Now let me come to the question of language.  Under the Constitution of the right hon. gentleman the Member for St. George’s, Hanover Square, the Members of the Assembly would have been permitted to speak Dutch if they asked permission and obtained permission from the Speaker.  We are not able to lend ourselves to that condition.  We are of opinion that such a discrimination would be invidious.  The recognition of their language is precious to a small people.  I have never been able to work myself into a passion because there are in parts of South Africa Dutch people who wish to have Dutch teachers to teach Dutch children Dutch.  I have not so poor an opinion of the English language, with its priceless literary treasures and its world-wide business connections, as not to believe that it can safely be exposed to the open competition of a dialect like the taal.  We believe that the only sure way to preserve in the years that are to come such a language as the taal would be to make it a proscribed language, which would be spoken by the people with deliberation and with malice, as a protest against what they regarded, and would rightly regard, as an act of intolerance.  Therefore we have decided to follow the Cape practice and allow the members of the Transvaal Parliament to address that Assembly indifferently in Dutch or English.

I shall be asked what will be the result of the arrangement that we have made.  I decline to speculate or prophesy on that point.  It would be indecent and improper.  I cannot even tell in this country at the next election how large the Liberal majority will be.  Still less would I recommend hon. gentlemen here to forecast the results of contests in which they will not be candidates.  I cannot tell how the British in the Transvaal will vote.  There are a great many new questions, social and economic, which are beginning to apply a salutary counter-irritant to old racial sores.  The division between the two races, thank God, is not quite so clear-cut as it used to be.  But this I know—­that as there are undoubtedly more British voters in the Transvaal than there are Dutch, and as these British voters have not at any point in the Constitutional Settlement been treated unfairly, it will be easily within their power to obtain a British majority, if they all combine to obtain it.  I nourish the hope that the Government that will be called into life by these elections will be a coalition Government with some moderate leader acceptable to both parties, and a Government which embraces in its Party members of both races.  Such a solution would be a godsend to South Africa.  But whatever may be the outcome, his Majesty’s Government are confident that the Ministers who may be summoned, from whatever Party they may be drawn, to whatever race they may belong, will in no circumstances fail in their duty to the Crown.

I should like to say also that this Parliament will be of a high representative authority, and it will be the duty of whoever may be called upon to represent Colonial business in this House to stand between that Parliament and all unjustifiable interference from whatever quarters of the House it may come.