Mr. Cecil Rhodes has triumphed as usual. By an agree-
ment with the British South Africa Company, signed by Lord Ripon on May 9th, the administration of Matabeleland and Maahonaland is handed over to an Administrator and a Council of four, who will be appointed by the Company with the consent of the Secretary for the Colonies, and will possess supreme legislative and executive power, including, of course, that of taxation. The Queen can, as usual, veto any Act ; but with that exception, the only restraint on the Administrator is that he is removable by the Secretary of State, and must be reappointed every three years. No special laws are to be made against natives, they are to be judged by their own customs and not ours ; but though they are to receive grants of land and cattle, the Company may expropriate the former if valuable minerals are found within them, or if they are required for the purpose of founding cities. B,easonable compensation in the way of new grants is to be given, but the reasonableness will be determined by the Administrator. There is nothing to dis- tinguish the system adopted from that of Crown Colonies, except that the South Africa Company can remove the Administrator, and we dare say under Dr. Jameson everything will be managed reasonably well. We should have liked a. clause, however, absolutely prohibiting slavery and foroed labour. As we read the agreement, a native chief might compel his clan to work for European mine-owners, and take all the resulting money for himself.
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