The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-11
.BOER GENERALS
 ASKED TOO MUCH
Chamberlain Was Surprised at
 Their Numerous Requests.
TALKS OF OUR CIVIL WAR
Gives That as Example to Show Why the 5urghers Should Not Ask So Many Concessions From
 Great Britain.

London. September 1o.-,A parliament ary paper issued today gives a full re- port of the recent conference between the colonial secretary. MT. Chamberlain, and the Boer generals, Botha, Dewet and Delarey. Prior to agreeing to the interview which the Boers asked for Au- gust 20. the colonial secretary requested list of the subjects which 1t was de- sired to discuss and the generals for warded list of twelve subjects, includ- ing the following:
 Complete amnesty to the rebels.
 A yearly grant to all Boer widows and orphans and maimed burghers.
 Equal rights for the English and Dutch languages in the schools and the courts.
 That equal rights with tho British be conceded to burghers complying with the terms of surrender. including the right to return to South Africa.
 The immediate release of all prisoners of war.
 The reinstatement of the officials of the late South African republics or compen sation for their loss of office. &oHpclSdLiuH AO4 all iOSS SSce1oAcHSe by the British troops by the use, removal burning or destruction or other means of all private property.
 The reinstatement of the burghers in the ownership of their farms confiscated or sold under the proclamation of Au- gust T, 1901.
 Compensation for the use of the prop critics of burghers taken by the British authorities.
 Payment of the lawful obligations of the late South African republics includ- ing those incurred during the war.
 The resembling of the decision to add portion of the Transvaal to Natal.
 Granting an extension of time for the payment of all debts due by the burghers to the late governments of the South African republics,
 Chamberlain Astonshed.
 MT. Chamberlain, in reply, expressed great surprise at the number and charac- ter of the proposals, pointing out that the conditions agreed on at Verenigigen were duly accepted by the burghers and the British government and could not be reopened, nor could proposals rejected at that time be again discussed. If the in depreciation of the agreement was open to question his majesty's government would endeavor to remove all doubts. MT. Chamberlain informed the generals that there was truth in the report that the government intended to sell farms belonging to the burghers. Regard ing some farms sold in the Orange River , colony under the proclamation of August !, 1901, MT. Chamberlain promised that the farms bought by the government would be transferred to their former owners.
 , General Botha criticized the compost : tion of the commission appointed to allot [ the grant of $15000000 Qor the purpose of. , assisting burghers and their families to return to their homes and for restocking their farms. etc), and objected to Natal scouts serving as commissioners, but : Mir Chamberlain maintained that the , government must be true to those who supported it.
 Boers Will Have Natal.
 Relative to the transfer to Natal of part of the Transvaal, General Botha said the burghers proposed to trek therefrom. He lived there, but he saw no chance of re- maining, the feeling of the British in Natal being so strongly anti-Boer.
 On the subject of martial law, Mir Chamberlain said 1t would not be con- tinued much longer.
 The colonial secretary refused to rec ognize as burghers, foreigners who had been naturalized during or just before the war.
 General Botha concluded with an ap- peal for the widows and orphans, and said that he wished an appropriation, as s15,00o.OO0 was inadequate.
 Replying to this MT. Chamberlain com pared Great Britainss treatment of the Boers with the treatment of the south by the north after the civil war in Amer lea.
 T would remind the general" said MT Chamberlain, that we have undertaken already more obligations than have ever before been undertaken under similar circumstances. To take one case m my time, l recollect very well the great civil war in America. and appeal to that be- cause that stands out as u case in which more than ever before, or indeed evei. since, the victor, the copqueror, showed a magnanimous and generous feeling to the conquered. There was good reason for this, because they were brothers of the stme race, the same religion the same everything. It was 2 civil war bus even in that case the northern side that is to say the victorious side, made no provision whatever. either by way of grant. pension or allowance to the people, who had been wounded to the side that had bsen conquered. They gave them their lives and their liberties, and afte. period of ten years gave them votes. but did not give them any money compen- sation.
 But we have gone a step beyond that because we have contributed, in addition to our own enormous expenses A very large sum to relieve those wffo are really destitute in our new colonies We have done more than I think was expected and we have done all that we can afford to do, and think it would be undesira- ! ble for the generals to press us any far then in this matter, either now or in writing"
 Proceeding, Mir. Chamberlain recipro eated the desire expressed by General Botha that they should all live in peace in the future in South Africa
 Forget and Forgive.
 We want in this country said the colonial secretary, Ito forget and for give, because if you think, as you we'll may, that you have something to for give, we also think that we have a great deal to forgive. But we want to put all that on one side. The war is over We each fought well as we knew how and now there is peace. All we want is to recognize you as fellow subjects with ourselves working as we shall work for the prosperity and liberty of South Af- rica How great that liberty Is and how soon complete self-government will bs extended to South Africa depend entirely on the rapidity with which the old ami