The Zulu debate of Wednesday was, like most of the
Zulu debates, unsatisfactory. It is easy to show,—and Mr. Wodehouse especially, we think, did show,—that our position in South Africa, and especially in relation to Zululand and the Transvaal, is anything but what it should be ; but it is not easy to show, and no one did show, that it could be improved by the policy of steady annexation, which is the only remedy proposed. We tried annexation in the case of the Transvaal, and found that it involved us in a struggle which would end, if we pursued it, in our having to conquer the whole Dutch race, and to rule them by force. If we are to annex Zululand, we shall be involved in a responsibility for the whole native race north of Natal, to which we are hardly equal ; and that, again, would further complicate our relations with the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Our own belief is, that the Government is justified in shrinking from further extension of our power. But we do hold that the appointment of a strong Viceroy in South Africa might intro- duce order into the confused skein of our policy there. Mr. Dawnay's motion to reduce the vote for the Government of Natal was rejected by 155 votes against 99,—majority, 56.
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