cuAP, m1] THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA 943
later on, in his report of his proceedings, explained with great
ability the reasons which had induced him to act as he did.
After making all possible allowances, it is undeniable that
his action was injudicious. At any rate, Mr. Molteno became
a convinced opponent of federation, and though Lord
Carnarvon still retained hopes that he might be able to
further his pet idea, the annexation of the Transvaal, which
he expected to assist the project, really proved ultimately
fatal to it, for in June 1880, though a Cape Ministry favour-
able to federation and Sir B. Frere were in office, the influence
of the Transvaal leaders secured the rejection of the motion
for federation, and the rebellion in the Transvaal and the
retrocession in 1881 terminated the prospect of union.
It is significant that Mr. Froude anticipated Lord Selborne!
in laying great stress on the advantage which would accrue
to South Africa by freeing itself on federation from inter-
ference from the Imperial Government. He sympathized
energetically with the Government of the Orange Free State
in their dispute with the Imperial Government and the Cape
as regards the ownership of Griqualand West, and he held
out both to the Orange Free State and the Transvaal
Republic the prospect of freedom from interference with the
native policy as a result of federation.
It was not until after the Boer War that the ideal once
more came within the range of practical politics, and the
impulse to union was strengthened by the existence of union
in the Commonwealth. But until the grant of responsible
government to the Transvaal in 1906 and to the Orange River
Colony in 1907 further progress was impossible, though under
Crown Colony administration some efforts towards the end
in view were made by the creation of a common railway
administration for the two Colonies of the Transvaal and the
Orange River in the shape of the Intercolonial Council 2 which
dealt also with questions of expenditure in connexion with the
South African Constabulary, a force common to both Colonies.
A more important matter was the voluntary union of the four
* Parl. Pap., Cd. 3564, p. 18.
* See Orders in Council, Sept. 15, 1902 ; May 20, 1903; Apr. 21, 1904;
Jan. 12, 1905; May 10, 1905.
