The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-07

ChamberIain-He Refuses to Dis
His Flight From Johannesburg-
Boers Preparing to Fight.
LONDON, Sept. 6-The colonial Office
officials were busy until after o'clock
this morning Dispatches have been pas
sing by special messengers between the
queen and Lord Salisbury for the last
| few days There is a persistent rumor
that in the event OF war Gen. Sir Evelyn
| Wood, adjutant general to the forces,
will have supreme command, Gen. Sir
Redvers Butler having the field command,
with Col. Lord Fulford Melhan as chief
| of staff. The Times advices the govern
ment to convoke parliament Immediately,
If necessary, to vote supplies, adding:
''The further loss of time may be dam
gerous and humiliating."
Mr.. Chamberlain remained at the for
eign office until shortly before midnight.
| He declined to make a statement regard
ing the Transvaal situation, but ex-
pressed a. desire for copy of the fol-
| lowing transcript of the TransvaaT 8
governments reply, issued by the Trans
vaal agent in Brussels, tonight, which
was forwarded to him.
In reply to the last note of the Brit
ish government, the Transvaal govern
ment on Saturday handed to the British
agent in Pretoria response of which the
following is the purport:
'.The government Of the Transvaal re-
1 MI h 1Jn rr~rNfe- Ir0% E,-,{@
the opinion that it is unable to accept
the proposals made in the dispatches of
Aug. IS to Il, by which the term of OBJ
| tanning the franchise was fixed at five
| years. The government regrets this the
more, tnasmuch as it considered itself
able to deduct from the former British
proposals that the latter would be ac-
cepted by the British. In consequence
! the former Transvaal's proposals are an
| nulled, and 1t finds 1t necessary to SUBJ
| nit than to the volksraad and the peop 9.
| The TranSVaal is Of the opinion that the
proposals, are more liberal than offered
| by the British commissioner at Bloem-
| fontein. 1t is also of the opinion that the
conditions attached TT ed to r. these proposals
| ment does not desire Great Britain to
! abandon any rights possessed by virtue
| Of international law. The Transvaal still
| hopes that these declarations viii lead
| to good understanding and a solution of
| the existing difficulties
,i QUESTION OF SUZERAINTY.
With respect to the question Of suzer-
ainty the Transvaal government refers to
the dispatch of April 16, 1893, and con-
siders it unnecessary to repeat that dis
patch. The reply then proceeds to say:
| The Transvaal government has already
| made known to the British government
| its objections to accepting the proposals in
| the high commissioners telegram of Aug.
| suggesting the appointment Of delegates
to draw up report on the electoral voted
| by the volksraad If the onesided inves-
! ttgation proposed by the British govern
ment shows that the existing law can be
made more effective, the Transvaal gov
ernment is ready to make such recon-
mendation to the volksraad. The Trans
| vaal government is ready to furnish any
information desired, but the proposed in
| qu1ry into the operation of the law would
be of very little use. The Transvaal gov
ernment is desirious Of satisfying Great
Britain of the operation of the electoral
law, and the representation from the min
ing districts
The reply then refers to Mr. Chamber
la1n's proposals respecting joint inquiry.
and says:
Considering that by these proposals
Great Britain does not aim at any inter-
ference in the affairs of the Transvaal,
and the action would not be regarded as
precedent, but has solely for it's object
| the ascertaintng whether the Transvaal
electoral law fills its purpose, the Trans
vaal government will await the proposals
of Great Britain as to the ultimate con-
stitutton of such commission as well as
to the place and time of meeting.
The Transvaal government then pro-
poses at an early date to send a fresh
reply to the leBAer of Judy 27 and en-
presses satisfaction that Great Britain
had really readiness to negotiate on
the court Of arbitration. 1t says it will
expect to learn, however. whether the
Free State burghers would be admitted
to such a court, and what would be 4he
scope Of the courts discussion, 1t ap-
peartng 40 the Transvaal government
that the restrictions proposed will pre-
vent the attainment OF the objects sought
for. With respect to the ulerior convent
ion the Transvaal government awaits the
reply Of Great Britain.
The Transvaal's Brussels agent saws
that the British government has acted on
the advice Of the British agent In Pre-
toria, Conyngham Greene
Early this morning the colonial office
began to receive the reply Of the Trans
val government direct. Mr.. Chamber
ialn on being asked for a statement. de-
cllned to give one until the cabinet coun-
Gil, tomorrsw (Friday.)
WAR SEEMS INEVITABLE
Referring to the abstract of the Trans
| vaal governments reply to Mr.. Chamber
lain, as given out by the Brussels
Transvaal agent, the Times says:
'"The reply is positively insulting. Easi-
| ly we are in measurable distance of An
| ultimatum."
The Times prints a long Cape Town
dispatch from Mr.. Moneypenny, it's Jo-
h&nnesberg correspondent, describing the
steps which led to his flight He SAYS:
My escape was wholly due to the i'm
| becility of the Transvaal detectives. for
| treated all warnings with skepticism untii
the actual arrest of Mr.. Pakeman. editor
| OF the Transvaal leader. That seemed an
indication of the adoption of a policy of
denance, making war inevitable, and I had
solid reasons, based on months of con-
tinuous threats from every quarter. in
Guiding State Secretary Reece, for be-
1eving that In the event Of war nv life
would be worth little If captured"
Mr. Moneypenny then details his ad-
ventures and dangerous route of escape
through Volgone's drift into the Orange
Free State. On one occasion he was chal-
lerged by a Boer commandant, whose
suspicious were only quieted by Money!
penny's companions read use of the
Dutch language. He says, regarding the
statement of Mr.. Smutz, the state attor-
ney, that the warrants We're issued with
out his knowledge, that it is palpably a.
falsehood
II know" he continued, 'that the AZ
rests were arranged at the Office of the
state attorney on Saturday morning last.