Sir Garnet Wolseley's speech to the Legislative Council of Natal,
asking them to surrender the liberties of the colony to the Crown, was a most moderate and judicious one. He had proposed that the Crown nominees and the elected representatives should be equal in number, and his main argument was the absolute necessity of framing an Executive strong enough to ensure security and a consistent course of policy, so that emigration might flow into the colony, capital might be risked there, and the necessary public works might be commenced. With only 17,000 whites and 300,000 Caffres in the colony, the English doctrine that taxation and representation should be conterminous could not be obeyed, and the only refuge from it was a strong Executive. Sir Garnet hintedthat the alternative would be the assumption of all powersby the Crown, and we are not quite sure that policy would not be the wiser. A Council of thirty members is a cumbrous instru- ment for the government of a colony with a smaller white population than Hampstead, nor can any representation be satisfactory which omits seventeen-eighteenths of the people. The nominee members may be restive about colour. It appears probable, however, that the colony will agree to the proposal made, and the Government is pretty sure to secure one ally among the elected fifteen, more especially if office is fairly distributed between representatives and nominees.
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