Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Nineteenth Century and After, Vol. 52: A Monthly Review; July-December 1902
The conclusion arrived at, which forms the prayer of the petition, is that the proper solution of the problems now confronting the Cape Colony is a temporary suspension of the Constitution for a period, during which his Majesty would be enabled to deal with the existing difficulties, and afterwards to restore the Constitution so amended to the Colony.' The Progressive members who signed this petition formed an overwhelming majority of the party who put Sir Gordon Sprigg into power, but at a meeting which took place between the signatories or their representatives and the Cabinet, the Premier took a high tone, and with rather more emphasis than courtesy stated that the course proposed in the petition was quite unnecessary. In substance, he said that he would by means of by-elections fill up existing vacancies as soon as possible and summon Parliament whenever circumstances would permit - say, in October next. He would then have an assured majority. In the beginning of February 1903, the new registration of voters must commence and occupy five months. Both Houses of the Legislature would then be dissolved and a general election take place, whose victorious result would place the Progressive party in a strong and assured position. Not, indeed, that there would be a large majority, but there would certainly be an adequate one. Indeed, Sir Gordon declared that he rather disliked having too many supporters, as there were always a number of faddists among them; but a small compact majority such as he will have in 1903 could not but be highly satisfactory and workable.
In vain did General Brabant point out how very insecure was the basis of voting power about which the Premier was so extremely optimistic, while Mr. Victor Sampson, K. C., one of the members of the House of Assembly for Kimberley, very effectively showed that to make the Progressives secure every one admitted that a Re distribution Act was absolutely necessary, and that this must include additional representation for the towns. The introduction of this essential measure would immediately give rise to the cry of country versus town. Even some of the Progressives would go against the Government on this question, and therefore Messrs. Merriman, Sauer, and the Dutch Bond party necessarily would obtain the reins of government.
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