Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/527

 CONSTITUTION — AREA AND POPULATION 183

bill is under consideration of Parliament. By a law passed in 1882, speeches may be made both in Englisli and in Dutch in the Cape Parliament. The qualification for members of the Council is possession of immovable property of 2,000^., or movable property worth 4,000/. Members of both Houses are elected by the same voters, who are now qualified by occupation of house property of the value of 75/., or receipt of a salary of 50/. Electors, to be registered, must be able to sign their names and state in writing their occupations and addresses. The number of registered electors in 1898 was 109,888, under the registration provisions of Act No. 9 of 1892, which provides, inter alia, for elections by ballot after July 1, 1894. All members of Parliament are entitled to one guinea a day for their services, and those residing more than 15 miles from Cape Town to an additional 15^. a day for a period not exceeding 90 days.

Governor.— ^\v Alfred Milner, K.C.B., G.C.M.G.

The Governor is by virtue of his office commander-in-chief of the forces within the colony. He has a salary of 5,000/. as Governor, besides 3,000/. as ' Her Majesty's High Commissioner.'

The administration is carried on, under the Governor, by a

Ministry constituted as follows : —

Prime Minister and Colonial Secretary. — Hon. W. P. Schveiner, Q.C., C.M.G., M.L.A.

Treasurer. — Hon. J. X, Merriman, M.L.A. Attorney-General. — Hon. R. Solomon, Q.C. Commissioner of Public JForks. — Hon. J. W. Sauev, M.L.A. Secretary for Agriculture. — Hon. A. J. Hevholdt, M.L.C. Minister II- ithout Portfolio. — Dr. Te Water, M.L.A.

Each of the Ministers receives a salary of 1,500/. a year, and the Prime Minister an additional allowance of 250/. a year.

The Colony is divided into 77 divisions, and its dependencies into 29 dis- tricts. In each division there is a Civil Commissioner, who is also generally Resident Magistrate. There is for each of the divisions, except 3, a Council of at least 6 members (14 in the Cape Division) elected triennially by the registered Parliamentary voters. These Councils look after roads, boundaries, and beacons ; return 3 members to the Licensing Court, and perform other local duties. There are 81 magisterial districts and 77 fiscal divisions in the Colony proper. There are 92 Municipalities, each governed by a Mayor or Chairman and Councillors, a certain number of whom are elected annually by the ratepayers. There are also 80 Village Management Boards, excluding 4 newly establislied.

Area and Population. The Cape Colony was originally founded by the Dutch, under Van Riebeek, about the year 1652. When it was taken by the English, in 1796, the colony had extended east to the Great Fish River. In 1803, at the peace of Amiens, it was given up to the Netherlands, but was again occupied by British troops in 1806,