Halifax hears the Bechuanaland Question
In 1895, three chiefs from Bechuanaland (now Botswana) came to England. Their visit was supported by the London Missionary Society and the Temperance Movement. It was intended to enlist support for their campaign to protect their tribal lands from colonial expansion.
At Halifax, while they were staying with the Whitley family at Greenroyds, the three men first encountered snow. In an interview with the Evening Courier, they agreed that the worst part of Britain, for them, was the weather! Their best experience, they said, was the warmth with which British people had greeted them. (This was shown at the Halifax meeting.)
The three chiefs (Khama, Sebele and Bathoen) spoke in Halifax at the Mechanics' Hall, which is now the YMCA. This was on October 29th, assisted by the Rev. W.C. Willoughby as interpreter. They were opposing Cecil Rhodes' attempt to incorporate their lands into the assets of his South Africa Company. This would facilitate his vision of a pan-African railway line from the Cape to Cairo. Also the expansion of colonial lands and the exploitation of mineral reserves. Hundreds of people, unable to gain admittance, thronged corridors leading to the Hall, which was packed.
The foreign guests were given a standing ovation and unanimous support for their petition. Many of the audience signed a memo to Joseph Chamberlain, Colonial Secretary. Similar receptions occurred all over Britain. The chiefs went on to meet Chamberlain and Queen Victoria in person. The visit was a success, as Bechuanaland was never colonised, but became a British protectorate.