Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-26
THE BRITISH REPLY.
Text of England's Latest Note to the
Transvanl.

Transvanl.
London, Sept. 26.-The officials of the
foreign office last evening gave out the
text of the letter of Secretary for the
Colonies Chamberlain to the British
nlSh commissioner in South Africa, Sir
Alfred Miner. dated Sept 20 The
BRUSH reply expresses regret that the
offer of Sept. Sth had been refused. and
says:
The object her majesty's govern
ment had in view in the recent negotia-
tlons has been stated in manner
which can not admit of misapprehen-
sion, viz, to obtain such substantial
and immediate representation for the
outianders as will enable them to Sc
cure for themselves that fair and just
treatment which was formally prom
ised them in 1881 and which her maies-
ty intended to secure for them when
she granted privileges of self-govern-
ment to the Transvaal. No conditions
less comprehensive than those con-
tanned in the telegram of Sept. s can be
relied on to effect this object. The re-
fusal of the South African government
to entertain the offer thus made, COM
Ing as 1t does after four months of pro-
| tracted negotiations, the climax of five
years of extended agitation, makes it
useless to further pursue the discussion
on the lines hitherto followed, and the
imperial government is now compelled
to consider the situation afresh and
formulate its own proposals for final
settlement of the issues which have
been created in South Africa by the
policy constantly followed for many
years by the government of South At
RIGA. They will communicate the result
of their deliberations in later dis
patch
In a later communication, dated Sept.
%, the imperial government takes up
the charge of breach of faith insinuated
by Secretary of State Reitz Sept. 16,
which we can not pass over in 81
lence." MIR. Chamberlain then says:
The proposals made by the South
African republic in it's letters of Aug.
19 and 90. We're not induced by sugges-
tions given by the British agent from
the state attorney, as claimed. On the
contrary the state attorney sounded the
British agent. both in writing and in
conversation, as to the conditions on
which the imperial government would
waive the invitation to joint inquiry,
and the result of these communications
was the proposals made by the South
African government in these letters, 1t
is impossible that the South African
government could have had any doubt
as to the imperial governments answer
to the conditions named, and my reply
was actally the same as the British
agent had foreshadowed to the state
attorney and which, therefore, the
South African government must have
anticipated in making the proposals.
The imperial government also denies
that it's telegram of Sept. s, substituted
an entirely new proposal for the invi-
tation to the joint commission of in
quiry."
The imperial government then quotes
the dispatch from South Africa of Aug
10, containing an alternative proposal
identical with that which the imperial
government is said TO have substituted
and the communication then proceeds
as follows:
The imperial government sees no
ground for misappi enension on the
part of the South African republic as to
its answer regarding non-interference
and suzerainty. as the imperial govern
ment had already stated that it would
not press for the appointment of joint
commission of inquiry, in view of the
fact that such an inquiry would, in the
opinion of the government of the South
African republic, prejudice the right OF
full independence repeatedly recognized
by the imperial government. AS to the
use of the English language in the
volksraad, the imperial government re-
CARDS this as reasonable and is aston
shed that the government of the South
African republic should deem it unnec-
essary and make a point of denying
that the government of the South Afri-
can republic ever proposed the same to
the Rrifish pent