The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-12-09

INTO nineteen districts, each one OF which
is presided over by landdrost, or ma
gistrate. Each OF these magisterial dis
tricts is again subdivided into one, two
or more wards, according to its size OF
Importance. Each OF these wards sends
a member to the volksraad Or legislature
In addition to this each town also send:
a member to the volksraad. To this
legislature the people delegate the gov.
ernment OF the country. The president
who is the responsible head of the exec.
utive department, is advised by an exec
utive council and by the high court
which is composed OF chief justice and
two puisne judges.
The government obtains about f4oo,,
900 annually from the revenues of the
state to meet its expenditure. This rev.
enue is mainly derived from the fol
lowing sources: Quit-rent on farms, al
the rate of 4S cents for each 100 morgen
or 200 acres; transfer dues on un1noya-
Bile or fixed property, at the rate of d
per cent; per cent rate on 1novables
that is, all goods sold by auction; hut
or capitation tax Of $3.50 a head on
natives. From the custom house there
is received about f12o,ooo year. This
is obtained from IL per cent ad valo-
rem levy on all oversee goods crossing
the border. These dues are, by virtue
of treaty with the Cape Colony gov
eminent levied at the ports of Cape
Colony. They are also levied on the
Natal border by Orange Free State off
GERS in accordance with the provisions
of the customs union existing between
the Cape government and the Free
State. The former retains 3 per cent of
the 12 per cent levied to recoup itself for
the expense OF collecting these customs
dues for the republic.
The Orange Free State expends about
$4,000 annually on roads, 100000 on
bridges, and large sums, for so small a
country, on public buildings. In fact,
nearly one-third OF the entire revenue OF
the state is absorbed by educational
grants and public works. This would
be very fine showing for countries
outside OF Africa.
The government OF this Boer state is
very careful about the education of the
children of the land. For this purpose a
permanent fund of 100000 is set aside.
The educational department is a very
thorough one. This department is I'M
der a superintendent who has under him
corps of inspectors and sub-inspectors.
There are now about 30 fine government
schools with a staff of $50 teachers.
These schools are exclusive of private
and non-aided schools, such as those
which are maintained by the Catholics,
the Anglicans, and other religious de-
nominations. The government schools
are of three kinds, viz-town, ward, and
peripatetic schools. To teach them the
instructors are divided into first, second
and third class, according to the grade
OF their certificates from the board of
state examiners. This board is COM
posed OF nine members who are appoint
ed by the president OF the republic.
Though only $4,000 square miles in
area, the size OF an American state, this
republic has had stirring history since
the first white men peopled it in 1885,
siNty-five years ago. These settlers
were refugees from Cape Colony, hunt
ing for quiet, peaceful home north Of
the Orange river. Some of these emf
grants founded the South African Re-
public, or Tranvaal. These pioneer
farmers found only bands of savage
Bushnen and Korannas in the new
country. They organized a sort Of
community band or maatschappi. In
1877, the British governor of Cape Col
ony proclaimed all territory between the
Vaal and the Orange rivers as British
country. A resident agent was then
placed at Bloemfontein. This state of
sovereignty continued until 1854. In
that year the continued troubles with
the Basutos and Griquas caused the
English government to relinquish the
country north of the Orange river. By
the convention of Bloemfontein, signed
Feb. 20, 1854, the country north OF the
Orange river, known as the Orange
River Territory, was recognized as an
independent state. This convention freed
the farmers from allegiance to the Brit
isl crown; the English government was
to have no alliances with any of the
tribal chiefs north Of the Orange river,
with the exception of Adam Kok, the
chief of the Griqua tribe. The new
government guaranteed the rights of the
persons and property OF British subjects
resident in that territory at that time.
Extradition was also provided for;
courts of law were to be established,
and slavery was not to be allowed The
Orange River Territory was to have the
right to purchase arms and munitions
in British South Africa.
The volksraad adopted the Orange
Free State constitution on April 10.
1854. 1t was based upon the constitu-
ton of the United States. This consti-
tuition gave anyone living in the terri
tory six months before April 10 the
right to vote for president and for men,
bers of the legislature. The president is