nd ministers regard it
as an imperative duty to do everything in their power to subdue
that rebellious spirit, and restore peace and good-will to the
distracted country."[284]

[Footnote 284: Cd. 903.]

The necessity for the more stringent action now taken by the Imperial
authorities was, therefore, undoubted. But here again, in placing the
ports, the centres of commercial life, under martial law, an endeavour
was made to render the restraints of military rule as little onerous
as possible. A Board, consisting of three persons nominated
respectively by the Governor, the Prime Minister, and the General
Commanding in the Cape Colony, was created for the consideration and,
where necessary, the redress of all complaints or grievances arising
out of martial law in the Colony, other than pecuniary claims against
the Government. The fact that, on the whole, martial law was
judiciously administered is indicated by the Report of the proceedings
of this Board, presented on December 3rd by Mr. (now Sir Lewis)
Mitchell, who, as Manager of the Standard Bank, had been appointed
chairman by Sir W. Hely-Hutchinson. Out of 199 cases brought before
the Board, Mr. Mitchell writes:

"A fair number of substantial grievances have been redressed, but
in a majority of instances the Board have held that complainants
suffered through some misconduct of their own, or were deported,
imprisoned, or otherwise punished on reasonable grounds of
suspicion."[285]

[Footnote 285: Cd. 903.]

[Sidenote: Loyalists defend the colony.]

In all this Sir Gordon Sprigg loyally co-operated with the Imperial
military authorities. His attitude, and that of the loyalist
inhabitants of the Colony, may be gathered from the speech which he
delivered at Capetown on December 1st, 1901. In this striking and
inspiring utterance we have the companion picture to that presented in
the minute of September 12th. Throughout there runs a note of
justifiable pride in the military efforts of the Cape Government, and
in the sacrifices which these efforts have entailed upon the loyalist
population. First there was the number of troops provided. The Cape
Government had placed, he said, 18,000 men in the field against the
invaders and rebels; they had a defensive force of 18,000 town guards,
of whom 3,000 were natives; and, in addition, 7,000 natives were
under arms in the Transkei for the defence of those territories. I