Petition of Dr G M Theal. Report of the Select Committee (1906)

Blue Book. Covers + vi + 33 + iii pp. 

Dr Theal had originally held a senior post in the Department of Native Affairs until he was invited by Prime Minister Cecil Rhodes to be Colonial Historiographer and to study early English records of the Cape. Rhodes's successor, Sir Gordon Sprigg, confirmed the appointment and asked that Portuguese records should be added to Theal's task.

In all, Theal published 36 volumes of history in nine years and a further 9 volumes of Portuguese records with English translations. He was about to continue his reasearch into Arabic and Venetian records before 1505, when his appointment was summarily terminated. 

He petitioned the House of Assembly for a pension in relation to the work he had done. After three days of hearings before a seven-man select committee, his petition was successful:

• Your Committee having considered the Petition referred to them and taken the evidence thereon submitted herewith, beg to recommend for the consideratio of the House that Dr Theal be granted a pension under the Civil Service regulations, calculated on the salary drawn by him as Chief Clerk in the Native Affairs Department and that there be added to such pension a sum as honorarium in consideration of his office as Colonial Historiographer, bringing the total amount up to 500 pounds per annum.
• Your Committee further desires to express their high appreciation of the services rendered by Dr Theal in connection with the researches which he has carried out, and the historical materials which he has collected and made generally available.
• J W Sauer, Chairman
• Committee Rooms, House of Assembly, 19th July, 1906.       

In evidence it came out that Theal made no money from the royalties from his books, which seems a sad outcome for South Africa's most famous historian and ethnographer of the late-19th and early-20th century. 

In any event, this Blue Book is scarce, and this copy is unmarked and undiscoloured.