The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-09-23
|DODGEs uLTlMkTuM
OF GREAT BRITAIN
Transyaal's Reply to ChamberIain's
Latest Note Eyasiye and
Unsatisfactory.
THINK 8oERs MEAN TO FIGHT
London Papers All Regard the An
swer AS Indicating the Beers
Determination to Stand
Their Ground.

EFetOTla, SEPT. lS.-Ine CePly u tAC
government of the South African re-
public to the latest dispatch, dated
September 12, of the British secretary
of state for the colonies, Joseph Cham
berlain, after acknowledging the re-
ceipt of the British noe, proceeds in
part as follows:
1.-The government deeply regrets the
withdrawal, as the government UNDER
stands it, OF the invitation contained
in the British dispatch of August %
and the substitution in place thereof
of an entirely new proposal.
"The proposals nov fallen through
contained in the Transvaal dispatches
of August 10 and August FL were elicit
ed from this government by sugges-
tons made by the British diplomatic
agent in Pretoria (Conyngham Greene)
to the Transyaal state secretary Of. w.
Reitz), suggestions which this govern
ment acted upon in good faith and
after specially ascertaining whether
they would be likely to prove accept
able to the British government This
government had by no means any in
tention to raise again needlessly the
question of its political status, but act
ed with the sole object of e~ndeavoring
by the aid Of the local British agent to
put an end to the strained condition of
affairs.
This was done in the shape of q
proposal which this government
deems, as regards it's spirit and form,
to be SO worded as, relying upon init
nations to this government, would
satisfy her majesty's government. This
government saw n difficulty as to the
acceptance of those proposals by the
people and legislature of the Transvaal
and also contemplated possible dan
gers connected Herewith, but risked
making them on account of u sincere
desire to secure peace and because as
sured by Mr.. Chamberlain that such
proposals would not be deemed a re-
fusal of his proposals, but would be
settled on their merits.
"As regards the joint commission,
the Transvaal adheres to the accept
nee OF the invitation therennto given
by her majesty's government and can
not understand why such commission,
which before was deemed necessary to
explain the complicated details of the
seven-year law, should now be
deemed unnecessary and why it should
now without much inquiry be thought
possible to declare this law inadequate.
Further, there must be q misappre-
hension II it be assumed that this gov
eminent was prepared to lay proposals
for a f~ve-year franchise and u quar-
ter representation of the new popula-
ton before the volksraad for uncon-
ditional acceptance. As to the Ian
guage, this government never made
any offer such as is referred to, consid-
ering, as it did, such a measure both
unnecessary and undesirable.
THE proposed conference, also pro-
posed to the joint commission of in
quiry, this government is likewise not
unwilling to enter upon, but the diff
Guilty is that al acceptance thereof is
made dependent upon the acceptance,
on the side of the Transvaal, Of prece-
dent conditions which thisgovernment
does not feel at liberty to submit to the
volksraad. and, moreover, the subjects
to be discussed at the conference re-
main underlined.
This government ardently desires
and gladly accepts arbitration, as its
firm intention is to adhere to the terms
of the London convention of 1894"
The dispatch concludes by trusting
that the British government, on recon
sideration, may not deem it fit to make
more onerous or new proposals, but
will adhere to Great Britain's pro-
posal for a joint commission of in
quiry as previously explained by the
secretary Of state for the colonies to
the imperial parliament"
Cape Town, Sept. 19.-The Afrikan-
der leaders received a telegram saying
that the reply of the Transvaal gov
eminent to the British demands still
maintains the government position as
to British suzerainty, offers a seven
year franchise and declares the
Transvaal's strict adherence to the
terms OF the 1884 convention.