Punch: Punch (76.1879)

160

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON

CHARIVARI. [April 12, 1879.

MELTING S "

Stout Chairman [who feels the fire close at his lack rather oppressive). " Waiter,

i asked you to bring me a screen."

Waiter. "Master's vert sorry, Sir, but we ain't got no Screen!"
Stout Chairman. "Then, for Goodness' sake, tell the Cook to send up
the Dripping-Pan, and put it under me, quick ! "

and his Boers. In fact, it was a case of " Bad begins, but worse remains behind."
The motto of the head of the Government was " adventures for the adventurous,"
and of Lord Salisbury, "_De Paudace, et de Paudace, et toujours de Vaudace ."'
Sir Bartle Frere was a Colonial Governor after the same type. Our only course
was to retrace our steps, and undo what we had misdone ; give back the Trans-
vaal to the Boers, drop Confederation, throw over Sir Theophilus Shepstone,
recall Sir Bartle Frere—in fact, sit down to the biggest humble pie ever
baked in Blunderland.

"Not if we know it," said Lord Sandon. The annexation of the Transvaal
had been approved on both sides the House by all but the Member for Liskeard
and a handful of his own faithful band of crotcheteers. " Sir Chafiles Dilke's
able speech had been a speech for the prosecution. Sir Bartle Frere had not
exaggerated the danger. His only fault was over-zeal. The letter that
censured him conveyed a compliment in asking him to stay where he was.
Sir Bartle and Lord Chelmsford were the two leading spirits in South Africa.
If one were recalled so must the other be, and who can say what that might lead
to ? Disasters had their good side. They stirred up our highest virtues. The
House ought to rally round men who were honestly, ably, zealously, and truly
doing their duty to their country and their Queen.

In short, Lord Sandon very gallantly took up the cudgels for Sir Bartle,
and argued that,_ on the whole, though he might have earned an official wigging
for insubordination, the House ought to have treated him as a Billy Taylor,
and " werry much applauded him for what he had done." And so said Sir G.
Balfour and Colonel Alexander in even plainer terms. The Resolution, if
adopted, would drive out of the Service strong, self-reliant administrators, and
fill it with pliant officials ; and the Colonel was glad Government had resolved
to meet it with an emphatic " No ! "

That is not the view Mr. Synan took of the Government's policy. It had
first been a policy of trickery, now it was one of baseness and degradation.
They had thrown over their instruments when they found their little game a
losing one.

Mr. Arthur Mills cannoned off Mr. Courtney on to Sir Bartle. He
admitted that the annexation of the Transvaal was a lamentable mistake, but
Sir Bartle was not to blame.

Mr. O'Connor Power took the wrongs of Zululand as
text for a "discoorse" on the wrongs of Ireland. He
entered his protest against the combined cruelty and
hypocrisy of English policy in South Africa.

Mr. Gorst didn't see why Government should resign
if the House carried the Resolution. The fact was, that
the Government could always check the war-fever in a
Colony. They wanted to make the best of a bad case. Sir
Bartle's was a very bad case. But if it hadn't been for
the disaster at Isandlana, they would never have heard
anything of a censure on Sir Bartle. He should vote for
the Resolution. It would get rid of Sir Bartle Frere,
without doing any great harm to Her Majesty's Govern-
ment. (Defection number three.)

Sir W. V. Harcourt said there was no fear of that.
The Government had laid down the principle that public
servants who had received the severest censure should
stay at their posts. Sir William proceeded to cut up
Sir Bartle and. his Blue-Book, then to spit him on a sharp
and well-pointed argument, and finally to roast him at
a smart fire of effective epigram. The original mis-
chief was not the annexation of the Transvaal, but that
when we annexed it we did in Boerdom as the Boers
did. _ Sir Bartle's arbitration was like Nathan's de-
livering an ultimatum to Naboth. He said the Zulu
lands must be given back, but that the wrongful occu-
piers must not be disturbed. He stood condemned by
his own words and deeds as well as by the Government
that employed him. His acts were just those a man
of experience, ability, and judgment would not have
committed. His despatches were alike devoid of logic,
temper, and dignity—mere special pleadings, in over-
charged language, in favour of foregone conclusions.
The Government could no more guide Sir Bartle Frere
than a small boy could prevent a four-year-old from
rushing at his fences. He was their Phaeton. They
had to look on while he set the world on fire in South
Africa. The censure they had ventured to send him was
praise in disguise, if actual encouragement had not
accompanied official reprimand. The Opposition by this
Resolution would discharge their consciences from the
intolerable burden of a policy which had brought us
sorrow, shame, and disaster, and which would lead to
neither advantage nor honour.

Mr. O'Donnell delivered his stone smartly, and with
all his strength. The Government policy had been a
copy of the worst policy of the most aggressive and
annexative European colonists in South Africa. Our
raids had been like the worst of the Bashi-Bazooks'.
We were land-robbers, plunderers, village - burners.
When we won a battle, we drove our savage foe from
their lands, seized their property, and stole their cattle.
If these things were allowed to go on, we should be
turning South Africa into a Slave State.

Mr. Chaplin went the whole British Squire for Sir
Bartle, his policy, and his acts.

The Marquis of Hartington, and Sir Stafford
Northcote summed up, pro and con. the Resolution,
con. and pro Sir Bartle Frere—for the debate had long
since strayed on to the ground of the High Commissioner's
merits, not of the Government's in censuring him with-
out removing him; and the House divided_ at ten
minutes past two—246 for the Motion, 306 against. A
majority of 60 is too narrow to be pleasant, in_ compa-
rison with the other majorities on great party issues in
this and last Session.

(Don't you think, "my Lord B., taking this week's
Divisions all together, that the barometer wants tapping P
Punch ventures on a hint in this week's heading.)

Tuesday {Lords).—Lord Cottesloe moves for returns
to show how dead against us is the balance of American
trade. If it were as easy to set balances to-rights as to
state them!

{Commons.)—Wellington College hauled over the coals
on Mr. Yorke's Motion for inquiry how far the present
administration of the College carries out the intention
of its foundation as a place of education for officers'
orphans and children. It was only a second thought
to take in sons of civilians whose higher payments were
to help out the lower ones of soldiers' orphans, and
children.

The Queen laid the first stone in 1856. The college
opened with eighty orphans, and the hope of 200.

The list of orphans still stands at the original num-
ber. There are besides 210 boys, not sons of officers, who