Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-09-09

London, Sept. THE Marquis of Sal
isbury came to London yesterday
from Walmer to meet Joseph Cham
Derlain. secretary of state for the col
onies. Immediately after this CON
ference urgent messages We're sent out
smlmoning all the ministers to Il cabinet
council on Friday. Despite the denials
of the war office, the general feeling is
that war in South Africa is close ii
hand
In army circles war is regarded as GER
tain, and it is said the admiralty has
several transports in readiness to carry
troops to Cape Colony. Three infantry
brigades, including the famous Gordons,
are reported to have received orders, and
are prepared TO leave on "A hours notIe.
London, Sept. "A dispatai from
johannesburg states that Colonel Schiel.
the Boer commantlant here, has written
the papers advising calmness. THE
public may be quite sure he adds,
that the Transvaal government will
take no step contrary to civilized in
ternational laws and CUSTOMS
M. Chamberlain remained at the for
CiSa Office until shortly before midnight.
lie declined to make statement re-
earding the Transvaal situation, but
expressed desire to see copy of the
following transcript of the Transvaal
COVE rnment's reply, issued by the Trans
vaal agent In Brussels last night which
vas forwarded to him by the Associated
Press.
I'm reply to the last dispatch of the
British government the Transvaal gov
ernment on Saturday handed to the
British agent in Pretoria a response If
which the following is the purport:
The government of the South At
rican republic regrets that Great Britain
is of the opinion that it is unable to
accept the proposals made by the Trans
vaal in the dispatches of Aug ~ and
Aug. q, by which the term for obtaining
the franchise was fixed at five years,
and the representations of the Wit
watersrand district was increased. The
government regrets this the more in
asmuch as it considered itself able to
GeGrco from the negotiations previous
to it's formal proposals that the latter
would be accepted by the British gov
ernment
q In these conditions the Transvaal
cc:.s ders its proposals are annulled, and
finds it necessary to submit them to the
vOlksraad and to the people. 1t re-
mains of the opinion that its proposals
are extremely liberal and more extensive
than those presented by the British high
commissioner at Blomfontein. 1t is
also of the opinion that the conditions
attached TO these proposals are reason
able.
The Transvaal never desired Great
Britain to abandon any rights possessed
by virtue Of the London convention OF
1884, or by virtue of international law.
The Transvaal still hopes that These
declarations will lead to good under
stai ding and solution of the existing
difficulties
With regard to the question of suzer-
ainty, the Transvaal government refers
to the dispatch of April 16, 1898, and con-
sders it necessary to repeat that dis
patch. The reply then proceeds to say:
1.-The Transvaal government has al
ready made known to the British agent
its objections to accepting the proposals
contained in the British high commits
sioner's telegram of Aug. .. suggesting
the appointment of delegates to draw up
report on the last electoral law voted
by the volksraad. If the one-sided eX-
animation referred to in the last British
dispatch should show that the existing
electoral law can be made more etfica-
cious, the Transvaal government is ready
to make proposal to the volksraad with
this object. 1t is also disposed to furnish
all the information and enlightenment
+. ,i,,;, tt,,,t 81,
of such an inquiry, so far as regards
useful appreciation of the law. will be
of little value. Nevertheless, the gov
ernment is very desirous of satisfying
Great Britain in the matter of electoral
law and the representation of the mining
districts
THE reply then refers to Mr.. Cham
berlain's proposals respecting joint in
quiry and says:
Considering that by these proposals
Great Britain does not aim al any inter-
ference in the affairs of the Transvaal,
and that the action would not be regard
ed as a precedent, but has solely for it's
object to ascertain whether the franchise
law fulfils its purpose. the Transvaal
government will await the Interior pro-
posals of Great Britain as to the eventual
of such commission a., we'll
as the place and time of meeting
THE Transvaal government further
proposes at an early date to send fresh
reply to the letter of July p, and ex-
presses satisfaction that Great Britain
has declared readiness to negotiate on
the question of a court of arbitration. 1t
says 1t would like to learn however,
whether the Free State burghers would
be admitted to such a court and what
would be the scope of the court de-
cisons, it appearing to the Transvaal
government that the restrictions i'm
posed will prevent the attainment of the
objects aimed at. With regard to the
ulterior conference the Transvaal awaits
the communications of Great Britain"
The Brussels agent of the Transvaal
claims that in making its recent pro-
posals the Transvaal government has
acted on the advice of the French agent
in Pretoria, Conyngham Greene.