MR. H. MENTZ (Zoutpansberg) said the right hon. gentleman
had earned their gratitude for the high tone in which he had carried
the debate. The speech which he had delivered was a most instructive one,
and although the speaker was not in entire agreement with him on all points,
he was in agreement on the point that the matter was one to be handled
with prudence, but it was to be regretted that under the Bill
a Commission was to be appointed. The Minister should not listen
to the request for a postponement of the question, by referring it
to a Select Committee. If they were to refer the Bill to a Select Committee,
it would never be passed this year.

MR. G. L. STEYTLER (Rouxville) expressed his thanks to the Government
for bringing forward the Bill. He said he felt that it was not
a complete solution of the whole question, but it was certainly
a step in the right direction.

MR. A. FAWCUS (Umlazi) said that as the representative of 70,000 Natives
in Natal, not one of whom so far as he knew had a vote, he should like,
on their behalf, to thank the right hon. member for Victoria West
for the manner in which he had handled this question.
In the course of his speech the right hon. gentleman asked,
what did the Natives think about this Bill before the House?
His (Mr. Fawcus') opinion was that the Natives did not think anything at all
about it. He should not think there was one Native in a thousand
in South Africa who was aware that this matter, so vitally affecting
their future, was at present at issue. The hon. member for Middelburg
had referred to the Natives as "schepsels".* He believed
the day was rapidly passing away when we should refer to Natives
as "schepsels". They were an easy-going folk, and they thought little
about title deeds and land laws. So great was the Native's attachment