SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1763, 14 October 1879, Page 3

SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND.

In the Houae of Commons Mr Chamberlain called attention to the administration of Native affairs in South Africa, especially in connexion with the origin and conduct of the war with the Galekas and Gaikas. He contended that these wars had been provoked by the local authorities, at the instigation of and to satisfy the land greed of the colonists, against the will of the Home Government j and he described, with many quotations from newspapers and official documents, the barbarous manner in which the hostilities with tho Natives had been waged. To ascertain how it had been possible to carry out this policy of annexation, in spite of the protests of the British Government, he suggested that a Royal Commission should be sent out. Mr W. James Baid they might take a useful lesson from what had happened in the case of New Zealand. If they were to deal with the Cape Colonies in the same way as they had dealt with New Zealand, tho recurrence of those native wars would be most improbable. Mr A. M'Arthur believed that many things had been done in South Africa of which they should be ashamed, and which they must all deplore. He reminded the House that the withdrawal of the British troops from New Zealand was what had first led to the cessation of hostilities there, and thought that a like result would follow from the same course being pursued in South Africa. Mr E. Jenkins held that this was impracticable, as this country would not allow the white and black races to fight it out. The solution which he preferred was to increase the powers of the High Commissioner and to restrict the authority of the local Legislatures.

Mr J. Macarthy and Mr Hermon also spoke in favor of a firmer policy at the Colonial office. Sir M. Hicks-Beach remarked that the problem was unique, but it could not be solved by the application of the New Zealand pslicy, aa the circumstances of the two colonies were utterly dissimilar, nor by a Royal Oommiasion, aince those colonies possessed responsible government. He denied that these wars were due to the land greed of the coloniats, but attributed them rather to the pressure produced by the flow of the whites northwards and of the blacka southwards. Some of Mr Chamberlain's complaints he showed were unfair and inaccurate; and aa to the stories of cruelty, though he admitted that they reflected diacredit, not only on the colonists, but on ourselves, he pointed out that some of them were liable to to the suspicion of exaggeration, and many of tbem when they had been examined into had turned out to be unfounded. Moreover it rested with the responsible Colonial Government to deal with these Crimea, and if they could be traced out it would be found that they had been committed by Volunteera, not accustomed to discipline. The most effectual preventive would be induce the colonies to to organise a regular permanent force for their own defence, and thia he believed might he beat attained by the policy of Confederation to which the Government still adhered.

Mr W. E. Forster approved the tone and intention of the Colonial Secretary's speech, and rejoiced to hear that the Government held to the policy of Confederation. He agreed that it was impossible to withdraw our troops from the colony, as in the case of New Zealand, but the time was come when the terms of our connection should be revised. We must insist on having a larger share in guiding the policy of the colonists, and they must take a larger share in their own defence. Although a Royal Commission might not be advisable for inquiry into the past, he believed it would be of great value in settling the terms of future alliance.