“HAP. viii] RELATIONS OF THE HOUSES 587
lacking in characteristic features. It on various occasions
amended Bills, and on one occasion, in 1905, it rejected an
Act to provide for native taxation, insisting instead on a
poll-tax on the whole of the people of Natal, though that
was in fact merely an indirect way of increasing native
taxation without resorting to differential measures such as
would have rendered it essential for the Governor to
reserve his assent to the measure, a course which it was
naturally desirable to avoid. The House could not be
swamped as its members were limited, and its long tenure
of office and the property franchise rendered it a respectable
body, but it was hardly distinguished by any marked
statesmanship. In the two new Colonies also the Upper
House was limited in numbers and so could not, be swamped.
No serious difficulties arose during their brief existence : the
Upper House of the Transvaal insisted on its right to be given
adequate time to discuss measures, and claimed, but in vain,
a right to criticize non-appropriation clauses of money Bills.
In the matter of the presentation of the Cullinan diamond
to the King it was alleged that the Upper House was only in-
duced to accept the measure by two of its members receiving
Government appointments, and thus enabling the Govern-
ment to fill their places by supporters of the measure.
§ 5. CaNaDA
In the case of Canada the principle of nomination has not
been a success, though the principle of election has equally
been a failure. Lord Elgin, when Governor-General, thought
that the difficulty of governing was much increased by the
lack of harmony between the two Houses, and he strongly
recommended, and ultimately persuaded, the Imperial
Government to consent to the Upper House in the Union
being made elective! But the experiment was certainly
ot a success, and when it was decided to constitute a
! See Walrond, Letters and Journals of Lord Elgin, pp. 145 seq. See
the Act 17 & 18 Viet. e. 118; Hansard, ser. 3, cxxxiv. 159. The
Canadian Act was 19 & 20 Vict. c. 140. For the Speaker, cf. 22 & 23 Vict.
® 10 and the Canada Act, 23 Vict. ¢. 3. For Sir J. Macdonald's views, see
Pope, i. 277; ii. 233 seq.
