OCR Rendition - approximate

348 Sin H. B. FRERE.-On the Laws a ecting the many countries possessing a high degree of very ancient civilization such manufacture and sale, except for medicinal purposes, is absolutely prohibited. The question is of extraordinary importance in South Africa, where the Government is not always strong enough to do what is, in 'the abstract, best, if its action would conflict with powerful interests ; and where no doubt the evil of unrestrained use of intoxicating liquors is more pernicious to the native races than to Europeans, and is by itself, in the opinion of many, sufficient to destroy a whole race, as it has done in other countries. I have given reasons for doubting whether this is the case as regards the Kaffir races, but there can be no doubt that of all the evils we can inflict on the native races, none can well be greater than the introduction of European means and habits of intoxication; and that our action in introducing them is sufficient to counterbalance all the benefits of civilization which we can confer on them. The question is one of great difficulty as well as of great importance, and I cannot do better than refer those who take an interest in it to a masterly speech of Mr. Sprigg, the late Premier of the Cape Colony, which they will find printed in one of the late South African blue books. In securing the conditions necessary to improve the condition of natives in contact with Europeans, by such measures as I have described, it is essential that the superior Government should possess an adequate revenue to meet the inevitable expenses of protecting person and property, and enforcing law. The native community must itself supply the means, and it is to be regretted that any doubt should ever have been raised as to the ease with which this may be effected, without causing any of the popular discontent apt to follow the imposition of new taxes. Time does not admit of my doing more than allude to the example set by the Native administration of Natal in this matter. It used to be said in Natal that every hut had among the fowls one which was known as " Somtsu's hen" (Sir T. Shepstone), whose eggs sufficed to pay the but-tax ; whatever foundation there may be for this story, there can be no doubt that the Natal hut-tax was an extremely light contribution to the expenses of protection, as compared with the contributions in cattle, grain, and labour exacted by the most moderate of native chiefs. But light as the taxation was, it sufficed to cover the expenses of government. I have never heard an objection to this form of taxation, which was not traceable to the desire of the chiefs to retain their power of unlimited taxation.