4, MASTER AND BROTHER " Szn,—In his kindly notice, in
your issue of September 14th, of my book, "Master and Brother," Mr. Wilson Harris says that I make a " strange blunder " in asserting that it was Col. Seely (Lord Mottistone) who piloted the Union of South,Africa Bill through the House of Commons in 1911 with great credit and Parliamentary skill, and that the Bill " had in fact been piloted into law in 1909 by Mr. Winston Churchill (with great credit and Parliamentary skill)." In fairness to Lord Mottistone may I be permitted the courtesy of your columns to point out that, although I made a slip in the year—I911 instead of 19o9—my main facts were correct, and the blunder is Mr. Harris's! A reference to Hansard of August 16, 1909, shows that Lord Mottistone introduced the Union of South Africa Bill into the House of Commons on that day, and conducted it through all its stages up to and including its third reading on August 19th, Winding up the debate for the Opposition Mr. Walter Long offered his "congratulations to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies " (Col. Seely) upon the ability with which he had conducted the important measure, and said that no one could have shown greater consideration and tact than Colonel Seely had done.—Yours faithfully,
[Mr. Wilson Harris writes: Col. Murray is right, and I owe him an apology. Mr. Churchill was responsible for handling in the House of Commons the grant of self-government to the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony, but it was Col. Seely who dealt with the Bill federating the four provinces into the Union of South Africa.]
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