The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-26
CHAMBERLAIN TO THE BOERS.
SAYS THERE WAS NO DOUBT AS TO
WHAT ENGLAND MEANT.

Charges That the TransvaaI Now
Refuses to Accept the Same Pro-
posnIs 1t Formerly Made-EngIand
VIII Now Set Forth Just Exactly
What She Means to Have-Use OF
English Language in the EOIIxs-
rand Will Be Demanded.
London, Sept. 25.-Oficials of the foreign
Office this evening gave out the text of
the letter of the secretary of state for the
colonies, Mr.. Chamberlain, to the British
h eh commissioner in South Africa Sir
Alfred Miner, dated Sept. %. The Brit
ish reply expresses regret that her majes-
tvs offer, No. s. of Sept. 8, had been re-
fused, and says:
THE object of her majesty's government
had in the view in the recent negotiations
had been stated in manner which can
not admit of Misrepresentation, viz, to OBJ
tain such substantial and immediate rep
resentation for the Ouuanders as will en-
able them 10 secure for themselves that
fair and just treatment which was form
ally promised them in 1881, and which her
majesty intended to secure for them when
she granted privileges of self-government
TO the Transvaal
No conditions less comprehensive than
those contained in the telegram of Sept.
can be relied on to effect this object The
refusal of the South African government
10 entertain the offer thus made coming
as it does after four months of protracIed
negotiations themselves the climax of five
years of extended agitation, makes it use
less 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 a final settlement of the is
sues which have been created in South
Africa by the policy constantly followed
for many years by the government Of
South Africa. They will communicate the
result of their deliberations in later dis
patch.'
EngIand's Answer Clear.
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 cannot pass over in silence" Mr..
Chamberlain then says:
THE proposals made by the South Afri-
can republic in its letters of Aug. 19 and
o. were not induced by suggestion given
by the British agent from the states at
torney as claimed. On the contrary the
states attorney sounded the British agent,
both in writing and in conversation, as to
The conditions on which the imperial gov
eminent would waive the invitation TO a
Joint inquiry, and the result of these COM
munications 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 an
sWer to the conditions named, and my re-
ply was actually the same as the British
agent had foreshadowed to the states at
torney and which, therefore, the South
African government must have, ,anticipa led
in making the proposals.
The imperial government also denies
that its telegram of Sept s substituted an
entirely new proposal for the invitation
to the joint commission of inquiry
Quotes TransvaaI's Proposal.
The secretary then quotes the dispatch
from South Africa on 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 misapprehension on the part
Oh the South African Republic as to its
answer regarding the non-.nterference and
Suzerainty, as the imperial government
mad already stated that il would not press
lor the appointment of a joint commits
sion Of inquiry in view of the fact that
such an inquiry would, in the opinion of
the government of the South African Re
pubic prejudice the right of full inde-
pendence repeatedly recognized by the i'm
perial government.
AS TO the use of the English language
IN the Nolksraad, the imperial govern
ment regards this as reasonable, and is
astonished that the government of the
south African Republic should deem it
unnecessary and make a point of denying
tnat the government of the South African
RepuDlic ever proposed the same to the
British agent"