The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-08
BRlTONS ARE DEFlED
WAR IN THE TRANSvAAL NOW
SEEMS INEVITABLE, AND MAY
COME QUICKLY
WILD SCENES IN PRETORIA

WILD SCENES IN PRETORIA
One Government Representative
Brands Action of the British as
an Open Invitation tO War That
Should Be Accepted - Suggests
Sending. of Boer Forces to From
tier to Drive Back the British.
CAPE TOWN, sept. 7.-Midnight-
The Beers, 1T is stated positively
! here, are concentrating ON the bOr-
| der.
PRETORIA, Sept. 7-There was great
| excitement in the first raad today over
| Representative Coetzer's Interpolation Of
| the government regarding the concentra
ton of British troops on the border, anc
| the Stoppage of shipments Of aDlmunt-
| ten.
President Kruger members of the cab.
met and other officials were present, to-
| gether with a large representation of the
general public, including many ladies'
| At the outset the chairman and president
uISSu lIlS Jll6llOSIS " illdA1AleRAAi SeeAAAA
ness and to refrain from insulting Ian
| Guage.
| The state secretary, D. F. ReitZ. said
! he had called the previous day Oh the
British diplomatic agent, Mr.. Conyng-
ham Green, and asked him what reply the
government could give in the volksraad
regarding the massing of British troops
on the border, and whether MIR. Green
would communicate with the British high
Gir Alfred Mi1nar The
ply Of Mr.. Green, he continued. was re-
ceived this morning, and is in the follow
ing terms:
''Dear Mr. Reitz: The following Is the
reply of Sir Alfred Miner to the telegram
which I sent him in response to your re-
quest yesterday:
''I do not know to what Mr.. Reitz re-
fers in the massing Of troops: There must
be British troops in South Africa, In Varl-
Gus positions and in numbers, but 1t IS q
matter of common knowledge that they
are here to protect British interests and
to be ready in eventuaities.
Mr. Coetzer and other members then
made violent speeches, saying there was
no excuse for Sir Alfred Miners reply,
since the Transvaal had not threatened
British interests.
ut is time" said Mr.. Coetzer, 'ffor the
Transvaal also to prepare for eventu-
alities.'
One member said:
''England's action is like putting re-
volver in mans face"
OPEN DEFIANCE.
Continuing a warlike harangue, he
said:
1--WE should send our troops to the Dor
der and ask these troops what they want
II trouble is bound to come let 1t come
quickly. War is better than this state Of
affairs. This means ruin. The state
treasury is drying up. Mr.. chamberlain
is trying to rule the country"
These speeches, and others attacking
Cecil Rhodes, were loudly applauded by
the house and spectators.
The debate continued throughout the
afternoon.
Mr.. Tosen, who declared Sir Alfred
Miners reply was tantamount to dec
laration of war, read a telegram from the
field cornet Of the Pietrof district, say
ing the people would rise In rebellion II
President Kruger went to any CONFER
ence.
The chairman called Mr.. Tosen to order
for saving that the Jameson raiders ought
to have been hanged.
Mr.. J. M Wolmarns. one Of the two Of
cial members Of the executive council.
counsered prudence and counsel. He said
II would be we'll for the raad to choose
whether the republic should offer FUR
Their concessions or not. President kru-
ger rose and said:
1.-THE foreigners have been offered con-
cessions and have refused. Mr.. Cham-
berlain demands the franchise, which the
uitlanders do not want. What Mr.. Cham
berlain desires Is possession OF the Trans
yaal. The burghers are willing to corr
cede much for the sake of peace, but Will
never sacrifice their independence.
After eulogizing Mr.. G1adstone's actlon
of retrocession in 1881 as noble actlon,
President Kruger said that II it now
came to fighting the Almlghty Wouro o os
the arbiter. He urged the members OF
the raad to show moderations, remind
ing them that the reply Of Mr.. Chamber
lain was en- route, and pointing out that
If the proposal for a conference was
agreed to, the republic could elect dele
gates to further discuss matters and, II
possible to make peace.
The speeches after the presidents ad-
dress were more moderate in tone, and
the raad rose without passing any resolu-
ton. .
In the course OF the debate Mr.. Dutoft
,nsinuated that Mr. Chamberlain was in
toxicated on the occasion of his recent
famous garden party speech, at Hlgh-
hurry. his Birmingham residence, and, ne
added, if Mr.. Chamberlain continued to
act as he had been acting, the Transvaal
would give him "Mauser pills. which
would be good purgative." He urged
the house not to be frightened by the
sending out of British troops, remarking
| that Mr. Chamberlain must remember
| that when a war was once started he
would have to fight the whole of Afri-
kanderdom.
! The chairman demonstrated with Mr.
| Dutoit, observing that he thought the
member had gone too far.
! Mr.. Tosen asked whether the govern
| ment considered Sir Alfred Miners tele-
gram a declaration of war
Mr.. Wolmarsan replied that he did not
| think so, adding that the telegram was
| as inexplicable to the executive as to the
| raad. Subsequently Mr.. Wolmarsan tolo
| the raad that Mr.. Stem had said thai
| Portugal must be called to account fol
stopping the passage Of ammunition.
BOERS IN THE FIELD.
| LONDON, Sept S.-A special dispatch
| to the Daily Mail from Pietermaritzbure
says that the 300 Beers who left Pretoria
/ for Standerton, about fifty miles from
the frontier pushed on to Volksrust, close
to the Natal border, where they are now
encamped The same correspondent
saws that the arrangements for the de-
| Tense of Newcastle, in Natal, south Of
| Laing's Neck are now practically com
! plete. He adds:
'"The governor of Natal informs me
| that the Beers of Utrecht and Vryheit
have been suddenly recalled to the high
veldt. They were compelled to leave
their cattle behind them, but they tool
| children of the natives as hostages"