RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT [PART I
humanity of handing over the large native population to the
uncontrolled management of a legislature composed of those
whose habits, interests, and prejudices were so entirely
different. He had therefore prepared and introduced into
the Legislature a Bill to reduce the two Houses into one,
consisting of a nominee president, four persons holding
offices of profit under the Crown, and thirty-two elective
members. It was the hope of the Governor thus to secure
the more effective presentation of the views of the Govern-
ment in the Legislature, and to restore the power of the
Executive to carry its wishes into law. Lord Granville, on
March 24, 1870,! replied, demurring to the Governor’s views
of responsible government, and expressing doubt if the
change of legislature would effect much strengthening of
the Government, and stating that if the Bill were rejected the
Colony must face the alternatives laid down in his dispatch
of December 9, 1869.
Naturally the Bill was rejected in the Lower House by
a majority of thirty-four to twenty-six, but in reporting the
fact on April 2,% the Governor still pressed for the retention
of the troops, urging that in view of the position in Natal the
troops must be retained, leaving it for the Colonial Govern-
ment to give more adequate power to the Executive. But
though the Legislative Assembly supported the Governor
by an address to the throne praying for the retention of
the troops, the Imperial Government declined to accede to
the request, and the Government were told that they must
take steps to place the finances in order and to make other
provision for Colonial defence.
Matters were now complicated by the discovery of dia-
monds in territory claimed by the Orange Free State, but
on October 172% Lord Kimberley addressed a letter to
Sir H. Barkly, who had been chosen to be the new Governor
of the Colony, declaring that the existing form of government
could not be allowed to continue, and must be replaced by
a Crown Colony control or by responsible government. The
! Parl. Pap., H. C. 181, 1870, pp. 18, 26. * Ibid., II, 1870, pp. 3 seq.
$ Ibid., C, 459, p. 46.
14
