The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-06

PRETORIA, May 4-Delayed in
Enthusiastically volksraad (parlia-
ment of the TransvaaDwas opened to-
day by President Kruger. Great and
most unusual interest was taken in the
proceedings in view Of the recent dis
closures made by the publication of the
cipher kilograms exchanged between
Cecil Rhodes, then premier of Cape
Colony, and others who took more or
less important part in the Jameson
raid in the territory Of the Boer repub-
lie.
The town was crowded with Beers,
many of whom had ridden hundreds of
miles in order to be present here when
the volksraad reas5embled, as its pres
ent session is looked upon as being one
of
THE MOST IMPORTANT
in the history CT the little republic
Numbers of these sturdy fighting farm
ers came here days ago in order to
bring their influence to bear upon
members of the executive council in
the hope of bringing about the mitiga-
ton, if not the entire Communication, Of
the sentences of the convicted leaders
of the Johannesburg reform committee.
1t is useless to deny that the publica-
ton of the series of discriminating tele-
grams has put a decided damper upon
the efforts of the Beers to lessen the
punishment of the prisoners, but &c is
said much may depend upon the action
of the British government towards Ce-
Gil Rhodes, Alfred Belt, the director of
the British South Africa company
who took an important part in organ
izing the raid, and towards the COM
pany Itself, to say nothing of the pun
ishment which may be melted out to DR..
Jameson and his immediate associates.
JOHN HAYS HAMMOND,
the convicted American engineer, will.
however, be more leniently dealt with
than his fellow prisoners in view of the
fact that he Wa1 opposed to actual re-
bellion against the Transvaal authori-
ties.
The vicinity of the parliament build
ing was crowded with a picturesque
gathering of Beers long before the hour
for the opening of its proceedings and
warm indeed were the commentators
passed upon the diplomacy of Dom
Paul. who has so cleverly outfenced
the British secretary of state for the
colonies, Joseph Chamberlain, from
first to last, and who is now so COM
pletely master of the situation that he
towers head and shoulders over every
body and everything connected with
south Africa.
The president in his speech said that
the recent events due to malevolence
and selfish objects" had seriously inter-
rupted
THE REST AND PEACE
of the South African republic, adding:
1T has been ever my wish to promote
the development and prosperity of the
republic in the most peaceable manner
possible, so [ am firmly convinced
that it is your sincere wish to cooper
ate with me in this policy, and that
you expect, with the fullest confidence,
that this session of the volksraad will
contribute in no small manner to the
restoration of peace in this state in
order that, through our united coop
Grafton, our country may flourish and
prosper for the benefit of ALL cloud
applause)
The president then touched upon the
foreign relations of the South African
republic, the most delicate and eagerly
anticipated POI ton of the speech, say
ing: In spite of past troubles, the re-
UuDllC
relations with foreign powers" This
subject was then
SIGNIFICANTLY DROPPED
and the president turned to the rela-
lions between the South African repub-
lie and it's sister republic, the Orange
Free State, remarking:
81 hope that meeting between
representatives of the Orange Free
State and representatives of the South
African republic will shortly be held,
and plans for a closer union between
the two countries will be discussed
(Applause.)
This utteranCe Of President Kruger
was looked upon as confirming the re-
port that negotiations have for some
time past been on foot for an alliance,
offensive and defensive, between the
South African republic and the Orange
Free State looking to resisting any at
tempt upon the part Of Great Britain
to interfere with the internal affairs
of either country.
The president afterwards alluded in
an appropriate manner to the terrible
dynamite disaster just outside of Jo-
hannesburg on February 10, when
about one hundred and twenty persons
were killed and thousands were rem
dered homeless. In this connection, the
QTeSlQeuL dChuOWiCuSSQ Tic dlSSiSt14
rendered by the Uitlanders of the Rand
to the Boer authorities. the foreigners
having tenderly cared for the wounded
and collected about 100000 in the first
twenty-four hours after the explosion
for the relief of the suffering.
Continuing, the president turned to
the mining interests of the South ART
can republic, declaring that mining was
progressing in a prosperous manner
md that the t9b0r o1IectiOn which AZ
one time threatened to interfere with
the development of this feature of the
country's resources, had now assumed
a much brighter aspect.
The president, in his speech later
said that proposals dealing with edu-