CHAP. 1] ORIGIN AND HISTORY 57
concern was to remain in force, subject to the right of either
Colony to terminate it upon notice given, and some steps
were taken to place under independent boards in both
Colonies the affairs of the land-settlers, who had taken up
land on the faith of Government promises of assistance, and
whose interests were, it was thought, possibly liable to too
Strict treatment from a responsible government—not an
impossibility, in view of the fact that the settlement policy
had been inaugurated in part as a means of bringing
in British settlers to redress the balance of nationalities in
both Colonies. Subject, however, to that exception, which
was merely to be temporary, for the clauses enjoining it
were to expire in five years, the Imperial Government con-
ceded full self-government to republics which but a few
years before had been engaged in a prolonged and dangerous
War with the metropolis of the Empire. The contrast was
Strengthened by the fact that the first elections in the
Transvaal returned to power the ex-leader of the Boer
forces, General Botha, and by a stroke of good fortune he
Was able to be present at the Colonial Conference of 1907 and
to advise His Majesty's Government upon the questions
affecting the defence of the Colony of which he was Premier.
The Transvaal was fated to have but a short separate
existence as a Colony of the Empire, but the conduct of its
government was marked by singular ability, and the con-
fidence reposed in the value of responsible institutions by
the Imperial Government in 1906 was proved to be fully
justified. In fact, no more signal example of the benefits
of the system have ever been seen. In the Orange River
Colony much the same results followed from the concession
of responsible government until 1909, when the efforts of
the Minister of Education, an enthusiastic believer in
bilingua] education, resulted in some difficulties with the
English officers of the education department, culminating in
the dismissal of three inspectors? and ultimately the resigna-
tion of the very able Director of Education. But despite
this regrettable incident, in which it would be unfair to see
* Cf. House of Commons Debates, July 27, 1909.
