legal knowledge and skill among those who had worked it, and was
aggravated by the fact that the legislature consisted of one Chamber
only, which was naturally led to legislate by way of resolution
(besluit) because the process of passing laws in the stricter sense of
the term involved a tedious and cumbrous process of bringing them to the
knowledge of the people throughout the country. Upon this point there
arose a dispute with the Chief Justice which led to the dismissal of
that official and one of his colleagues, a dispute which could not be
explained here without entering upon technical details. There is no
reason to think that the President's action was prompted by any wish to
give the legislature the means of wronging individuals, nor has evidence
been produced to show that its powers have been in fact (at least to any
material extent) so used. The matter cannot be fairly judged without
considering the peculiar character of the Transvaal Constitution, for
which the President is nowise to blame, and the statements often made in
this country that the subjection of the judiciary to the legislature
destroys the security of property are much exaggerated, for property has
been, in fact, secure. It was, nevertheless, an error not to try to
retain a man so much respected as the Chief Justice, and not to fulfil
the promise given to Sir Henry de Villiers (who had been invoked as
mediator) that the judiciary should be placed in a more assured
position.

The idea which seems to have filled the President's mind was that force
was the only remedy. The Republic was, he thought, sure to be again
attacked from within or from without; and the essential thing was to
strengthen its military resources for defence, while retaining political
power in the hands of the burghers. Accordingly, the fortifications
already begun at Pretoria were pushed on, a strong fort was erected to
command Johannesburg, and munitions of war were imported in very large
quantities, while the Uitlanders were debarred from possessing arms.
Such precautions were natural. Any government which had been nearly
overthrown, and expected another attack, would have done the like. But
these measures of course incensed the Uitlanders, who saw that another
insurrection would have less chance of success than the last, and
resented the inferiority implied in disarmament, as Israel resented the
similar policy pursued by the Philistine princes. The capitalists also,
an import