PEACE PROPOSALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 112, 13 May 1902, Page 5

PEACE PROPOSALS.

THE BOEBS WAST

**S GOVE— T

fad AND DE WET OBSTRUCTIVE.

iTING SJoHHBB

LONDON. May 12. *. first conference between k\ tit ncr and the Boer delelt tbf £ter demanded the Into P ta «f the Republics, promising deD<thefort and concede a liberal British Government refused this ? e,l!o a request for the retention »n* also ? ,+ offered generous assist«la?bXS "stock the farms "fJJsed no difficulty in reference : dpa£U the banished leaders. £ delegates pleaded for leniency X rebel*, recognising the justice /^franchising them. «"* believed they were assured thatW.d ifficuJty iS DOt inSUper" *™ c Government declined to fix a i! fnr the "ranting responsible go*i2t tat promised that it would Ranted .at the earliest possible date. , . ... n Stem's attitude was as fanatical as J He persuaded the Transvaalers So make a truculent demand for independence. • De Wet at firsv was sullenly obBtwtive,*ut afterwards more conciliatory. De-la Key and Botha expressed willingness to obey the Transvaal GoTerament. Stejn and Schalk Burger insisted on consulting the burghers.

The "Times" says that when the Boer delegates merely offered to concede all the franchise demands made on behalf of the Outlanders before the war the British Government intimated that the Middleburg: Conference represented the maximum of concessions, and refused to permit consultation with European delegates, warning the delegates then conferring that they had better drop the negotiations unless they submitted serious proposals.

The delegates stated that they must consult the burghers before negotiating for the surrender of independence.

lord Kitclienpr warned them that they rmlst return with full powers. Mr Sehnlk Burger agreed to this proposal unreservedly, and Steyn less unreservedly. Reuters Pretoria correspondent, writing on April 19, states that Steyn was in a serious condition, suffering from creeping paralysis and a malady of the"eyes.