must retrograde. It had been found that under the present constitution the House had very little control over public expenditure, and the conviction of this fact was producing a bad effect upon the public mind. The country was becoming of opinion that its representative institutions were of very little use, and if an extensive feeling of this kind were permitted to pervade the country it was very much to be lamented; in fact, there was a danger of the country preferring a system of despotic government to depend upon any other than themselves for the government of the country had a most damaging and depressing effect.

He stated that he might have pursued a policy of obstruction, but he had not done so; and had loyally endeavoured to work the system in vogue. Now, however, the time for a change was certainly approaching. In proof of this he referred to the way in which the votes of the House had been exceeded, and referred to the unauthorised expenditure over which the House had no control.

This debate was remarkable for the powerful support which the motion received from the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Rawson, and the Attorney-General, Mr. Porter, who expressed their conviction that the existing system of government was wholly unsuitable in theory and most inconvenient in practice, and that the change to responsible government would be greatly advantageous to the country. An amendment was moved that it was advisable to await the verdict of the new Parliament after the country should have had an opportunity of expressing its views upon the subject. The debate was the longest which took place in that session, and eventually the amendment was carried by the very close majority of twenty to eighteen.

When the estimates for the year came to be discussed the Colonial Secretary, in a speech of nearly three hours, moved to go into a committee of supply. Mr. Molteno thereupon moved as an amendment a resolution to the

effect: (1) That the revenue was sufficient and increasing. (2) That there was no necessity for fresh taxation. (3) That export duties are objectionable, and a duty on wool especially so. (4) That there should be a principle of local taxation for local works and improvements. In his speech on the motion he referred to the exposé of the financial condition of the Colony made so recently, urging with many pointed illustrations that a great reform was necessary in the administration of the finances of the Colony, and the amendment was agreed to. During the debate the Colonial Secretary disputed Mr. Molteno's figures with respect to the deficiency in the revenue. The latter, however, contended that he was right, and would be found to be so if the accounts were rigidly gone into. At a much later period it was ascertained that a very large sum had not been brought to account. during all these years, amounting in 1875, when the discovery was made, to no less than 1,000,000l. sterling.

A great change in the administration of South Africa was at hand. Sir George Grey, with his keen insight and powerful intelligence, had recognised the difficulty which would arise if the policy of disintegration evidenced by the abandonment of the Orange River Sovereignty were continued by the Imperial Government. Representations had been made to him by the public of the Free State, inquiring whether if proposals for annexation to the Cape were made by the Free State to the Cape, he would consent to act upon such proposals. To this he replied that as Governor he could receive no proposals unless he were approached through the Government of the State. This was a proper constitutional principle. To its neglect subsequently in the case of the annexation of the Transvaal, when the Government was overridden and the Legislature ignored, may be traced the serious evils which followed the hasty seizure of that country.

The Government of the Free State thereupon made

proposals to the Cape. Sir George, in transmitting them to the Secretary of State, urged their acceptance in a masterly despatch, showing the perfect grasp he had of the situation and submitting the most cogent arguments. To him the course seemed so clear that although he had not received the reply of the Secretary of State, he ventured to place the proposal in his opening speech before the Parliament.

The strongest disapproval, however, of this policy was expressed by Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, then Secretary for the Colonies, who, as soon as he learnt the action. taken by Sir George Grey, censured and recalled him. But before Sir George could reach England a change of ministry had taken place, and he was immediately reappointed, to the immense relief and joy of the whole of South Africa, both European and native. His services, unfortunately, were now required in New Zealand, to cope with the serious difficulties which had arisen there since his departure, and in 1862 he was succeeded by Sir Philip Wodehouse, who like his predecessor had had considerable experience as a colonial administrator, but an experience acquired solely in Crown colonies such as Ceylon, Honduras, and British Guiana.

As we have seen, considerable difficulties had already, even under Sir George Grey, arisen between the Parliament and the Executive. This had been anticipated by Sir Charles Adderley and the other supporters of representative institutions, but it was hoped that these difficulties would force the complete grant of responsible government at no distant date.1 Sir George Grey had been in favour of the grant of responsible government-his successor's views were entirely opposed to it. The latter objected on principle to responsible government in any of the colonies, and particularly to its appli

Mr. Gibbon Wakefield had pointed out that representative institutions without responsibility is much like having a fire in a room with the chimney closed. The question is, how long will it be tolerated? And that, of course, depends on the strength of the fire.' Every session had given eloquent confirmation of the truth of this statement.

cation in the Cape Colony. He was an autocrat and could brook no popular interference with his dictates. He was a man of high character, and acted in accordance with the loftiest ideas of his duties, yet his views entirely unfitted him to govern a colony in the condition in which he found the Cape. It is true his difficulties were not small, the Colony was heavily in debt, the revenue unequal to the expenditure, the Government machinery out of gear, and the country reduced by want of rain to a state of semi-starvation. Its political condition was equally unsatisfactory.

Two great questions divided the country into hostile camps -responsible government was put forward by one party as the true and only remedy for all difficulties, while the other advanced the theory of separation of the eastern and western provinces into two distinct colonies.1 Even before he left England Sir Philip had consulted the Duke of Newcastle on the question of separation, but he found him very unwilling to give his consent to any policy of this character, for his Grace held, and held wisely, that it would render the country still less able to bear the burdens of its own land defence, and Sir Philip, with his peculiar views upon the subject of responsible government, would naturally give no inducement to the latter question being brought forward; indeed, we shall see at a later stage that he proposed a reversion to the Crowncolony form of government.

The establishment of representative institutions had given a great impetus to trade and to the development of the country-it gave confidence to the productive classes. The development of the resources of the Colony was promoted by a liberal expenditure on public works, by the extension to the more remote districts of conveniences and advantages which had until now been lacking. The public revenue, which in 1853 did not exceed 280,000l., gradually increased each year till in 1858 it was nearly double, viz. 460,000l. See despatch to the Duke of Newcastle, 5th of December, 1861.

At the conclusion of this period, being the duration of the first Parliament, the Governor in his closing speech had complimented the two Houses upon the wisdom and moderation which had marked their deliberations, as well as the great usefulness of the legislation they had enacted. While the Colonial Secretary bore eloquent testimony to the extraordinary advance upon the previous form of government, and said that in four short years this Parliament had done more for the prosperity and happiness of the country than it would have been possible for the old Government, however well managed, to have accomplished in half a century.'

Sir George Grey was in accord with Mr. Molteno's views on this subject, and looked to a further extension in the same direction; and this opinion he had expressed in a despatch to the Secretary of State in 1859, when he advocated the federation of South Africa, and urged that were this form of government established, 'the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of his responsible Ministers, would avoid all the hazard now incurred by the High Commissioner of seriously involving her Majesty's Government with the inhabitants of this country. If he then adopted any measures repugnant to their feelings, his persistence would simply lead to a change in the Administration, not to the various disputes and difficulties with the home authorities which now take place.' This advice was absolutely sound, and has been amply borne out by the subsequent history of responsible government.

2

Mr. Molteno acted on the principle that the existing form of government was only a temporary one, and that it must be completed by the establishment of responsible government. He therefore refused to do anything more than assist in carrying on the government of the country; he would no

1 Noble, South Africa, Past and Present, p. 231

2 Despatch to the Secretary of State quoted in Noble, South Africa, Past and Present, p. 235.