The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-08
THE TRANSVAAL CRISIS First Raad Discusses Mass ing of British Troops
 on Frontier.
WARLIKE SPEECHES MADE
4 REPLY READ FROM STR ALFRED MTLNER.

He Declares the British Troops Are
 Present to Make Provision Agains,
 Comes to Fighting the Almighty Will
 be the Arblter-He Urges Moderation
 Pending MT. Chamberlain's Next Re-
 ply--Troops Push Forward.
 Pretoria, Sept. 7.-There was great
 excitement in the First Raad to-day on
 MT. Coetser's interpolation of the gov
 ernment regarding the presence of
 British troops on the borders and the
 stoppage of ammunition consigned to
 the Transvaal. President Kruger. the
 members of the executive council and
 most of the principal officials were pres
 ent, together with a large representa-
 tion of the general public, including
 many women. At the outset the chair
 man and president urged members to
 preserve calmness and to avoid insult
 ing language.
 The state secretary, F. w. Reitz, said
 he had called the previous day on the
 British diplomatic agent, Conyngham
 Green, and had asked him what reply
 the government could give in the Volks- raad regarding the alleged massing of British troops on the borders, and whether MT Green would communicate with the British high commissioner, Sir Alfred Milner. The reply from MT. Green, he continued, had been received this morning as follows:
 Dear MT. Reitz-The following is Sir Alfred Miners reply to the telegram which l sent him at your request. I don't know to what MT. Reitz refers when he alludes to the massing of troops. This must be the Brieish troops in South Africa, the positions and num- bers of which are no secret; but 1t is matter of common knowledge that they are here in order to protect British in- terests and to make provision against eventualities
 MT. Coetser and other members then made violent speeches, declaring that they could not understand Sir Alfred Miners reply since the Transvaal had never threa tened the English colonies. 'It is time" exclaimed MT. Coetser, 'tfor the Transvaal also to prepare for eventualities.
 One member said: "Englands action is like putting a revolver into mans face"
 Another concluded warlike harangue in this strain: Tt is time to send our troops what they want The fire Is bound to start. So let them light it and allow it to burn, out quickly. War is better than the present state of affairs. Business is ruined and the public treas ury Is drying up. Chamberlain is try ing to ruin the country These speeches and others attacking Cecil Rhodes were loudly applauded by the house and by the public. The debate continued throughout the afternoon.
 MT. Tosen, who declared that Sir AL fred Miners reply was tantamount to q declaration of war, read a telegram from the field-cornet of the Pietretief district stating that people there would rise in rebellion if President Kruger went to another conference. The chair man called MT. Tosen to order for say Ing the Jameson raiders ought to have been hanged.
 J. A. M. Wolmarans one of the two non official members of the executive council, counselled prudence and eau lion. He said it would be wise for the Raad to decide whether the republic should concede further negotiations or not. President Kruger rising, said: ''The aliens have been offered equal rights with the burghers, but have re- fused them MT. Chamberlain is striv- Ing to get the franchise which the Out flanders do not want; but what he real |v desires is possession of the Trans yaal The burghers are willing to con ,ede much for the sake of peace, but | will never sacrifice their independence"
 After euogizing MT. Gladstone's ac- | lion of the retrocessiOn in 1881 as a mo- | ole deed, President Kruger said that if t now came to fighting the Almighty | would be the arbiter He urged the members of the Raad to show modera- ion reminding them that the reply of ] Mr. Chamberlain was en route and | pointing out that if the proposal for Q were agreed to, the repub- ic would send delegates to further dis ,uss matters and, if possible, to make peace. The speeches following the pres dents were more moderate in tone and he Raad rose without passing any res Ilution.
 Later.-In the course of the debate Ir. Datoit insinuated that MT. Cham ,erlain was intoxicated on the occasion if his recent famous garden party peech'' at Highbury, his Birmingham esidence, and he added that if MT. continued to act as he had ,een acting the Transvaal would give i'm "Mauser pills" which would be a ,ood purgative. He urged those not to ,e frightened by the sending out of British troops, remarking that MT must remember that when
 war had once started he would have 1 n fight the whole of Afrikanderdom. l 'he chairman remonstrated with MT )atoit, observing that he thought the l member had gone too far. MT. Tosen asked whether the govern