Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Volume 1 (1919).djvu/39

1875] party raised its head again, and began an agitation on the plea that Lord Carnarvon was in favour of their ideas.

On the 14th of April parliament had assembled, and on the 30th of June it was prorogued. The despatch arrived during the session, and was laid before it, when much merriment was created by the name of Mr. John Paterson being included in the number of Lord Carnarvon's nominees, as he was not only an opponent of the existing government, but was far from being of conciliatory disposition. A minute of the ministers was attached to the despatch, opposing the proposed conference on the ground that the time was inopportune, that the despatch resuscitated the separation movement, and that such a measure should originate in South Africa. Many of the members, however, felt grateful to Lord Carnarvon for the interest he was taking in the country and for his advocacy of a measure that might tend to better treatment of the two republics. In the legislative council a resolution thanking him was carried by nine votes to seven, but in the assembly the minute of the ministers, based on the principle that in a colony possessing responsible government such action as that of the secretary of state was unconstitutional, was approved of by thirty-two votes to twenty-three.

On ascertaining that the Cape Colony would take no part in the conference. Lord Carnarvon abandoned the plan of holding it there, and on the 15th of July 1875 proposed that the place of meeting should be Natal, with Sir Henry Bulwer as president. There was then a prospect that the Orange Free State would be represented, as President Brand had expressed his willingness to take part in a discussion upon the treatment of the Bantu and the sale of arms to those people, if the British government would consent to settle the dispute regarding the diamond fields by direct negotiation. To this condition Lord Carnarvon had agreed, and if an