New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-20
TIE TRANSTAAL RECORD.


Numerous correspondents have asked us for
q suc,nct statement of the negotiations be-
tween Great Britain and the TransvaaL Such
statements have been given from time to Time
in on, columns. but at risk Of repetition we
srau cDdeavor to comply with tho requests and
roviev- the record in chronological order
The present negotiations We're provoked by
the presentation 10 the British Government OF
2 net ton signed by 21.6s4 Outlanders of the
Transvaal praying for redress Of grievances
and restoration Of the political rights guar
anteed 10 them under the conventions Of 1881
and 1884 This address was presented on
Marcel IS last. and on May was fully Endorsed
bv the British Governor Of Cape Colony. Sir
Alfred Miner Five days later. NJ the instance
of both the Colonial Secretary. Mr. Chamber
lain. and SIR Alfred Miner friendly confer
ence with the Transvaal Government was re-
ouested. II met on neutral ground AT Bloem-
fontein on May 81 On the eve Of the CONFER
encc the Transvaal Government made number
of arrests for high treason at Johannesburg.
The "conspirators' arrested were secret service
spies in IT, own employ, and the whole busi-
ness was quickly exposed az shallow and
transparent fraud
At the Bloemfontein conference Sir Alfred
Miner proposed n five years retrospective
franchise A naturalization oath similar to that
in the Orange Free state full right 10 vote
Immediately upon naturalization. and fair
representation of the now voters in the legis-
lature. This President Kriiger declared would
he "tantamount to handing the country over
10 foreigners" and he made n counter proposal
Of seven years franchise not fully retro
spective under which every man would have 10
abandon his old citizenship and he a man
without a country" for several years before
getting the rights Of new citizenship. and even
then his admission to Transvaal citizenship
would he only partial and would be granted
not as a matter Of right but on suifcrance at
the will of a series Of Boer officials. President
Krjicer would listen IN nothing more than this
and the conference ended in failure
President Kriiger returned TO Pretoria and
caused the enactment of new franchise law
on the basis Of his Bloemfontoin proposals.
The British Government protested in advance
that such a law would he unsatisfactory. ard
50 pronounced It after its passage. on July
i the Transvaal adopted another law granting
the franchise again not as a right, but at the
pleasure Of Boer ofiiciaIs-in seven years.
reckoned retrospectively. It was clumsily and
understand. But the British Government Was
inclined to accept IT, and was willing to waive
the difference between FIVE years and seven
years. provided It could be assured that the
law really meant what II purported to mean and
would be administered in good faith Accord
ngly. It proposed on July 81 another confer
cnce to examine the text Of the law ind to
consider Its probable effect
The Transvaal Government waited nearly
three weeks before answering this proposal IN
which time It imported ammunition and made
all possible military preparations Then, On
August 49, Il replied. practically declining the
British offer. and making substitute offer of
a five years retrospective franchise ana In
ased representation provided Great Britain
would pledge itself never again n intervene
in Transvasl affairs. no longer to insist unon
assertion Of It's suzerainty, and 70 'oncede ST
bitratlon. from which foreign elements other
than that Of the Orange Free State should he
excluded The British Government replied On
August % that while II hoped no further IN
terventlon would be necessary. il could not
pledge itself not 10 protect its subjects In the
Transvaal II they should need protection: that
It must stand by It's previous assertions Of
suzerainty that ii was willing 10 consider the
were some matters not proper for arbitration
which required prompt settlement. TO which end
II renewed its proposal for conference. tt
this the Transvaal replied on September 10y
Offering conditiOnally to enter a conference hu
by withdrawing AT the same time the whole
franchise offer and insisting upon absolute
I abrogaton Of the British suzeraiutv ard IN,
$ erection OF the Transvaal into "a sovereign IN
J ternatonal State"
The British Government replied 10 this q
p September IL by practically renewing H.,
p Transvsals own proposal Of August ~ Of
? five years franchise and increased renrcscn; a
b. ton with non-foreign arbitration hut leavln,
2 the suzeralniy question in statu quo and sus
r costing that the new representatives Of the out
q landcrs in the Transvaal Legislature should h
4 permitted 10 speak English, just as Dn'..hmei
Q in the Cape Legislature are permitted to spea
o Dutch To this. finally. the Transvaal made N
j. reply which has Just been published. nccus:n
), the British Government ~ bad faith ard Do
e claring that all former offers are now with