The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-09-30

London. Sept. q. - The officials OIL
the foreign office yesterday evening
gave out the text Of the letter of the
secretary Of state for the colonies, MI.
Chamberlain. to the British commits
sioner in South Africa; Sir Alfred
Miner, dated Sept. %. The British re-
ply expresses regret that her maJes-
TVS offer, No. s, of Sept. 8, had been
refused, and says:
The object her majesty's govern
ment had in view in the recent negotla-
tons has been stated in a manner
which cannot admit of misapprehen.
sion, viz: To obtain such substantial
and immediate representation for the
Outlanders as vii. enable them to Sc
cure for themselves that fair and just
treatment which was formally prom
ised them in 1881, and which her maj
esty intended to secure for them when
she granted privileges Of sef-govern-
ment to the Transvaal. No conditions
less comprehensive than those con-
tained in the telegram of Sept. 8 can be
relied on to effect this object. The re-
fusal of the South African government
tc entertain the offer thus made, COM
ing as it does after four months of
protracted negotiations, themselves the
climax of five years of extended aglta-
ton, makes useless to further pursue
the discussion on the lines hitherto fol
lowed, and the imperial government is
now compelled to consider the situation
afresh and formulate it's OWL proposals
for a final settlement of the issues
which have been created in South
Africa by a policy constantly followed
for many years by the government Of
South Africa. They will communicate
the result of their deliberations lin a
later dispatch"
ina later communication, dated Sept.
70, the imperial government takes up
the charge of breach Of faith insinu-
ated by Secretary of State Reitz Sept.
16. (which We cannot pass over In
silence" MI. Chamberlain then says:
1.-THE proposals made by the South
African republic in it's letters Of Aug.
10 and 20 were not induced by sugges-
lions given by the British agent from
the state attorney as claimed. On the
contrary, the state attorney sounded
the British agent. both in writing and
in conversation. as to the conditions on
which the imperial government would
WlltS IL tIOA y d JCAAS 'AANuAAJ
and the result of these communications
was the proposals made by the South
African government in -hese letters.
1t is impossible that the South African
government could have had any doubt
es to tie imperial governments an
swer to- tie conditions named, and my
reply was actually the same as the
British agent had fo~reshadowed to the
state attorney, and which, therefore.
ae South African government must
ave anticipated in making the pro.
>osals. The imperial government also
enies that its telegram Of Sept. 8 SUBJ
tituted an entirely new proposal for
'ae invitation to the joint commission
I inquiry" h.
The imperial government then quotes
the dispatch from South Africa Of
Aug. 10, containing an alternative pro-
posal identical with that which the i'm
per:al government is said to have SUBJ
mitted, and the communication then
proceeds as follows:
1.-The imperial government sees no
ground for misrepresentation Oh the
part Of the South African republic as
to its answer regarding non-interfer-
ence and %suzerainty, as the imperial
government had already stated that it
would not press for the appointment Of
a joint commission of inquiry in view
of the fact that such an inquiry would
in the opinion of the government of the
South African republic, prejudice the
right of full independence, repeatedly
recognized by the imperial government.
AS to the S of the English language
in the volksraad. the imperial govern
ment regards this rs reasonable, and
is astOnished that the government Of
the South African republic should
deem it unnecessary, and make q point
Of denying that the government Of the
South African republic yer proposed
the same to the British agent"