onsible government to the white inhabitants of
Natal, should they be willing to accept it, providing that it is to
carry with it the responsibility of ruling the natives, and further, of
defending the colony from the attacks of its neighbours, whether white
or coloured.

Natal has hitherto been ruled under a hybrid constitution, which, whilst
allowing the Legislative Assembly of the colony to pass laws, &c.,
reserves all real authority to the Crown. There has, however, been
for some years past a growing agitation amongst a proportion of its
inhabitants, instituted with the object of inducing the Home Government
to concede practical independence to the colony, Her Majesty having
on several occasions been petitioned on the subject by the Legislative
Council. On the 13th February 1880, Sir G. Wolseley, who was at the
time Governor of Natal, wrote what I can only call, a very intemperate
despatch to the Secretary of State, commenting on the prayer for
responsible government, which he strongly condemned. He also took
the opportunity to make a series of somewhat vicious attacks on the
colonists in general, whose object in asking for independence was, he
implied, to bring the black man in relations of "appropriate servitude
to his white superior." It would appear, however, from words used by him
towards the end of his despatch, that the real reason of his violence
was, that he feared, that one of the first acts of the Natal Parliament
would be to put an end to his settlement in Zululand, which was and
is the laughing-stock of the colony. He was probably right in this
supposition. The various charges he brings against the colonists
are admirably and conclusively refuted in a minute adopted by the
Legislative Council of Natal, dated 20th December 1880.

In a despatch, dated 15th March 1881, Lord Kimberley refuses to accede
to the request for the grant of Responsible Government.

On the 28th of December, the Legislative Council again petitioned the
Crown on the subject, and forward to Lord Kimberley a report of a Select
committee appointed to consider the matter, in which the following words
occur:--

"Your committee hold that while the colony may well be held responsible
for its defence from such aggression as may be caused by the acts or
policy of a responsible government, it cannot justly be saddled with the
obligation to meet acts of aggression from bordering territories
that have arisen out of the circumstances or measur