, ▁but ▁the ▁coun s els ▁of ▁President ▁Johannes ▁Brand ▁pre va iled . ▁The ▁Free ▁State , ▁however , ▁did ▁not ▁abandon ▁its ▁claims . ▁The ▁matter ▁involved ▁no ▁little ▁ir rit ation ▁between ▁the ▁parties ▁concerned ▁until ▁July ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁It ▁was ▁then ▁dis posed ▁of ▁by ▁Henry ▁Herbert , ▁ 4 th ▁Earl ▁of ▁Car nar von , ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁for ▁the ▁Col on ies , ▁who ▁granted ▁to ▁the ▁Free ▁State ▁a ▁£ 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁payment ▁" in ▁full ▁satisfaction ▁of ▁all ▁claims ▁which ▁it ▁cons iders ▁it ▁may ▁possess ▁to ▁G ri qu aland ▁West ." ▁Lord ▁Car nar von ▁decl ined ▁to ▁entertain ▁the ▁proposal ▁made ▁by ▁Mr ▁Brand ▁that ▁the ▁territory ▁should ▁be ▁given ▁up ▁by ▁Great ▁Britain . ▁In ▁the ▁opinion ▁of ▁historian ▁George ▁Mc Call ▁The al , ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁G ri qu aland ▁West ▁was ▁probably ▁in ▁the ▁best ▁interests ▁of ▁the ▁Free ▁State . ▁" There ▁was ," ▁he ▁stated , ▁" no ▁alternative ▁from ▁British ▁so vere ig nt y ▁other ▁than ▁an ▁independent ▁diam ond ▁field ▁republic ." ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁largely ▁ow ing ▁to ▁the ▁struggle ▁with ▁the ▁Bas oth os , ▁the ▁Free ▁State ▁Bo ers , ▁like ▁their ▁Trans va al ▁neighb ors , ▁had ▁dr ift ed ▁into ▁financial ▁stra its . ▁A ▁paper ▁currency ▁had ▁been ▁instit uted , ▁and ▁the ▁notes , ▁known ▁as ▁" blue back