CAB129-45 — Page 384

Solution recommended: a federal system

40. The solution that we recommend for adoption is that of a true federal system, on the lines set forth in Chapter V below. We believe that this would enable the territories to be knit together effectively for common action in those spheres where it would be most beneficial to all of them, while leaving un- impaired the authority of the individual territories in spheres where this seemed most appropriate, and recognising the responsibility of His Majesty's Govern- ment in the United Kingdom towards the African peoples. We suggest that the federation might be called “British Central Africa."

41. Under our proposals the federal authority (and not the territorial) would exercise full control over a wide field of specified matters, especially those that transcend territorial boundaries or that concern the external relations- economic and otherwise--of the territories with the rest of the world. Within the federal field the Government and Parliament of British Central Africa would (subject only to such checks and balances as we indicate in Chapters IV and V below) have full responsibility and would in no way be subordinate to those of the territories.

42. In respect of all matters not specified as being within the federal field, the authority and the constitutional position of each of the three territories and their relation to His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom would remain as at present, and in particular their Governments and Legislatures would in no way be subordinate to those of British Central Africa. The many matters that would remain within the purview of the individual territories would include all those that are most closely related to the life and ways of the African inhabitants, such, for example, as African education, health, agriculture, land and settlement questions, and native administration generally.

43. We recognise, nevertheless, that action within even the proposed federal field might at times impinge in some degree on African interests. Our proposals, therefore, provide both for representation of Africans in the Central Parliament and for the vesting of special powers in an African Affairs Board and in a Minister for African Interests. This Minister-though a member of the central Parliament-would be outside politics and would be appointed by, and responsible to, an authority, namely, a Governor-General who would himself be responsible for this purpose to His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom.

44. In order to promote co-ordination of effort and harmonious working between the authorities of British Central Africa and those of the three terri- tories, we have proposed in a number of spheres the establishment of consulta- tive machinery. We have no doubt that the increasing degree of intercourse between the territories would conduce to the same end.

45. The scheme that we put forward is not a mere compromise between divergent views. We are united in believing that it has great positive merits in the interests of all the territories and of all their inhabitants, and that it is fully consistent with the United Kingdom Government's responsibilities towards the African inhabitants. We especially invite attention to our proposal to set up certain new institutions (an African Affairs Board, a Development Commission, and a Loans Council) for which the association of the territories would provide full scope, and which we believe would be of inestimable benefit to British Central Africa and to the people of all its territories.

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CHAPTER IV

Page 385 RINCIPLES AFFECTING THE FEDERAL SCHEME