correctly sums up the matter:--"To
contend that the Royal Commission ought not to decide contrary to the
wishes of the Boers, because such decision might not be accepted, is
to deny to the Commission the very power of decision that it was agreed
should be left in its hands." Exactly so. But it is evident that the
Commission knew its place, and so far from attempting to exercise any
"power of decision," it was quite content with such concessions as
it could obtain by means of bargaining. Thus, as an additional reason
against the retention of any territory, it is urged that if this
territory was retained "the majority of your Commissioners . . . would
have found themselves in no favourable position for obtaining the
concurrence of the Boer leaders as to other matters." In fact, Her
Majesty's Commission appointed, or supposed to be appointed, to do
Her Majesty's will and pleasure, shook in its shoes before men who had
lately been rebels in arms against Her authority, and humbly submitted
itself to their dicta.

The majority of the Commission went on to express their opinion, that
by giving away about the retention of territory they would be able to
obtain better terms for the natives generally, and larger powers for the
British Resident. But, as Sir Evelyn Wood points out in his Report, they
did nothing of the sort, the terms of the agreement about the Resident
and other native matters being all consequent on and included in the
first agreement of peace. Besides, they seem to have overlooked the
fact that such concessions as they did obtain are only on paper, and
practically worthless, whilst all _bona fide_ advantages remained with
the Boers.

The decision of the Commissioners in the question of the Keate Award,
which next came under their consideration, appears to have been a
judicious one, being founded on the very careful Report of Colonel
Moysey, R.E., who had been for many months collecting information on the
spot. The Keate Award Territory is a region lying to the south-west
of the Transvaal, and was, like many other districts in that country,
originally in the possession of natives, of the Baralong and Batlapin
tribes. Individual Boers having, however, _more suo_ taken possession
of tracts of land in the district, difficulties speedily arose
between their Government and the native chiefs, and in 1871 Mr. Keate,
Lieutenant-Governor of Natal, was by mutual consent called in to
arbitrate on the matter. His decision