THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, FEBRUARYS 5, 1896.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10044, 3 February 1896, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, FEBRUARYS 5, 1896.

The Hon. Mr. Chamberlain has instructed the British Agent at Pretoria to inquire into the reports as to disorders prevailing at Johannesburg, which would show that he assumes that the suzerainty exists in all its strength. Mr. Chamberlain expresses confidence that President Kruger will soon take steps to remedy the evil, but the President nicy not be able or willing to do what is necessary. English papers by tho last mail, of course issued before Dr. Jameson's unfortunate raid, show that the position brought about by Boer intolerance, had nearly become unbearable. Mr. Esselen, the State Attorney, who had the confidence both of Boers and Uitlanders, had resigned owing to his sense of the injustice of the Government. The condition of Johannesburg some time since as to police arrangements was so bad, that the residents had to contemplate tho establishment of a police force to be paid by a voluntary rate. Mr. Esselen brought a competent officer from the Cape, whose services were lent for a year by the Government of that colony. At the end of that time a permanent arrangement had to bo made, but the Transvaal Government would not enter into the subject, because the officer imported from the Cape was not a burgher of the Transvaal. There was no burgher capable of managing the police and detectives required at Johannesburg, but the Government would not give way, and Mr. Esselen resigned, and his action was followed by the resignation of the more capable officers of his department. In a community such as lias gathered at Johannesburg the police department should be complete in every branch, but the Boer Government will do nothing for the protection of la w-abiding ci izens. Themining interest is a large one, as we all know. It is administered by mining inspectors, and the services of skilled men are necessary to all engaged in the industry. The Boers know nothing about mining, that industry having been the creation of the last ten years. But President Kruger and his Government have enacted that every mining inspector must be naturalised, that he must speak Dutch, and that he must be a Protestant. Men possessing the necessary j knowledge, and fulfilling these conditions, cannot be obtained, and so all mining affairs .ire in absolute confusion. In regard to education, tlje Uitlanders have to pay the tax levied by the State for the support of schools where only Dutch is taught. In the Rand district there are 10,000 English - speaking children, but no provision is made for their education unless their parents agree that they shall attend the Dutch schools. On a proposal being made to establish voluntary schools, to be maintained by subscriptions among the Uitlanders, the Pretorian authorities denounced the movement as rebellion. Mr. Esselen was interviewed as to whether he might return to the Government, when he said:-"I will never be a member of the executive unless such alterations are made as will give us a settled constitution, in which tho various powers and prerogatives of the Legislature, executive and judiciary, are properly defined, and a reasonable franchise for the whole country is laid down."

It is evident from Mr. Chamberlain's messages to President Kruger that lie is desirous to keep that potent personage in as good a humour as possible. The Boer Government, at the present time, have no doubt much in their power. They hold Dr. Jameson and his principal officers, and also a number of the men connected with the league formed by the Uitlanders. There is no resistance possible to the Boer forces, because they would have to contend only with an unarmed mob. But this strtto of things cannot continue. If ever insurrection was justified, it is in a case such as the above, where those who pay the bulk of the taxes have no representation, where they have not the commonest safeguards of any civilised community, and where their very language is sought to be superseded by a barbarous dialect, without syntax and without literature. If an English-speaking community submits to this sort of tiling long, then the world will come to the conclusion that our race lias really deteriorated.