The Colonial Office is embarrassed by anew difficulty in the
Langalibelele affair. Lord Carnarvon restored the Potini tribe absolutely, but there were political objections to restoring Langalibalele, who hail disobeyed a legal summons, and who possessed, owing to his repute as a magician, exceptional authority over tribes beyond the Drachenberg. It was determined, there- fore, to locate him and all of his tribe who chose to accompany him near Cape Town. The Cape Colonists, however, either from fear of such a neighbour, or sympathy with opinion in Natal, where settlers are indulging in the tallest kind of talk, and are ready, by their own account, for secession, refused to receive the Chief. Lord Carnarvon has, after careful reconsideration of the circumstances, repeated his proposal, and left it to the Cape Parliament to take the responsibility of impeding, so soon after the concession of self-government, the policy of the Imperial Government. It is probable that the colonists on reflection will recede, but if they do not, it will be necessary for Parliament to consider whether it can suffer the Queen's Government to be set at naught upon a point like this, involving the mill - tary security of a part of her dominions. The reason for placing Langalibelele at the Cape is the security of Natal, a point of Imperial interest, upon which no local government ought to be able to pronounce a final decision. Any cost to be incurred should be included in the military account.
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