Later on came the famous Bill which he caused to be adopted in both Houses of Legislature concerning the illicit buying of diamonds, the I.D.B.

Act.
The I.D.B.enactment destroyed one of the fundamental principles in British legislature which always supposes a man to be innocent until he has been proved guilty.

It practically put the whole of Cape Colony under the thumb of De Beers.

The statute was not wisely framed.

It could be invoked to remove persons whose presence in Kimberley was inconvenient.
Therefore the I.D.B.Act drew on the head of Rhodes and of his colleagues torrents of abuse.