Lord Granville replied in a more serious vein, though he
admitted that he was "somewhat deaf and often lame," and declined to take the responsibility for all Mr. Chamber- lain had said in public meetings, unless Lord Salisbury would take the responsibility for all the violent things he himself had uttered. The debate then glided off to South Africa, Lord Carnarvon wishing to know what we had undertaken to do, and what the Cape Government had undertaken to do. This drew Lord Derby, who made a sensible though chilling speech, containing the important statements that he thought the Boers would retire from Bechuanaland, and that the Cape Government would consent to include it within the limits of Cape Colony, thus ensuring to the district regular and civilised administration. Moreover, her Majesty's Government "would regard any attack upon the Zululand Reserve precisely as they would regard an attack upon Natal." These two assurances, which are unusually clear, amount to declarations of a definite policy, which will take all heart out of the debate on South-African affairs.
