The age-herald., 1899-09-05
KRUGER PLAYING
 FOR MORE TIME OOm Paul Wants to Open Negotiations
 Again. CONFERENCE AT CAPE TOWN The Many Conflicting Dispatches Mike Exact Situation Uncertain. WITHDRAWS FRANCHISE PROPOSALS Rumored in London That a Cabinet M seting Has Been Hurr.edly seS Called Because the Crisis is
 Now More Acute.
CONFERENCE AT CAPE TOWN
WITHDRAWs FRANCHISE PROPOSALS

London, September IA dispatch from Johannesburg to Reuters agency definite ly announces that the reply of the Trans yaal Republic to the British communica- ton withdraws the franchise proposals and agrees in principle to a conference at Capetown.
 M. Paken, editor of the Transvaal Lead CT, has been released under $500 bail and the charges against him have been reduced from treason to violation of the press law.
 The afternoon papers take the view that If the foregoing dispatch is correct Presi- dent Kruger's reply is ominous, as it was palpaby made to gain time.
 Sir Alfred Miners suggestion of a fur ther conference at Capetown was insti- gated with the sole purpose of considering details and for the enforcement of the concessions offered by the Boers. If these concessions are withdrawn there can be no object from a British point of view for parleying longer
 The only inference to be drawn is that the Boers have taken Mir Joseph Cham berlain, the secretary of state for the colo nies, at his word in a broader sense tran he intended, and they now want lo begin negotiations over again on an entirely new basis.
 dispatch from Pretoria says:
 'The reply of the Transvaal republic to the demands of Great Britain increases the term of years of residence necessary in or der to obtain the franchises"
 Happenings are Uncertain
 Amid the crowd of conflicting dispatches from South Africa regarding the rransvaal situation, it is still impossible to say ex- actly what has happened. It seems ev- dent, however, that President Kruger has withdrawn the fve-year franchise, which was dependent on Great Britain's accept ance of impossible conditions regarding su- zerainty, and has made some sort uf tenn porizing counter suggestions regarding a conference. The Standard and Digger News gives what purports to be a report of the secret session of the volksraad on Satur- day.
 According to this account the volksraad not only determined to reject the five-year proposal, but also stoutly opposed Pres- dent Krugers visiting Capetown, and re- solved to make a stand for the abrogation of Englands claim to suzerainty. The Boer organ then asserts:
 "The government, both the Raads and the Burghers, feel that they have offered all they intend to offer, and are now re- solved to stand or fall by this decision.
 Boer statements of this kind, coupled with the arrests at Johannesburg, speak louder than the wriggling pretenses of Pre- toria about arriving at an understanding. Certainly MT. Mooney Penny and the other refugees will not be in a hurry to return to Johannesburg on account of the final assurances of the state attorney
 The pessimistic view of the Transvaal situation indica ted by the afternoon news papers is strengthened by a well defined rumor that a cabinet council has been hur- riedly called and an evident feeling at the colonial office that the crisis has become more acute.