H.W.  MASSINGHAM.

I

THE RECORD OF THE GOVERNMENT

Page

The conciliation of south Africa (April 5, 1906) 3

The Transvaal constitution (July 31, 1906) 16

The Orange free state constitution (December 17, 1906) 45

Liberalism and socialism (October 11, 1906) 67

Imperial preference—­I. (May 7, 1907) 85

Imperial preference—­II. (July 16, 1907) 106

The house of Lords (June 29, 1907) 124

The Dundee election (May 14, 1908) 147

THE CONCILIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA

House of Commons, April 5, 1906

We have travelled a long way since this Parliament assembled, in the discussion of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony Constitutions.  When the change of Government took place Mr. Lyttelton’s Constitution was before us.  That instrument provided for representative and not responsible government.  Under that Constitution the election would have been held in March of this year, and the Assembly would have met in June, if the home Government had not changed.  But just at the time that the Government changed in December two questions arose—­the question of whether or not soldiers of the British Army in garrison should be allowed to vote; and the question whether it would not be better to have sixty constituencies instead of thirty; and, as both questions involved necessary alterations in the Letters Patent, the time was ripe, quite apart from any difference which the change of the men at the helm might make, for a reconsideration and review of the whole form of the government which was to be given to the two Colonies.

The objection that must most readily occur in considering Mr. Lyttelton’s Constitution is that it was unworkable.  It proposed that there should be from six to nine nominated Ministers in an Assembly of thirty-five, afterwards to be increased to sixty elective members.  The position of a Minister is one of considerable difficulty.  He often has to defend rather an awkward case.  When favourable facts are wanting he has to depend upon the nimbleness of his wits, and, when these fail him, he has to fall back upon the loyalty of his supporters.  But no Minister can move very far upon his road with satisfaction or success if he has not behind him either a nominated majority or an organised Party majority.  Mr. Lyttelton’s Ministers had neither.  They would have been alone, hopelessly outnumbered in an Assembly, the greater part of which was avowedly in