Page:South Africa Act 1909.djvu/9

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18
South Africa Act, 1909.

A.D. 1909.

(vii)

For the purposes of this Act the number of European male adults, as ascertained at the census of nineteen hundred and four, shall be taken to be―
For the Cape of Good Hope 167,546
For Natal 34,784
For the Transvaal 106,493
For the Orange Free State 41,014
Qualifications of voters.

35.[1] (1) Parliament may by law prescribe the qualifications which shall be necessary to entitle persons to vote at the election of members of the House of Assembly, but no such law shall disqualify any person in the province of the Cape of Good Hope who, under the laws existing in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope at the establishment of the Union, is or may become capable of being registered as a voter from being so registered in the province of the Cape of Good Hope by reason of his race or colour only, unless the Bill be passed by both Houses of Parliament sitting together, and at the third reading be agreed to by not less than two-thirds of the total number of members of both Houses. A Bill so passed at such joint sitting shall be taken to have been duly passed by both Houses of Parliament.

(2) No person who at the passing of any such law is registered as a voter in any province shall be removed from the register by reason only of any disqualification based on race or colour.

Application of existing qualifications.

36. Subject to the provisions of the last preceding section, the qualifications of parliamentary voters, as existing in the several Colonies at the establishment of the Union, shall be the qualifications necessary to entitle persons in the corresponding provinces to vote for the election of members of the House of Assembly: Provided that no member of His Majesty’s regular forces on full pay shall be entitled to be registered as a voter.

Elections.

37. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the laws in force in the Colonies at the establishment of the Union relating to elections for the more numerous Houses of Parliament in such Colonies respectively, the registration of voters, the oaths or declarations to be taken by voters, returning officers, the powers and duties of such officers, the proceedings in connection with elections, election expenses, corrupt and illegal practices, the hearing of


  1. Cf. paragraph VII of the Royal Instructions, post p. 104.