I come now to the question of electoral divisions.  There are two alternatives before us on this branch of the subject—­equal electoral areas or the old magisterial districts.  When I say “old,” I mean old in the sense that they are existing magisterial districts.  There are arguments for both of these courses.  Equal electoral areas have the advantage of being symmetrical and are capable of more strict and mathematical distribution.  But the Boers have expressed a very strong desire to have the old magisterial districts preserved.  I think it is rather a sentimental view on their part, because upon the whole I think the wastage of Boer votes will, owing to excessive plurality in certain divisions, be slightly greater in the old magisterial districts than in equal electoral areas.  The Boers have, however, been very anxious that the old areas of their former Constitution, of their local life, should be interfered with as little as possible, and that is a matter of serious concern to his Majesty’s Government.  Further, there is a great saving of precious time and expense in avoiding the extra work of new delimitation which would be necessary if the country were to be cut up into equal mathematical electoral areas.

The decision to adopt the old magisterial areas, which divide the Transvaal into sixteen electoral divisions, of which the Witwatersrand is only one, involves another question.  How are you to subdivide these magisterial districts for the purpose of allocating members?  Some will have two, some three, some a number of members; and on what system will you allocate the members to these divisions?  We have considered the question of proportional representation.  It is the only perfect way in which minorities of every shade and view and interest can receive effective representation.  And Lord Elgin was careful to instruct the Committee as a special point to inquire into the possibility of adopting the system of proportional representation.  The Committee examined many witnesses, and went most thoroughly into this question.  They, however, advise us that there is absolutely no support for such a proposal in the Transvaal, and that its adoption—­I will not say its imposition—­would be unpopular and incomprehensible throughout the country.  If a scientific or proportional representation cannot be adopted, then I say unhesitatingly that the next best way of protecting minorities is to go straight for single-member seats.  Some of us have experience of double-barrelled seats in this country; there used to be several three-barrelled seats.  But I am convinced that if either of those two systems had been applied to the electoral divisions of the Transvaal, it would only have led to the swamping of one or two local minorities which with single-member divisions would have returned just that very class of moderate, independent, Dutch or British Members whom we particularly desire to see represented in the new Assembly.  Therefore, with the desire of not extinguishing these