ight of preemption as
against any other state desiring to purchase the territory.[23] This
provision is momentous as giving Britain the right to prevent not only
the South African Republic, but any European power, from acquiring a
point of the utmost importance both commercial and strategical. Rumours
have often been circulated that Britain would gladly acquire by purchase
the harbour of Delagoa Bay, but the sensitive patriotism of the
Portuguese people is at present so strongly opposed to any sale of
territory that no Portuguese ministry is likely to propose it.[24]

At the very time when the attempt to acquire Delagoa Bay revealed the
new purposes which had begun to animate Great Britain, another scheme
was suggested to the Colonial Office by the success which had lately
attended its efforts in Canada. In 1867 the passing of the British North
America Act drew the theretofore isolated provinces of the Dominion
into a confederation, relieving the home government of some grave
responsibilities, and giving to the whole country the advantages of
common administration and legislation in matters of common concern. Lord
Carnarvon, then colonial secretary, threw himself into the idea of
similarly uniting the different Colonies and States of South Africa. It
had been advocated by Sir George Grey, when Governor in 1858, and had
even received the support of the Orange Free State, whose Volksraad
passed a resolution favouring it in that year. Many considerations of
practical convenience suggested this scheme, chief among them the
desirability of having both a uniform policy in native affairs (the
absence of which had recently caused trouble) and a common commercial
policy and tariff system. Accordingly, in 1875 Lord Carnarvon addressed
a despatch to the Governor of Cape Colony, recommending such a scheme as
fit to be adopted by that Colony, which three years before had received
responsible government, and Mr. J.A. Froude was sent out to press it
upon the people. The choice did not prove a fortunate one, but even a
more skilful emissary would probably have failed, for the moment was
inopportune. The Cape people were not ready for so large and
far-reaching a proposal. The Orange Free State was exasperated at the
loss of Griqualand West. The Transvaal people, though, as we shall see
presently, their republic was in sore straits, were averse to anything
that could affect their independence. However, Sir Bartle Frere, the
next Governor