CO885-(18-19) — Page 404

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

19 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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white supervision the tribal system which I have assumed cannot be a permanent solution.

(v) The native question in South Africa is complicated

(a) by the presence of two dominant white races, and those two races differing in tradition on the native question

(6) by the presence of other coloured races than natives of Africa, the most important being the East Indian element in Natal, though the East Indians in Natal do not form so large a proportion of the population as in Mauritius, Trinidad or British Guiana.

It is also

complicated by the diversities of land tenure, and manifold differences of custom and status.

(vi) On the other hand, the main body of natives are more or less of one type and, as I understand, the large majority are more or less on one level, inviting within limits a uniform method of treatment throughout South Africa. The South African Native Affairs Commission write (p. 52):

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On all important questions, although marked differences exist, it should be possible to arrive at uniform principles to be followed in the future policy of the South African Governments, but the diverse conditions under which different sections of natives live, and the varying degrees of civilised advancement to which they have attained,suggest the impracticability of immediate uniformity in Native administration.”

(vii) Missionary influence, which is a pro. native and an educating influence, is, and always has been from Moffat's and Livingstone's times, specially strong in South Africa, and specially well-backed in England. - Native elucation has

(I think I am right in saying) been almost entirely in the hands of the churches.

The report of the Commission on South African Native Affairs says (p. 49) :

"Native education has almost completely resolver itself into what may be briefly des cribed as

a system of State-aided Mission schools"; and the Director of Education in the Orange River Colony, in his 1906 report, writes of the efforts put forth by the various churches

in connexion with the work of civilising and educating the natives of this colony,"

Such passages could be indefinitely multiplied. Suggestions as regards Native policy in South Africa.

The following comments are made without adequate knowledge, and are entirely subject to criticism and correction from others who have been closely following South African matters, or who know South Africa from personal experience :-

(a) I take it as a commonplace that the two great defects of native policy in South Africa

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have been (i) want of uniformnity, (ii) want of continuity.

Want of uniformity displays itself in two directions. There is different handling of the native problem by the different self-governing States, and there is different handling by any one of those States and the Imperial Govern- ment. Given two traditionally antagonistic white races, and States with different institutions, Self-governing Colonies, two of which were till lately Republies, Crown Colonies, and Pro- rectorates, want of uniformity was inevitable. Diversity of views upon the native question was the main cause of the Great Trek-the breaking up of South Africa; it is apparently the great difficulty in the way of reunion. The most serious feature in this want of uniformity seems

to me to be the effect that it must have on the natives. They must be perpetually contrasting local rule with rule controlled from England. They must inevitably see and appreciate division among their rulers.'

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Want of continuity is due to parliamentary institutions in England and South Africa. would be superfluous to illustrate it or enlarge upon its mischievous results. The Natal Com- wissioners refer in their report (p. 3) to "the absence of persistent purpose in the native policy of Natal and the apprehensions raised in native minds by the movability of ruling officers, which is the chief feature of responsible government

Not only do Ministers change but their ideas of treatment vary also, and this raises suspicion and engenders mistrust.' I do not know-in the British Empire, at any rate,—any exact parallel to the case of South Africa. We are familiar in colonial history with the difficulties arising from want of con tinuity in foreign and colonial history due to parliamentary government in England, but I cannot recall another wholly analogous case the spot as of parliamentary government on applied over a majority of fellow subjects who are not slaves but not citizens.

b) Is there any practicable remedy for this want of uniformity?

Complete uniformity implies uniformity of laws and also uniformity of administration: but

I take it that there may be partial uniformity-- uniform laws diversely administered, or diverse laws but uniform machinery of administration. South African union would imply complete uni- South formity of law and administration. African federation would imply a certain amount of diversity.

There cannot be either complete union or complete federation without including the pre- sent Crown Colonies and Protectorates, but there could be incomplete union or federation, ¿c. union or federation of the Self-governing Colonies

• See paragraphs 4 7 of Lord Carnarvon's despatch of Ith May, 1879, “ Proposal for a Conference of dele- gutes from the Colonies and States of South Africa," [C. 1214], May, 1875.

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