CAPE COLONY AND SOUTH AFRICA. 



103 



declined an invitation to attend. On June 1 Sir J. 

 Gordon Sprigg moved the second reading of the re- 

 distribution bill, making its acceptance a Cabinet 

 question. The day before Mr. Schreiner had given 

 notice of a motion of censure on the ground that Sir 

 J. Gordon Sprigg had misrepresented the people in a 

 It-tier to Mr. Chamberlain praising Mr. Rhodes and 

 condoning his acts. After the redistribution bill 

 had passed the second reading by a vote of 42 to 35, 

 although its features were objectionable to the 

 Dutch, the motion of want of confidence was carried 

 on June 22 by 41 votes to 36. On June 28 the 

 Legislature was prorogued. The House of Assembly 

 WHS dissolved, and elections took place in August. 

 The principle for which Sir Gordon Sprigg and the 

 Progressives contended in the campaign was British 

 supremacy, such supremacy as would make the 

 British Government the judge in its dispute with 

 the South African Republic as to the meaning of 

 the convention of 1884. Cecil Rhodes was the cen- 

 tral figure in the contest, and his policy of British 

 rule, leading to imperial expansion throughout 

 Africa from Cairo to the Cape, versus what he called 

 Kriigerism, was the question at issue. Electoral and 

 fiscal reforms, compulsory education, irrigation, and 

 the other items in the ministerial programme were 

 thrust into the background and the race struggle 

 was boldly challenged by the British partisans, 

 although the Afrikander party, led by Englishmen 

 like Mr. Schreiner and Mr. Merriman, declared its 

 loyalty to the British connection, and had the co- 

 operation of Mr. Rose-Innes and his Independent 

 Progressives in its opposition to Rhodes and his 

 methods. In raising the race cry and in justifying 

 menace and interference in the affairs of the Trans- 

 vaal under the guidance of Mr. Rhodes the Govern- 

 ment party miscalculated its strength. When the 

 returns were all in it was found that the Afrikander 

 Bond had a majority in the new Assembly. 



Itnsutoland. The country of the Basutos, who 

 raise wool, wheat, mealies, and Kaffir corn, and pos- 

 sess immense herds of cattle in the fertile plateau 

 lying between ('ape Colony, Natal, and the Orange 

 Free State, which has an area of 10,293 square 

 miles and a population of about 250,000, is a Crown 

 colony, administered by a Resident Commissioner, 

 Sir G. Y. Lagden. The imports in 1896 were valued 

 at 135.560, and the exports at 160.277. The 

 revenue was 45,867; expenditure, 45,768. 



The chief Masupha having resisted the police 

 who attempted to arrest his son Moiketsi on the 

 charge of assault and jail-breaking, the paramount 

 chief Lerothodi marched with 10,000 men against 

 his unruly vassal, who, after a siege and severe 

 skirmishing, surrendered on Jan. 18, 1898. 



Bechuanaland. The Bechuanaland protecto- 

 rate comprises the country of Khama, chief of the 

 Bamangwato, and the Bakhatla and Bangwaketse 

 countries under the chiefs Lenchwe and Bathoen, 

 containing in all 213,000 square miles, extend- 

 ing north of the Molopo from the South African 

 Republic and Matabeleland on the east to German 

 Southwest Africa on the west. The sale of intoxi- 

 cants is forbidden in the protectorate, which is 

 governed by the chiefs under the control of a Resi- 

 dent Commissioner, F. J. Newton, answerable to 

 the High Commissioner. The natives are peaceful 

 agriculturists and graziers, and they pay a hut tax 

 for the support of the British administration. The 

 Bechuanas who were found in the Langberg at the 

 close of the rebellion of 1897 and were deported to 

 the number of nearly 2,000 to Cape Colony and 

 indentured to farmers for the period of five years, 

 having been given the option of going as servants 

 or standing their trial for treason, \vere placed with 

 good masters and made good servants, according to 

 the report of the Government inspectors. 



