This was their tone, and it is not
therefore surprising that whenever the Commission threatened to decide
anything against them, they, with a smile, let it know that if it did,
they would be under the painful necessity of re-occupying Lang's Nek.
It was never necessary to repeat the threat, since the majority of the
Commission would thereupon speedily find a way to meet the views of the
Boer representatives.
Sir Evelyn Wood, in his dissent, thus correctly sums up the matter:--"To
contend that the Royal Commission ought not to decide contrary to the
wishes of the Boers, because such decision might not be accepted, is
to deny to the Commission the very power of decision that it was agreed
should be left in its hands." Exactly so. But it is evident that the
Commission knew its place, and so far from attempting to exercise any
"power of decision," it was quite content with such concessions as
it could obtain by means of bargaining. Thus, as an additional reason
against the retention of any territory, it is urged that if this
territory was retained "the majority of your Commissioners .
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