THE RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.
[TO THE EDITOR OH TRH "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Is not the assumption in your article in the Spectator of April 12th that the Rhodes scholars will return from Oxford strengthened in their allegiance to the Empire rather discounted by the fact that some of the most able and the most determined of our opponents in South Africa (such as Mr. Reitz, Mr. Smuts, and several in Cape Colony) are just those who have been educated at English Universities ? Is it not much more likely that they will imbibe that English love of independence and freedom which will make them bitterly resent any attempt by English statesmen or English Governors to override the desires of the Colonial Parliaments even as regards the policy to be adopted towards neighbouring States, to 'say,nothing of the entire suspension of Parliamentary govermnent and civil liberty throughout the Colony under whatexer plea of .disaffection or rebellion F—I am, Sir, &c., W. S. ROWNTEEE. -.Enaclife, Granville Road, Scarborough.
[Tire best answer to Mr. Rowntree's back-hander is to be found in the fact that not one of the Parliaments or Ministries of the self-governing Colonies has made any sort of objection to the suspension of Parliamentary government in Cape Colony.. We are not in the least afraid of Colonists imbibing the English love of freedom and independence, though we expect they have already learned that lesson as fully Bs it can be learned in their own homes. Mr. Reitz and Mr..Smuts are in any case very unfortunate examples for Mr. llowntree to employ. They did not learn enough about liberty here to enable them to grant the vote to the Outlander or to let the native have even a nominal equality before the law.—Ee. Soctafor.)
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