amine whether it afforded any hope
of settlement. The cabinet were still more strongly inclined towards
coming to terms. Any other decision would have broken up the government,
for on at least one division in the House on Transvaal affairs Mr. Bright
and Mr. Chamberlain, along with three other ministers not in the cabinet,
had abstained from voting. Colley was directed (Feb. 16) to inform the
Boers that on their desisting from armed opposition, the government would
be ready to send commissioners to develop a scheme of settlement, and that
meanwhile if this proposal were accepted, the English general was
authorised to agree to the suspension of hostilities. This was in
substance a conditional acceptance of the Boer overture.(24) On the same
day the general was told from the war office that, as respected the
interval before receiving a reply from Mr. Kruger, the government did not
bind his discretion, but "we are anxious for your making arrangements to
avoid effusion of blood." The spirit of these instructions was clear. A
week later (Feb. 23) the general showed that he understood this, for he
wrote to Mr. Childers that "he would not without strong reason undertake
any operation likely to bring on another engagement, until Kruger's reply
was received."(25) If he had only stood firm to this, a tragedy would have
been averted.

On receiving the telegram of Feb. 16, Colley was puzzled to know what was
the meaning of suspending hostilities if armed opposition were abandoned
by the Boers, and he asked the plain question (Feb. 19) whether he was to
leave Laing's Nek (which was in Natal territory) in Boer occupation, and
our garrisons isolated and short of provisions, or was he to occupy
Laing's Nek and relieve the garrisons. Colley's inquiries were instantly
considered by the cabinet, and the reply settled. The garrisons were to be
free to provision themselves and peaceful intercourse allowed; "but,"
Kimberley tells Colley, "we do not mean that you should march to the
relief of garrisons or occupy Laing's Nek, if the arrangement proceeds.
_Fix reasonable time within which answer must be sent by Boers._"

On Feb. 21 Colley despatched a letter to Kruger, stating that on the Boers
ceasing from armed opposition, the Queen would appoint a commission. He
added that "upon this proposal being accepted _within forty-eight hours
from the receipt of this letter_," he was authorised to agree to a
suspension of hostilities on the part of th