In the midst of the Easter recess we have been provided with a political topic of the greatest interest and. importance by the publication of the Letters Patent conferring a new Constitution upon the Transvaal Colony, together with along} dispatch from the Colonial Secretary explaining in detail the objects which the Government have kept in view in framing this Constitution and their reasons for the decisions at which they have arrived. The dispatch is an admirably lucid exposition of the whole case. That is admitted on all hands. With regard to the new Constitution, there are strong differences of opinion. The extreme Radical organs of the Opposition are guarded in their criticisms and in 9 large measure reserve their judgment. The " Westminster Gazette," for instance, while pointing dut that the scheme of the Constitution—popular representation without any control over the Exeoutive—is exactly that which was condemned in unmeasured terms by the first Earl of Durham in his famous report on Canada, acknowledges that the fact of this being only " temporary Constitution, to be replaced as soon as poasible by fall self-government, makes a good deal of difference. On Conservative side it is contended that the Boers have been treated with remarkable generosity, and that the' pledges given at the time of the surronder have been most amply kept, both in spirit and in the letter. That is certainly true as far as the Transvaal is con-corned; but there are many who think that the Orange River Colony, which is to be kept waiting; until the experiment has been fairly tried in the sister colony, has a just cause for complaint. It will, however, be to the interest of the Transvaal Boers to make the new Constitution work, for the better it works the sooner
cepecially if,—as everyone expects—the will sre place to self-government, Liberals shortly come into office.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.