broken out the Free State began to expel British subjects, and the very first act of war was committed by Free State Boers, who, on the 11th of October, seized a train upon the border belonging to Natal. The events of the war are given elsewhere (see Transvaal: History).
After the surrender of Cronje at Paardeberg on the 27th of
February 1900 Bloemfontein was occupied by the British troops
under Lord Roberts (March 13,) and on the
28th of May a proclamation was issued annexing the
Free State to the British dominions under the title
British adminis-
tration.of Orange River Colony. For nearly two years longer
the burghers kept the field under Christian de Wet (q.v.), and
other leaders, but by the articles of peace signed on the 31st
of May 1902 British sovereignty was acknowledged. A civil
administration of the colony was established early in 1901 with
Sir Alfred Milner as governor. Major (afterwards Sir) H. J.
Goold-Adams was appointed lieutenant-governor, Milner being
governor also of the Transvaal, which country claimed most
of his attention. A nominated legislative council was established
in June 1902 of which Sir John Fraser and a number of other
prominent ex-burghers became unofficial members. The railways
and constabulary of the two colonies were (1903) placed under
an inter-colonial council; active measures were taken for the
repatriation of the prisoners of war and the residents in the
concentration camps, and in every direction vigorous and
successful efforts were made to repair the ravages of the war.
Over £4,000,000 was spent by the British government in Orange
Colony alone on these objects. At the same time efforts were
made, with a fair measure of success, to strengthen the British
element in the country by means of land settlements. Special
attention was also devoted to the development of the resources
of the country by building new lines of railway traversing the
fertile south-eastern districts and connecting Bloemfontein
with Natal and with Kimberley. The educational system was
reorganized and greatly improved.
To a certain extent the leading ex-burghers co-operated with
the administration in the work of reconstruction. The loss
of their independence was, however, felt bitterly by the
Boers, and the attitude assumed by the majority was
highly critical of the work of the government. Having
Oranjie
Unie
formed.recovered from the worst effects of the war the Boers,
both in the Transvaal and Orange Colony, began in 1904 to make
organized efforts to regain their political ascendancy, and to
bring pressure on the government in respect to compensation,
repatriation, the position of the Dutch language, education and
other subjects on which they alleged unfair treatment. This
agitation, as far as the Orange River Colony was concerned,
coincided with the return to South Africa of ex-President Steyn.
Mr Steyn had gone to Europe at the close of the war and did
not take the oath of allegiance to the British Crown until the
autumn of 1904. A congress of ex-burghers was held at Brandfort
in December 1904, when among other resolutions passed
was one demanding the grant of self-government to the colony.
This was followed in July 1905 by a conference at Bloemfontein,
when it was resolved to form a national union. This organization,
known as the Oranjie Unie, was formally constituted in May
1906, but had been in existence for some months previously.
A similar organization, called Het Volk, had been formed by the
Transvaal Boers in January 1905. Both unions had constitutions
almost identical with that of the Afrikander Bond, and their
aims were similar—to secure the triumph of Boer ideals in state
and society. Of the Oranjie Unie Mr Abraham Fischer became
chairman, other prominent members being Messrs Hertzog,
C. de Wet and Steyn. Mr Fischer, the leader of the party, was
one of the ablest statesmen on the Boer side in the pre-war
period. He was originally an attorney in Cape Colony and had
joined the Free State bar in 1875. He became vice-president
of the volksraad in 1893 and a member of the executive council
of the state in 1896. He was one of the most trusted counsellors
of Presidents Steyn and Kruger, and the ultimatum sent to the
British on the eve of hostilities was recast by him. While the
war was in progress he went to Europe to seek support for
the Boer cause. He returned to South Africa early in 1903
and was admitted to the bar of the Orange Colony.
A counter-organization was formed by the ex-burghers who had whole-heatedly accepted the new order of things. They took the title of the Constitutional party, and Sir John Fraser was chosen as chairman. In Bloemfontein the Constitutionalists had a strong following; elsewhere their supporters were numerically weak. It was noteworthy that the programmes of the two parties were very similar, the real difference between them being the attitude with which they regarded the British connexion. While the ideal of the Unie was an Afrikander state, the Constitutionalists desired the perfect equality of both white races.
The advent of a Liberal administration under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman in Great Britain in December 1905 completely altered the political situation in the late Boer states. The previous (Conservative) government had in March 1905 made public a form of representative Responsible government.government, intended to lead up to self-government for the Transvaal, and had intimated that a similar constitution would be subsequently conferred on the Orange Colony. The Campbell-Bannerman administration decided to do without this intermediary step in both colonies. In April 1906 a committee, under the chairmanship of Sir J. West-Ridgeway, was sent to South Africa to inquire into and report upon various questions regarding the basis of the franchise, single-member constituencies and kindred matters. There was in the Orange Colony a considerable body of opinion that the party system of government should be avoided, and that the executive should consist of three members elected by the single representative chamber it was desired to obtain, and three members nominated by the governor—in short, what was desired was a restoration as far as possible of the old Free State constitution. These views were laid before the committee on their visit to Bloemfontein in June 1906. When, however, the outline of the new constitution was made public in December 1906 it was found that the British government had decided on a party government plan which would have the inevitable and fully foreseen effect of placing the country in the power of the Boer majority. It was not until the 1st of July 1907 that the letters-patent conferring self-government on the colony were promulgated, the election for the legislative assembly taking place in November following. They resulted in the return of 29 members of the Oranjie Unie, 5 Constitutionalists and 4 Independents. The Constitutionalists won four of the five seats allotted to Bloemfontein, Sir John Fraser being among those returned. Following the elections the governor. Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams, sent for Mr Fischer, who formed a ministry, his colleagues being ex-General J.B.M. Hertzog, attorney-general and director of education; Dr A. E. W. Ramsbottom, treasurer; Christian de Wet, minister of agriculture, and Mr C. H. Wessels, minister of public works, &c. Mr Fischer, besides the premiership, held the portfolio of colonial secretary. The new ministry took office on the 27th of November. Of the members of the first legislative council five were supporters of the Oranjie Unie and five were regarded as Constitutionalists, the eleventh member holding the balance.
The responsible government entered upon its task in favourable conditions. Despite the many obstacles it had to meet, including drought, commercial depression and the hostility of many of the ex-burghers, the crown colony administration had achieved remarkable results. During each of its seven years of existence there had been a surplus of revenue over expenditure, despite the fact that taxation had not materially increased, save in respect to mining, which did not affect the general population. Custom duties were about the same as in 1898, but railway rates were materially lower and many new lines had been opened. The educational system had been placed on a sound basis. Departments of agriculture, mining, health and native affairs had been organized, and the civil service rendered thoroughly efficient. A substantial cash balance was left in the treasury for the use of the new government. Over 700 families had been settled on the land and thus an additional source of strength provided for the state. The first parliament under the new
