To the Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon, Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies.

We beg respectfully to address your Lordship on the subject of the proposed establishment in South Africa of a confederation of Colonies and States.¹

We observe, with great regret, that your Lordship, in a despatch addressed to his Excellency Sir Henry Barkly on December 14, expresses an opinion against any direct representation of natives in the Legislative Assembly of the Union.²

We have no desire to see masses of uncivilized men invested with political rights which they would be wholly unable to exercise in either a responsible or an intelligent manner; but we venture to submit, on the ground alike of justice and of policy, that native Africans who have acquired both education and property should not be excluded from the possession of the elective franchise.

We understand that in this particular no distinction of race is recognized in the Australian Colonies; while in the Cape colony itself, as well as in New Eealand³ and in the Dominion of Canada, equal civil and and political privileges have long been placed—with the best results—within reach of such individual members of the aboriginal race as are able to comply with the requirements of the law.

We think it is of the utmost importance that when a new Constitution is in course of being framed for a country in the position of South Africa, the organic law of the State should embody the principle of an equality of rights, without regard to colour or race, leaving the principle itself to be applied only to those natives who have qualified themselves for the satisfactory performance of the duties of citizenship.

We, therefore, earnestly hope that your Lordship will take steps to insure to the civilised portion of the coloured population of the British Dependencies in South Africa civil and political privileges, similar to those which it may be intended to confer upon persons of European descent.

We feel that such a policy would entirely accord with the spirit which has hitherto characterized your Lordship’s administration of native affairs.

We have the honour to be your Lordship’s obedient servants,

Ebury;⁴

Charles Darwin; [and 87 others]

17, King William-street, Strand, July 20, 1877.