CO129-357 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [7-9] — Page 64

(

exhibited much solicitude regarding the promise made fi

Your Lordship in the name of His Majesty's Government and

pressed me to suspend the clause abolishing Divans until

the amount of the assistance to be given by the Imperial

Government in aid of the direct loss incurred by this

Colony in carrying out the Imperial policy (or at any rate

the proportion it would bear to the whole loss) was known.

As a matter of fact that clause (Section 10 of the Ordi-

-nance) does not come into operation until March 1st. next,

a date later than that proposed in the amendment put

I

forward by the Honourable Mr. Murray Stewart, but did not

adduce this point in reply, and confined myself to the

larger principle, that the promise contained in Your Lord-

-ship's despatch was a clear and definite one made in the

name of His Majesty's Government and that I could not hold

over the clause pending a more precise explanation of that

promise. Should Your Lordship, however, see your way to

inform me as to the proportion of the loss which His

Majesty's Government will ask Parliamentary sanction to

defray, it would, I have no doubt, create a good impression

and disarm the existing hostility were I able to annoimce

your decision in anticipation of the debate on the

Estimates.

3.