The Cape Constitution.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 198, 28 August 1901, Page 1

The Cape Constitution.

The report that it had been decided to suspend the Constitution in Cape Colony was naturally not allowed to pass unnoticed by the Liberals at Home. In the House of Commons, Mr John Morley gave Mr Chamberlain an opportunity of making a lucid explanation of the position by asking whether provision was to be made for the expenditure of moneys for the public service in Cape Colony without legislative authority, why Parliament had not been summoned to authorise such expenditure, and for how long it was intended that this invasion of the constitutional rights of the people of Cape Colony should continue. Mr Chamberlain explained that the appropriation of public moneys by legislative authority had expired on .Tune 30, and Parliament had been prorogued until August 27 with no hope of its being assembled until October. The Ministers of the Colony believed that in consequence of the unsettled state of the Colony from war and rebellion, the meeting of Parliament was practically impossible. Travelling in many districts was unsafe, a considerable number of members were in Europe, others were actively engaged in fighting the invaders and suppressing rebellion, and there were several vacant seats which could not be filled owing to the existence of martial law. The Ministers, therefore, intended to recommend theGovernorto issuewarrants to enable the existing taxes to be collected and the expenditure met. It was manifest that the ordinary work of administration and defence of the Colony and tho combating of the plague could not be allowed to come to a standstill, and the Governor would rely on obtaining an idemnity from the Cape Parliament. Mr Chamberlain maintained that the principles laid down by Lord Granville in 1869 in regard to New South Wales, did not apply, as the ease then was not one of unforeseen emergency, and he pointed out that Lord Granville himself expected from the general rule which he laid down, cases such as that of Cape Colony, “. of absolute and immediate necessity such as the preservation of life.” It would have been better to keep the Parliamentary machine running, if that were at all possible, but its suspension was due to the responsible Ministers of the Colony, and not to Mr Chamberlain.