENCE.

RESOLUTIONS.

Federation.

At the Conference of native and coloured delegates held in Queenstown on the 28th and 29th November, 1907, the following resolutions were carried unanimously :-

That this Couference of the coloured people and natives of Cape Colony assembled at Queenstown is of opinion that in the event of the adoption of any form of closer union of the South African Colonies :

(a) Federation is preferable to unifica-

tion.

(b) That form of federation should be adopted in which the Federal Parliament exercises such powers only as are specifi- cally given to it in the federal constitution. (c) The Cape franchise should be made

the basis of federal franchise.

(7) The basis of representation of the Federal Parliament should be the voters'

list.

() The present so-called native terri- tories, (Swazielaud, Basutoland and British Bechuanaland) should be regarded as outside Federal territory and under the protection of the Imperial Government represented by the High Commissioner for such native territories, unless or until provision shall be made for the repre- sentation of such territories in the Federal Parliament by members elected on the same basis as in Colonies forming the federation.

31st December, 1907.

C.P.L.