The Newtown bee., 1899-11-03

they rose in arms at the end of 1880, at
tackled the few troops that could hastily
be concentrated from the small detach-
ments scattered here and there In the
Transvaal, and were victorious, inf1icting
considerable loss. The British govern
ment, always Indifferent to it's South
African colonies, and especis lily so under
the ministry of Mr. Gladstone, who was
then in power, made little further effort.
Reinforcement had been dispatc hed
from England, but while they were on
their way terms OF peace were concluded
recognizing the self-government OF the
Eransvall, UNDER the auZerainty of the
Queen, who reserved the right to con-
tr0l its relations with fl + ign powers.
The Beers, as might be expected from
an ignorant people, could see neither
policy nor magpanimity in the coDces-
siens made to them by Great B itain, bur
flushed with victory they thought that
they were invincible, and that the para
mount power had yielded from fear.
They forgot, or perhaps could not under
stand, that the British, wnose white
South African subjects we're more than
half Dutchmen. had no desire to make
hard terms with other Dutch settlers.
A stern policy might have been more
prudent, for the Beers have persis emily
used their independence to the injury of
British subjects who have settled In their
territory, and have stirred up sedition
among the Dutch element in other South
African States.
The discovery of extensive gold fields
within the Trsnavaal led TO the IL fax of
great numbers of strangers, most Of
whom were British or Anne ricans. Fear
fVoor hof fhpHn xvhn nynpnkpN
to become permanent residents, would
introduce change into the old-fashioned
Boer mode of government, the laws re-
lating to the franchise we're altered re-
peatedly, until aE length the voting
power was practically restricted to the
Beers themselves. The Uitlanders had
settled In the Transvaal under q guaran-
tee of liberal constitution they had in
vested many millions ling Of capital ;
and they naturally resented the eubser-
viency of their position, and the disad-
vantages to which they were exposed by
the new franchise laws. After repeated
efforts and appeals they were 80 mieguid
ed as to attempt resort to force, thus
putting themse Ives hopelessly In the
wrong. A rising took place in Deem
Der, 1895, which was i'll managed and
met with deserved defeat, though scarce
ly a blow was struck. This was the
much-talked- of Jameson raid, in which
about 500 Uitlanders took part. For in
juries caused by this raid, which lasted
four days and in which five Beers were
killed and three wounded, Mr. Kruger has
presented to the British government a
neat it'll } bill amounting to $8 800. 600,
of which 81, 000, 900 is assessed for
"moral or intellectual damages; in
other words he propos es TO collect this
Rnn Tho iEnnn Fnr tknnnra I
damage" 10 more preposterous On &C.
count OF the frequency with which Beers
themselves have made raids into British
territcry in the past. The bill has not
been paid. After the raid, 5forms were
again promised by Mr. Kruger, but like
all other plsdges OF a similar character
they have proved co be wholly fictitious,
and the condition of the Uitlanders ia
worse than ever. The large majority of
them are British subjects, and they ha We
now made an urgent appeal TO their
country to redress their grievances.
What sre the grievances of which the
witlanders complain? They fvrm nearly
three-fourths of the inhabitants of the
trangvaal, and pay about nine-tenths of
the taxes, at an average OF $50 per head
of the Uitlander population. They have
no voice in the expenditure of the lazy
careful determination on articles used
by the Uitlanders but not by the Beers
they have no power In the government
OF their town. Johannesburg, Ia which
more than 80, 600 of them reside, and
where common sanitary rules cannot be
enforced; no contr ! of public education,
which even in the Uitlsnder district is
mainly conducted In the Dutch patois
spoken in the country; no freedom OF the
press; no right of public meeting ; no
repres entation on juries nor on the police
force; no right of citizenship even for
their children born In the republic; they
are SUBJECT to expulsion from the coun-
try without any form of trial; their town
Ia controlled by ring OF Notifications
recently built on the surrounding hills;
acts OF violence against their property
and their persons are committed with
iimpunity and articles Of the constitution
can be altered hastily by the Volksraad,
whose decisions are not now subject to
revision by this so-called Supreme Court,
which within the past three years has
been deprived OF its most essential func.
ti0ns.
Sir Alfred Miner, representing the
British government, has lately held
conference with Mr. Kruger In Che hope
Of securing Justice for this large section
Of the Tr2nsyaaI population. He wisely
went 20 the root OF the matter, and en-.
deavered TO secure for them reasonable
representation In the government by d
readjustment OF the franchise, knowing
that separate grievances could thus be
gradually but surely redressed. Unfor-
tunaEely, the Transvaal Government In
the past has frequently broken It's c0n-
tracts, and gone back on iEs word III
many ways, by introducing changes
into the franchise law AZ soon as The
UiklandaEa appeared likely TO gain adj |
vantage from them Tt therefore be-
coEaes necessary 10 secure guarantee