In the House of Commons on Thursday the peace negotia-
tions formed the subject of debate. The only point of real importance raised was the question of how far after the war was over the Boer farmers should be given pecuniary help by the Imperial Government Mr. Chamberlain dealt with the problem in the true spirit of statesmanship. He refused to adopt the easy and agreeable course of saying that when the war was over the Boers should have money grants by way of gift, and not of loan, to restart them in their farms. He put the matter on the true footing when he said that any help given must be an act of grace, and not an obligation. It would no doubt be an act of good policy to restart the agri- cultural industry in the Colony, but it must be restarted on grounds of policy. We entirely agree, as we do also in regard to the principle that the men who have stood by us during the war must not be less well treated than our enemies in any scheme of compensation after the war. There would have been a serious danger of unfairness if we had been pledged by treaty to help the enemy with money, while the loyalists were left to the uncovenanted mercies of the Treasury.
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