t6 RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT [PART 1 
they could not adduce any reason for this hope. At the 
beginning of June 1871 the matter was brought before the 
House in a motion by Mr. Molteno, when the House approved 
the principle of responsible government! and a Bill was 
introduced for the purpose which was carried by thirty-one 
votes to twenty-six. The Bill contained the curious pro- 
vision that the Governor could select as his ministers persons 
not members of either House, and that they could speak but 
not vote in either House of Parliament. In sending home 
the Bill the Governor stated that though the majority was 
small it did not fully represent the real feeling in the country ; 
the members for the eastern province were afraid that a 
responsible government sitting at Capetown would neglect 
their interests, while members for the frontier districts, 
though in favour of responsible government, desired to have 
it thrust upon them by the Imperial Government in order 
that they might be able, despite responsible government, 
to maintain their claim to military protection at Imperial 
charges. In the Upper House, however, the Bill came to 
grief, even after the curious clause in question had been 
deleted in the Lower House. The final vote was twelve to 
nine, and in the majority were eight eastern members and 
four western members as opposed to seven western members 
and two eastern members, showing very clearly, as the 
Governor pointed out, that the old issue of west and east 
had determined the day. But the Governor added that he 
had no doubt that the principle of responsible government 
would be adopted with no long delay, and the Secretary of 
State re-echoed his view in acknowledging the receipt of 
the news of the defeat of the measure. 
The Governor was right in his prediction of the future. 
In June 1872 the Council passed the Bill for responsible 
government by eleven to ten votes, the change in view being 
due to the fact that two of the four western members had 
decided to give their constituencies the opportunity of 
expressing their opinions on the topic, and had received so 
clear a mandate as to render them determined to cast their 
* Parl. Pap., C. 459, pp. 186 seq. * Ibid., pp. 197 seq.