The Portland daily press., 1899-09-15
Government Will Draw Up Final
. Form Today.
Will Be Influenced By
Orange Free State.
Maintenance of Convention of
'S4 Will Be Asserted.

Pretoria, September l4-The discus
sion of the first draft Of the reply TO the
British note ended this morning. Preai-
dent Kruger having left at four O'Clock
and not having returned.
1t Is undsrtood that the government
will draw up the reply in its final form
tomorrow morning and Immediately sub
init 1t 20 the volksraad. The reply will
b. In terms strongly influenced by the
Orange Free state. ana among other feat
ures the maintenance of the convention
of 1884 will be strongly asserted.
The situation this evening Is not CON-
sidered so favorable as 1t was during the
forenoon.
IN INTEREST OF PEACE.
London, September IA. Dispatches
from Cape Town, dated midnight. at
tach great Importance to an article in the
onsland, the organ of the Afrikandbund,
which urges the Transyaal government
to renew its offer regarding q conferences,
declaring that there Is no reason why t he
1ransvaal should not accept conference
and calling attention to the fact that the
word "suzerain ty" is not mentioned by
MIR. Chamberlain and that therefore there
the part Of either governments TO abandon
Its view on the subject.
This article Is understood TO be the out
tome OF an important Afrikander caucus
held to discuss the Cham berlnin note,and
1t is understood thnt the argument has
been fortified by strong messages to Pre-
toria urging the Voiksraad to forego the
suzeraintv objection and to conoedc the
British proposals. There Ia every reason
to believe that Mr.. Hofmayer, the Afri-
kander leader, has wired President Kru-
ger TO the same effect and similar repre-
sensations have been telegraphed from the
Orange Free state.
ACCEPTANCE WILL BE QUALIFIED.
London, September 15.--1he Pretoria
correspondent OF the Times says; at is
very doubtful whether an unqualified ac-
ceptanoe OF Great Brltain's demands will
be given"
The Paris correspondent OF tho Times
says that III. Del Case, the French for
eign minister, has directed the French
consul at the Transvaal TO endeavor to
persuade President Kruger to accept Mr.
Cbamberlain's PROPOSAL
THE NOTE HAS ARRIVED.
London, September 14.--The Trans
walls reply to tina last note of the British
secretary OF state for the colonies, Mr..
Joseph Cham berlain, has been received,
but its nature is not yet known.
At the colonial cffice, a reporter of the
Associated Press was informed that moth
ing would be given out for the present
Ii was regarded as significant, however,
that the naturs of the Bosr reply was
communicated to the commander-in
chief. Field Marshal Lord Wolseley, who
immediately summoned General Sir
George Stewart White, v. c.. former
q uartermaster general, the prospective
commander Of the British forces In Natal
WILL NOT BE SATISFACTORY.
London, September l4.--The consul
general of the South African Republic
Mr.. Montague White, said to a represen-
tative of the Associated Press today;
81 have good authority for believing
that the Transyaal reply will be unsatie.
factory to the British government.
The news received by Mr. Chamberlain,
today, it Is now said, was probably in
formation regarding the nature of the
t3oer reply.
NOT BEFORE FRIDAY.
London. September IA While the stat
of the foreign Office win maintain con-
tinuous Communication with MIR. Cham
nerlain at Birmingham tonight, 1t is not
believed now the result OF the tisbats
in the Volksraad will be received before
friday.