seemed anxious to bring about peace." The question of
government, grading from a Crown Colony system up to full
self-government, was discussed; the licensing of rifles for protection
and hunting; the use of English and Dutch languages; the enfranchising
of Kaffirs; the protection of Church and trust funds and the guarantee
of legal debts and notes of the late Republics; the question of a
war-tax on the farms and the time of return of prisoners of war;
pecuniary assistance to the burghers, so as to enable them to start
afresh; the question of amnesty and the proposal to disfranchise Cape
rebels; were all freely discussed. After considerable interchange
between Lord Kitchener and Mr. Brodrick and Lord Milner and Mr.
Chamberlain, a definite statement of terms was offered General Botha and
by letter, dated March 16th, declined. The details of this cabled
correspondence and the proposed terms were, of course, submitted to the
King and approved by His Majesty, and it is certain that had the war
then ended the Coronation would have taken place at an earlier date than
was afterwards fixed.

The question of honours conferred by the Crown in peace or war has
always been one of considerable discussion in Colonial, if not in home
circles. How far the Sovereign acts in this connection with, or without
the advice of responsible Ministers, cannot be exactly known. The action
is unquestionably guided by circumstances based primarily upon the
admitted fact that all honours and titles, constitutionally as well as
theoretically, lie in the hands of the Sovereign. It is probable that
the recommendations made are generally accepted; that the name of any
one known to be disapproved of by the King would never be submitted;
that the slightest hint of disapproval would suffice for any name to be
at once dropped; that any suggestion made by the Sovereign is at once
included in the official list as a matter of course; that the interest
taken by the Sovereign in the honours bestowed depends somewhat upon
whether they are conferred in the ordinary way for routine services or
granted for special reasons of action or state; that Colonial honours
are seldom changed as they come from the hands of the Governor-General
or Viceroy.

On the other hand it may be reasonably assumed that King Edward took
more interest in this subject than did the late Queen. His many years of
active association with public life and men of all classes and political
opinion h