ination ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁the ▁S over e ig nt y . ▁Sir ▁George ▁Russell ▁C ler k ▁was ▁sent ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁as ▁special ▁commission er ▁" for ▁the ▁sett ling ▁and ▁adjust ing ▁of ▁the ▁affairs " ▁of ▁the ▁S over e ig nt y , ▁and ▁in ▁August ▁of ▁that ▁year ▁he ▁sum mon ed ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁deleg ates ▁to ▁determine ▁upon ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁self - g overn ment . ▁ ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁there ▁were ▁some ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁Europe ans ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁recent ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁Cape ▁Col ony . ▁There ▁were ▁among ▁them ▁numbers ▁of ▁far mers ▁and ▁tr ades men ▁of ▁British ▁descent . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁whites ▁still ▁wished ▁for ▁the ▁continu ance ▁of ▁British ▁rule ▁provided ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁effective ▁and ▁the ▁country ▁guard ed ▁against ▁its ▁enemies . ▁The ▁representations ▁of ▁their ▁deleg ates , ▁who ▁drew ▁up ▁a ▁proposed ▁constitution ▁retain ing ▁British ▁control , ▁were ▁un av ail ing . ▁Sir ▁George ▁C ler k ▁announced ▁that , ▁as ▁the ▁elected ▁deleg ates ▁were ▁unw illing ▁to ▁take ▁steps ▁to ▁form ▁an ▁independent ▁government , ▁he ▁would ▁enter ▁into ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁other ▁persons . ▁" ▁And ▁then ," ▁wrote ▁George ▁Mc Call ▁The al , ▁" was ▁seen ▁forced ▁the ▁strange ▁spect acle ▁of ▁an ▁English ▁commission er ▁address ing ▁men ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁be ▁free ▁of ▁British ▁control ▁as ▁the ▁friendly ▁and