Editing Joseph Chamberlain (section)

===Salisbury resignation and Balfour government: 1902===
The end of the war allowed Salisbury to finally retire. Though the Prime Minister was keen to be succeeded by his nephew Balfour, Chamberlain's supporters felt the Colonial Secretary, as the most popular figure in the government, had a legitimate claim to the premiership. [[Leo Maxse]] argued forcefully in the ''[[National Review (London)|National Review]]'' for Chamberlain as prime minister; Chamberlain himself was less concerned, assuring Balfour's private secretary, "I have my own work to do and... I shall be quite willing to serve under Balfour."

On 7 July 1902, Chamberlain suffered a head injury in a traffic accident. Chamberlain had three stitches and was told by doctors to cease work immediately and remain in bed for two weeks.

On 11 July, Salisbury went to [[Buckingham Palace]] without notifying his Cabinet colleagues and resigned. The King invited Balfour to form a new government later that day. Before accepting, Balfour met Chamberlain, who said he was content to remain Colonial Secretary. Despite Chamberlain's organisational skills and immense popularity, many Conservatives still mistrusted his Radicalism, and Chamberlain was aware of the difficulties that would be presented by being part of a Liberal Unionist minority leading a Conservative majority. Balfour and Chamberlain were both aware that the Unionist government's survival depended on their co-operation.{{sfn|Marsh|1994|pp=529–31}}

====Education Act 1902====
{{Main|Education Act 1902}}
One of Balfour's first acts as prime minister was the introduction of an Education Act, intended to promote [[National Efficiency]]. Though Chamberlain supported the cause, the Balfour Act abolished the 2,568 school boards established under the [[Elementary Education Act 1870]] ([[33 & 34 Vict.]] c. 75) which remained popular with Nonconformists and Radicals and replaced them with [[local education authorities]] to administer a state centred system of primary, secondary and technical schools. The Bill would also give ratepayers' money to voluntary Church of England schools;{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} opposition to that provision in the 1870 Act had spurred on Chamberlain's first involvement in politics.

Chamberlain was aware that the Bill would estrange Nonconformists, Radicals and many Liberal Unionists from the government, but could not oppose it without risking his cabinet post. In response to Chamberlain's warning and suggestion that voluntary Church schools receive funds from central rather than local government, [[Robert Laurie Morant]] replied that the Boer War had drained the Exchequer.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} Chamberlain did temporarily secure a major concession: local authorities would be given the discretion over the issue of rate aid to voluntary schools. Yet even this was renounced before the Act's passage in December 1902. Chamberlain wrote fatalistically, "I consider the Unionist cause is hopeless at the next election, and we shall certainly lose the majority of the Liberal Unionists once and for all."{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

====Zionism and "Uganda Proposal": 1902–03====
{{Main|Uganda Scheme}}
On 23 October 1902, Chamberlain met with [[Theodor Herzl]] and expressed his sympathy to the Zionist cause. He was open to Herzl's plan for settlement on the [[Sinai Peninsula]] near [[Arish]], but his support was conditional on approval from the Cairo authorities. On 24 April 1903, convinced that such approval would not come, Chamberlain offered Herzl a territory in [[British East Africa]]. The proposal came to be known as the [[Uganda Scheme]], as Chamberlain saw the land as he was passing by on the [[Uganda Railway]], though the territory in question was in [[Kenya Colony|Kenya]]. The proposal was rejected by both the Zionist Organization and British settlers in East Africa but was a major break-through for the Zionists, as Great Britain had engaged them diplomatically and recognised a need to find a territory appropriate for Jewish autonomy under British suzerainty.{{sfn|Marsh|1994|pp=543–45}}

====South African tour: 1902–03====
[[File:Joseph Chamberlain-South Africa-001.jpg|thumb|A cornerstone laid by Mrs Chamberlain during her husband's South African tour]]
From 26 December 1902 to 25 February 1903, Chamberlain left Britain for a South African tour, seeking to promote Anglo-Afrikaner conciliation and integration into the British Empire. In [[Colony of Natal|Natal]], Chamberlain was given a rapturous welcome. In the former Transvaal, he met Boer leaders who were attempting unsuccessfully to alter the peace terms. The reception given to Chamberlain in the former Orange Free State, (at the time renamed the [[Orange River Colony]]) was surprisingly friendly, although he engaged in a two-hour argument with General [[James Barry Munnik Hertzog]], who accused the British government of violating three terms of the treaty.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

During his visit, Chamberlain became convinced that the Boer territories required a period of government by the British crown before being granted self-governance within the empire. In the Cape, Chamberlain found that the [[Afrikaner Bond]] was more affable regarding his visit than many members of the English speaking [[Progressive Party (Cape Colony)|Progressive Party]], now under the leadership of Jameson, who called Chamberlain "the callous devil from Birmingham". Chamberlain successfully persuaded the prime minister, [[John Gordon Sprigg]], to hold elections as soon as possible, a positive act considering the hostile nature of the [[Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope|Cape Parliament]] since 1899. During the tour, Chamberlain and his wife visited 29 towns, and he delivered 64 speeches and received 84 deputations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joseph Chamberlain {{!}} South African History Online |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/joseph-chamberlain |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=www.sahistory.org.za}}</ref>