462 PARLIAMENTS OF THE DOMINIONS [PART IIT 
language, and that the votes and proceedings and proposed 
laws should be printed in both languages, but all journals, 
entries, minutes, and proceedings in the two Houses were 
recorded in English only, while laws were to be issued in 
both languages. Thus the Dutch language remained in an 
inferior position, though still recognized as an official lan- 
guage. In the case of the Union of South Africa the matter 
is different : s. 137 of the South Africa Act, 1909, provides 
that both the English and Dutch languages shall be the 
official languages of the Union, and shall be treated on a 
footing of equality, and possess and enjoy equal freedom, 
rights, and privileges. All records, journals, and proceedings 
of the Union Parliament shall be kept in both languages, and 
all Bills, Acts, or notices of general public importance or 
interest issued by the Government of the Union shall be in 
both languages. The clause was admittedly a victory for 
the Dutch party, and it seems that originally Dr. (now Sir 8.) 
Jameson was unwilling to concede the point, but yielded 
when he found that the matter was being treated as a 
question of honour by the Dutch party, as showing their 
equality with the English. This is its justification, though 
otherwise it would be regrettable that artificial steps should 
be taken to encourage the development of bilingualism in 
the Cape, where in the long run it can merely add to the 
complications of education and life. Tt is very doubtful if 
bilingualism is in any way encouraging to mental growth ; ? 
at any rate, the history of South Africa has not tended as 
a rule to encourage the view that that country is exception- 
ally fortunate in possessing intellectual leaders. 
There is a curious difficulty in all these cases, viz. which 
language shall decide where there are discrepant versions, 
a matter not at all rare; it cannot be said that even in 
Canada there is any rule generally laid down ; apparently it 
is held that the sense and context will decide in favour of the 
most probable interpretation, or if the Act be a consolidation, 
the language of the Act to be consolidated may be referred to.? 
* Cf. Parl. Pap., Cd. 5666, pp. 244-66. 
* The Act 8 Edw. VIL. o, 7, 8. 13, accepts the principle of consistency for 
the Revised Statutes, 1909, See also Civil Code, s, 2615.