tact with matters political. Of course, it is
inevitable in all disputes of the companies with foreign powers, and is
extended over all decrees of the company regarding the administration of
its territories, the taxation of natives, and mining regulations. In all
cases of dispute between the companies and the natives the secretary of
state is _ex officio_ the judge, and to the secretary of state (in the
case of the South Africa Company) the accounts of administration have to
be submitted for his approbation. It is deserving of notice that the
British character of the company is insisted upon in each case in the
charter which calls it into life. The crown always retains complete
control over the company by reserving to itself the power of revoking
the charter in case of the neglect of its stipulations. Special clauses
were inserted in the charters of the British East Africa and South
Africa Companies enabling the government to forfeit their charters if
they did not promote the objects alleged as reasons for demanding a
charter. This bound them still more strongly; and in the case of the
South Africa Company the duration of the charter was fixed at
twenty-five years.

The chartered company of these days is therefore very strongly fixed
within limits imposed by law on its political action. As a whole,
however, very remarkable results have been achieved. This may be
attributed in no small degree to the personality of the men who have had
the supreme direction at home and abroad, and who have, by their social
position and personal qualities, acquired the confidence of the public.
With the exception of the Royal Niger Company, it would be incorrect to
say that they have been financially successful, but in the domain of
government generally it may be said that they have added vast
territories to the British empire (in Africa about 1,700,000 sq. m.),
and in these territories they have acted as a civilizing force. They
have made roads, opened facilities for trade, enforced peace, and laid
at all events the foundation of settled administration. It is not too
much to say that they have often acted unselfishly for the benefit of
the mother country and even humanity. We may instance the anti-slavery
and anti-alcohol campaigns which have been carried on, the latter
certainly being against the immediate pecuniary interests of the
companies themselves. It must, of course, be recognized that to a
certain extent this has been done under