The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-07
TRANSVAAL'S LATEST REPLY
THE PROPOSALS REGARDING THE
FRANCHISE 4NNULLED,
The Joint Inquiry Proposition Only
Accepted COndttiOnaIly-It Must Not
be Regarded as n Precedent-The @ es-
tion of Suzernntty-Transv Sttll
Hopes for Peaceful Outcome.

tiOn of observation-disclosures Still
Hopes for Peaceful Outcome.
London, Sept. 6.-Colonial Secretary
Chamberlain remained at the foreign Of
flee until shortly before midnight. He
declined to make statement regarding
the Transvaal situation but expressed
desire to see a copy of the following
transcript of the Transvaal govern
ments reply, issued by the Transvaal
agent in Brussels tonight, which was
forwarded to him by the Associated
Press:
I'm reply to the last despatch of the
British government the TIansvaal gov
ernment on Sunday handed to the Brit
ish agent in Pretoria a response of which
the following is the purport:
The government of the South Afri-
can republic regrets that Great Britain
is of the opinion that it is unable to ac-
cept the proposals made by the Trans
vaal in the dispatches of August 19 and
August q by which the term for obtain
ing the franchise was fixed at five years
and the representation in the Witwa-
tersrand district was increased. The
government regrets this the more mas
much as it considered itself able to de-
duce from the negotiations previous to
its formal proposals that the latter
would be accepted by the British gov
ernment. In these conditions the Trans
vaal considers its proposals are annulled
and finds it necessary to submit them
to the Volksraad and the people. 1t re-
mains of the opinion that it's proposals
are extremely liberal and more extern
sive than those presented by the Brit
ish high commissioner at Bloomfontein.
1t is also of the opinion that the condi-
tons attached to these proposals are
reasonable
''The Transvaal never desired Great
Britain to abandon any rights possess
ed by virtue of the London convention
of 1884 or by virtue of international law.
The Transvaal still hopes that these
declarations will lead to a good under
standing and a solution of the existing
diff1culties."
with regard to the question of suzer-
anty the Transvaal government refers
to the dispatch of April 16, 1898, and
considers it unnecessary to repeat that
dispatch. The reply then proceeds to
say: The Transvaal government has
already made known to the British
agent its objections to accepting the
proposals contained in the British high
commissioners telegram of August 2,
suggesting the appointment of delegates
to draw up a report on the last cleo
toral law voted by the Volksraad. If
the one-sided examination referred to
in the last British dispatch should show
that the existing electoral law can be
made more efficacious, the Transvaal
government is ready to make proposal
to the Voksraad with this subject 1t
is also disposed to furnish all the in
formation and enlightenment possible,
but is of opinion that the result of
such an inquiry, so far as regards a
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 the elec-
toral law and the representation of the
mining districts
"The reply then refers to Mr.. Cham |
berlan's proposals respecting joint |
inquiry and says Considering that |
by these proposals Great Britain does |
not aim at any interference in the af- |
fairs of the Transvaal and that the ac-
tion would not be regarded as a prece- |
dent, but has solely for its object to |
ascertain whether the franchise law full
fills it's purpose, the Transvaal govern |
ment will await the ulterior proposals |
of Great Britain as to the eventual con-
stitution of such commission as well as
the place and time of meeting
sThe Transvaal government further
proposes at an early date to send a
fresh reply to the letter of July 27 and
expresses satisfaction that Great Britain
has expressed desire to negotiate on
the question on the court of arbitra-
tion. 1t says it would like to learn.
however, whether the free state burg
hers would be admitted to such court
and what would be the scope of the
discussion, it appearing to the
Tranvaal government that the restric-
tions imposed will prevent the attain
ment of the objects aimed at. With
regard to the ulterior conferences the
Transvaal awaits the communications
Of Great Britain"
The Brussels agent of the Transvaal
claims that in making it's recent pro-
posals. the Transvaal government has
acted on the advice Of the British agent
In Pretoria Congynham Green.