Representing  the  Grand  Council  and  nominated  by
it,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Crown,  as  represented
by  the  Chief  Secretary  for  the  Colonies  and  the  Privy
Council,  there  must  be  one  Governor-General  for  West
Africa ;  he  must  be  supreme  commander  of  the  land
and  sea  forces,  with  the  right  of  declaring  peace  and
war,  and  concluding  treaties  with  the  native  chiefs  ;  he
must  be  a  proved  expert  in  West  African  affairs ;  he
must  be  paid,  say,  ;^5,ooo  a  year;  he  must  spend  six
months  on  the  Coast  on  a  tour  of  inspection,  during
which  he  must  be  accessible  alike  to  the  European  and
native.  He  may,  if  he  sees  fit,  spend  more  than  six
months  out  there  ;  but  it  is  not  advisable  he  should
reside  there  permanently,  for  if  he  does  so,  he  will
assuredly  get  out  of  touch  with  the  Grand  Council,  of
which  he  should  ex  officio  be  chairman  or  president.
This  Grand  Council  with  its  sub-councils  is  all  that  is
required  in  England  for  the  government  of  West  Africa.
It  is  not,  as  you  see,  an  expensive  system  per  se :  with  its
power  to  raise  supplies,  it  could  vote  itself  sufficient  to
carry  on  its  out-of-pocket  expenses  in  the  matter  of
clerks  and  goods  inspectors.  The  connecting  link  be-
tween it  and  Africa  is  the  Governor-General ;  between
it  and  England,  the  Chief  Secretary  for  the  Colonies
— not  the  Colonial,  or  Foreign,  or  any  other  existing
Office :  things  it  should  be  equal  with,  not  subject  to.
