Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-09-23
|D0DGES ULTIMkTUM
OF GREAT BRITAIN
Transvaal's Reply to Chamberlain's
Latest Note Evasive and
Unsatisfactory.
THINK Beers MEAN TO FIGHT
london Papers All Regard the An
swcr as Indicating the Beers
Determination to Stand
Their Ground.

Pretoria, Sept. 19.-The reply Of the
government of the South African re-
public To the --latest dispatch, dated
september II, Of the British secretary
If state for the colonies, Joseph Cham
Gcrlain, after acknowledging the re-
| .eipt Of the British no;e, proceeds in
part as follows:
The government deeply regrets the
withdrawal II, as the 90 e. nmlnt under
stands it, OF the invitation contained
II the British dispatch OF August 70
and the substitution in place thereon
ii an entirely new proposal.
The proposals Eow fallen through
contained in the Transyaal dispatches
If August - and August II were elicit
ed from this government by sugges-
tons made by the British diplomatic
agent in Pretoria ~(Conyng1am Greene)
10 the Trdnsyaal state secretary Of. w.
Reitz), suggestions which this govern
ment acted upon in go-d faith and
after specially asctrta.ning whether
they would belkely 10 prove accept
able TO the British goYeinment. This
government had by no means any in
tention TO raise again needlessiy the
question of its political status, but act
ed with the sole object Of e~ndeayoring
by the aid Of the local British agent to
put an end TO the strained condition of
affairs.
This was done in the shape of a
proposal which this government
deems, as regards its spirit and form,
TO be so worded as, relying upon init
nations to this government, would
satisfy her majesty's government. This
government saw a difficulty as TO the
acceptance of those proposals by the
people and Legislature OF the Transvaal
and also contemplated possible dan
gers connected herewith, but risked
making them on account of a sincere
desire TO secure peace and because as
sured by Mr.. Chamberlain that such
proposals would o be deemed a re-
fusal Of his proposals, but would be
settled OF their merits.
"As regards the joint commission,
the Transvaal adheTes TO the accept
ance of the invitation thereunto given
by her maiesty's government and can
not understand why such commission,
which before was deemed necessary TO
explain the complicated details OF the
seven-year law, should now be
deemed unnecessary and why it should
o without much inquiry be thought
possible to declare this law inadequate.
Further, there must be a m~isappre-
hension if il be assumed that this gov
eminent was prepared TO lay proposals
for Il five-ycar franchise and a quar-
ter representation of the new popuba-
ton before the volksraad for uncon-
ditional acceptance. AS to the Ian
guage, this government never made
any offer such as is referred to, consid-
ering, as it did, such a measure both
unnecessary and undesirable.
THE proposed conference, also pro-
posed to the joint commission of in
quiry, this government is likewise not
unwilling to enter upon, but the diff
Guilty is that an acceptance thereof is
made dependent upon the acceptance,
on the side Of the Transvaal, of prece-
dent conditions which this government
does not feel at liberty to submit to the
volksraad, and, moreover, the subjects
to be discussed at the conference re-
main underlined.
This government aTdcntly desires
and gladly accepts arbitration, as it's
firm intention is TO adhere to the terms
Of the London convention Of 1874"
The dispatch concludes by trusting
that the British government, on recon-
sidcration, may not deem it fiji to make
more onerOus or new proposals, but
will adhere TO Great Britain's pro-
posal for n joint commission Of in
quiry rs previously explained by the
secretary Of state for the colonies to
the imperial parliament"
Cape Town, Sept. 10.-Thc Afrikan-
der leaders received n Telegram saying
that the reply Of the Transvaal gov
eminent TO the British demands still
maintains the government position rs
to British s~uzerainty, offers a seven
year franchise and declares the
Transvaal's strict adherence to the
terms of the 1884 convention.