5 2 , ▁which ▁acknowled ged ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁but ▁left ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁S over e ig nt y ▁un touch ed . ▁The ▁British ▁government ▁( under ▁the ▁first ▁Russell ▁administration ), ▁which ▁had ▁rel uct antly ▁agreed ▁to ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁had , ▁however , ▁already ▁rep ented ▁its ▁decision ▁and ▁had ▁resolved ▁to ▁abandon ▁the ▁S over e ig nt y . ▁Lord ▁Henry ▁Grey , ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁for ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁Col on ies , ▁in ▁a ▁dispatch ▁to ▁Sir ▁Harry ▁Smith ▁dated ▁ 2 1 ▁October ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁declared , ▁" The ▁ult imate ▁abandon ment ▁of ▁the ▁Orange ▁S over e ig nt y ▁should ▁be ▁a ▁settled ▁point ▁in ▁our ▁policy ." ▁ ▁A ▁meeting ▁of ▁represent atives ▁of ▁all ▁European ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁S over e ig nt y , ▁elected ▁on ▁man hood ▁suff rage , ▁held ▁at ▁Blo em f onte in ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁never theless ▁declared ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁ret ention ▁of ▁British ▁rule . ▁At ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁that ▁year ▁a ▁settlement ▁was ▁at ▁length ▁concluded ▁with ▁Mos ho es ho e , ▁which ▁left , ▁perhaps , ▁that ▁chief ▁in ▁a ▁stronger ▁position ▁than ▁he ▁had ▁h ither to ▁been . ▁There ▁had ▁been ▁minister ial ▁changes ▁in ▁England ▁and ▁the ▁Aber de en ▁min istry , ▁then ▁in ▁power , ▁ad her ed ▁to ▁the ▁determ