WHAT THE UITLANDERS NOW WANT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 209, 4 September 1899, Page 5

WHAT THE UITLANDERS NOW WANT.

Ijt view of the promise in ISSI, the demands oE the Uitlanders now arc really very modest. In the latest manifesto of the Council, July 2Sth, the essential reforms were set out: —

1. Simple and immediate enfranchisement of all who have lived or Shall have lived in the Republic for five years.

2. Representation in the Volksraad reasonably proportionate to the electo-

rate

3. No distinction between the vote for the Raad and the vote for the President and Commandant-General.

4. The re-establishment of the High Court as one branch of the delegated sovereignty of the people. 5. The admission of English to an equality with the Taal in all public functions.

C. The abolition of all distinction between old and new burg-hers, both in the Central and Municipal Governments-

7. The restoration of all Government arms to Government arsenals, to be re-distributed to volunteer corps, formed according to local distribution, and without regard to race.

S. The grant of Full control of local affairs to municipalities a.nd districts, reasonably determined according1 to population, this to include the election of local officials.

9. Government "-rants in aid of education in proportion to school attendance, and administered by local

boards

10. Local control of no!ice

WHAT STANDS IN THE WAY.

Mr Theo. Schreiner, a brother of the Cape Premier, writing to the "Capo Times" recently pointed out what stands in the way of a peaceful solution of the present trouble. He says: "The idle, mischievous, and unrighteous dream, that the Dutch Republics shall eventually swamp the British possessions, and the Vierkleur replace the Union Jack throughout South Africa, is at the bottom of all the present difficulties. This dream is not confined to the Transvaal and Orange Free State, but is cultivated by the supporters of the Transvaal policy in the Cape Colon}'. Yet no sensible man, in view of the large proportion of population in South Africa, which is loyally British, as well as South African ; in view of the vast extension cf British interests to the north; in view of the importance of the Cape to Engi land, and her unequalled strength as a sea power; in view, too, of that spirit of unity and solidarity which is increasingly binding together the distant members of the British Empire, and even of the greater Englishspeaking Empire, into one: in view, lastly, of the freedom, justice, and liberty granted to all mcii under thr British flag—no sensible man, in view of these facts, can for one moment believe that that dream is ever going to be fulfilled." ENGLAND'S PATIENCE. England's patience during the^orisis is commended by the South African Uitlander organs as something heroic. The Johannesburg "Star," referring to Mr Chamberlain's proposal for a joint commission on the franchise question, wrote: "When President Cleveland, dissatisfied with the course of the negotiations, suggested to the United States Congress the appointment of an unilateral commission to investigate the dispute between Great Britain and I Venezuela, the mere suggestion ! brought the two great English-speak-ing countries to the verge of war. There is, of course, no analogy between the position of the United I States as against a dispute between i Great Britain and Venezuela and the position of Great Britain as against a dispute between her own subjects and a subordinate State within her sphere of influence. We have only quotd the precedent to show that the invitation to Pretoria to join with the Imperial Government in instituting an inquiry is an act of condescension, which if not duly appreciated and welcomed as stich, may only subject the .Republic to further humiliation.

But the Boers seem to quire misunderstand that patience, and to look upon it as a sign of weakness. One | well-known Afrikander speaker at a I Capetown meeting said: "When he ! thought about the for^s he had been I shown over he could not help thinking j that England had not enough soldiers Ito conquer the Transvaal." It is tha> I idea, that ridiculous mistake of the j resources of the Empire, which, equal!ly witli the vain dream of a possible Dutch Republic, makes war now so imminent. FROM THE OTHER SIDE. The Dutch side of the question in South Africa does not seem to have much good argument to rely upon, if one is to judge by its advocnt.es. A Well-known member of the buna, speaking at a meeting to protest against any talk of war on England's part said:' "No doubt the Uitlanders had o-rievances. but they were nothing compared to the heartrending grievances of the Greeks. Why was England so anxious to see the Uitlander o-rievances removed? He confessed that the Transvaal Government was not perfect, but neither was any Government. And the question to his mind was whether England had any rio-ht to interfere in the i ntenial affairs of the Transvaal ('No.') In hi, opinion it had not. ('Hear, hear.) Whether it had or not, he was cons vinced that the grievances were only the alleged causes of the agitation, and that they did not justify war They were further convince* that there was no-reason that could justify war being declared.(('Heari r hear.') He would wish to know what the leal m °otive was for England's 'nwrfcrlng with the Transvaal. Was she prompted solely by a desire to see justice done to the Uitlanders, or was she anxioiis get hold of the country? ('Hear hear') Might it not perhaps be tfiat the grievances were only used as nn excufe to obtain the moral Biipnprt o ; Powers? ('Hear hear.Ol. ?o prevent a war that would be characterised by unrighteousness and caused by eovetousness. KRUGER'S MOCK RESIGNATION. On July 24th, it will be recollected, Mr Kramer was reported to have resigned the Presidency of the Transvaal. The report v.as not confirmed, but there is no-doubt but that there was a serious disagreement between Mr Kruger and the \olksn,ad. It arose out of the dynamite monopoly question. The President, rightly or wrongly, is all*ff«l to have a big interest in that monopoly. At any rate he proposed terms with regard to it which the Volksraad was not mcuned

1o agree to. The Jo'hannesbiiry "Lender" described the terms thus: "'The i President calmly proposes to cancel the dynamite liv.mupoly out of hand, and to make the monopolists a present of four millions, which Mr Vorstman has explained that he will take partly in Government securities at a high"*rate of interest, thus assuringl the President that he is really lending- money to the State. That is to say, the President deliberately proposes to give the company, which has only a few more years to run, a capitalised sum representing nearly nine times the annual amount, £450,000 to wit, that the company extort from the industry by charging what they charge ; over the' just price, of forty shilling's per ease." The matter was finally settled. Whether Kruger had his way or not remains to be seen when thtf full details of the new dynamite arrangement | come to hand.