an example of the method adopted, I enclose a copy of a letter? 
from the Commissioner, Southern Province (Mr. H. Ross). I may 
add that before Members of Council dispersed after the December 
sitting I briefly explained to the three Paramount Chiefs, at the 
usual farewell interview, the provisions of the Bill and the very 
gradual character of the coming change. Though they were 
evidently impressed with the importance of the measure, they 
exhibited no undue concern, even when I made it clear that no 
question of compensation could be considered. 
4. The Bill evoked singularly little comment locally—perhaps 
owing to the occurrence of the railway strike : such criticism as 
there was centred round the absence of provision for compensation. 
At least one of the newspapers mischievously misrepresented the 
effect of the Bill as complete and immediate emancipation of all 
domestic slaves, and it is noteworthy that in the debate on the 
second reading the Honourable Bai Comber complained of the way 
in which the Creole settlers had misrepresented the Bill to people in 
the Central Province. 
5. The second reading debate is briefly summarised in the 
Attorney-General’s report. The Government case was effectively 
presented by the Attorney-General, the Colonial Secretary, and 
each of the three Provincial Commissioners, and it received warm 
support from the Honourable and Reverend James Denton and 
from the Honourable A. E. Tuboku-Metzger, who remarked that 
the Bill was long overdue. The other two Elected Members, one 
of whom began his speech by acknowledging that he was a descend- 
ant of one of the original freed slaves who were settled in Sierra 
Leone, appeared to be almost wholly concerned with making the 
most of the opportunity vehemently to attack Government for 
omitting compensation. The Honourable Beoku Betts described 
the Bill, in effect, as a sop to sentiment, and the Honourable Dr. 
Bankole Bright denounced it as ‘‘ an iniquitous and unrighteous 
Act.” The two Paramount Chiefs. on the other hand (the third 
was absent through illness which subsequently proved fatal), while 
pleading for ‘‘ justice to the owners’ and for the payment of 
*“ redemption *’ money, voted with the Government on an amend- 
ment by the Urban Member that the Bill should be referred to a 
Select Committee to consider the question of compensation. I 
enclose reportst of their speeches: the Honourable Bai Kompa, 
(Temne) scored an effective point (with reference to clause 2 (2) 
of the Bill) by observing that according to native custom the 
master of a slave could not be said to die as long as he had 
children : *‘ he is only dead when he has no child.” 
I will forward a complete report of the debate when it is in print. 
6. IT am confident that His Majesty will not be advised to exer- 
cise His powers of disallowance in respect of this measure which 
Cox Enclosurs 3. + Enclosure 4.