ter, who had been
a member of the Gladstonian Government."

Dr. Hodgkin prefaced this extract by the following lines, addressed to
the Editor of the _Friend_:

"Dear Friend,--In re-perusing a few days ago the life of my late
brother-in-law, Sir R.N. Fowler, I came upon the enclosed passage, which
I think worthy of our consideration at the present time.

Of late years the disputes between our Government and the African
Republic have turned so entirely on questions connected with the status
of the settlers in and around Johannesburg, that we may easily forget
the old subjects of dispute which existed for a generation before it was
known that there were any workable goldfields in South Africa, and
before the word "Uitlander" had been mentioned amongst us. I must
confess that for my part I had forgotten this incident of Sir R.N.
Fowler's Mayoralty, and I think it may interest some of your readers to
be reminded of it at the present time. I am, thine truly,--THOMAS
HODGKIN. Barmoor, Northumberland."

* * * * *

The late Dr. Dale, of Birmingham, was one of those whose minds were
painfully exercised on the matter of the abandonment of the natives of
the Transvaal to the Boers. An extract from his life was sent in
February this year to the _Spectator_, with the following preface:--

"Sir,--I have been greatly impressed by the justice of much that has
been said in the _Spectator_ on the fact that the present war is a
retribution for our indifference and apathy in 1881. We failed in our
duty then. We have taken it up now, but at what a cost! In reading
lately the life of Dr. Dale, of Birmingham, I was struck by his remarks
(pp. 438 and 439) on the Convention of Pretoria. These remarks have such
a bearing on the present situation that I beg you will allow me to quote
them:"--

"In relation to South African affairs he (Dr. Dale) felt silence to be
impossible. He had welcomed the policy initiated by the Convention of
Pretoria (1881) conceding independence to the Transvaal, but imposing on
the Imperial Government responsibility for the protection of native
races within and beyond the frontiers. In correspondence with members of
the House of Commons and in more than one public utterance, he expressed
his satisfaction that the freedom of the Boers did not involve the
slavery of the natives. At first the outlook was hopeful, but the Boers
soon began to chafe against the restrictions to which they w