Natal. The legislative powers are vested by the 

 charter of 1893 in a Legislative Council of 11 mem- 

 bers appointed for ten years and a Legislative 

 Assembly of 37 members elected for four years by 

 male citizens possessing or occupying immovable 

 property or having an income of 96, of whom 

 there were 9,208 in 1896. The Governor is Sir 

 Walter Francis Hely-Hutchinson, appointed in 

 1893. The ministry constituted on Oct. 4,1897, 

 was composed as follows: Premier and Colonial 

 Secretary, H.Binns; Attorney-General and Minister 

 of Education, H. Bale ; Colonial Treasurer, Mr. 

 Arbuckle; Minister of Native Affairs, J. L. Hulett; 

 Minister of Public Works, Mr. Hime; Minister of 

 Agriculture, E. Ryley. 



Area and Population. The area is estimated 

 at 20,461 square miles. The population in 1891 

 was 543,913, comprising 46,788 whites, 41,142 East 

 Indians, and 455,983 Kaffirs. This does not include 

 Zululand and British Amatongaland, which were 

 incorporated in the colony in December, 1897. The 

 area of Zululand is about 12,500 square miles, and 

 the population 180,370, including 1,100 whites. 



Finances. The revenue for the year ending 

 June 30, 1896, was 1,457,338. of which 745,703 

 were railroad receipts, 265,369 customs revenue, 

 19,612 excise duties, 37,556 receipts from sales 

 of land, 45,945 post-office receipts, 22,080 tele- 

 graph receipts, 28.123 stamps and license dues, 

 and 76,847 the native hut tax. The expenditures 

 amounted to 1,282,484, of which 745,703 were for 

 operating the railroads, 66,929 for public works, 

 and 107,150 for defense. The expenditure from 

 loans, not included in the above, was 232,652. 

 The debt on June 30, 1896, amounted to 8.054,343. 

 The armed forces consist of 490 mounted police and 

 1,391 volunteers, not including the naval corps of 

 90 men. 



Commerce and Production. Maize, wheat, 

 and green crops are grown for home consumption, 

 and sugar and tea for export. The country is rich 

 in coal and iron. The total value of the imports in 

 1896 was 5,437,863, and of the exports 1.785,375. 

 The principal exports were wool for 590,605, gold 

 for 102,624, coal for 88,334, hides and skins for 

 42,730, Angora hair for 24,925, and bark for 

 16,450. 



Navigation. There were 740 vessels, of 1.071,196 

 tons, entered and 727, of 1,003,797 tons, cleared in 

 1896. The colony possessed 13 sailing vessels, of 

 675 tons, and 14 steamers, of 2,050 tons. 



Railroads. The Government railroads in 1897 

 had a total length of 402 miles, built at a cost of 

 6.117.211. The receipts in 1896 were 1,136,213, 

 and expenditures 421,989, giving a profit of llf 

 per cent, on the capital. | 



Legislation. The farmers of Natal have not 

 hitherto exercised such influence as to obtain pro- 

 tective duties as they have in Cape Colony. A 

 duty was imposed, however, on imported mealies at 

 a previous session, and on Jan. 7 the Government 

 carried a bill placing one of 2d. a pound on frozen 

 meats by 25 to 11 votes. By a majority almost as 

 large the Legislature on June 10 ratified the Cape 

 Town convention uniting the colonies in a customs 

 union. This increases the duty on coal Is. per 100 

 pounds, and reduces the duty on frozen beef Id. per 

 pound, and on flour 6d. per 100 pounds. 



Orange Free State. The legislative power is 

 vested in the Volksraad, a single Chamber of 58 

 members elected for four years by the votes of all 

 adult male whites, one half being renewed every 

 two years. The President of the republic, who is 

 elected by all the burghers for the term of five 

 years, is M. T. Steyn, elected Feb. 21, 1896. 



Area and Population. The Free State has an 

 area of 48,326 square miles, with a population in 



