THE TRANSVAAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 36

THE TRANSVAAL.

Pretoria, May 12. Sir Jacobus do Wet, British agent at Pretoria, has resigned. President Kruger, in an interview, said lie was astonished at the official defence set up in the .House of Commons, if ho had been present in tho imperial Parliament on Friday he could easily have floored tho speakers. Tho stories of intrigue with Germany wore mere soap-bubbles. It was impossible to defend tho plot against tho Transvaal, and there would bo no rest for Africa till tho men who engineered it wore punished. Pretoria, May 14. Sir Graham Bower succeeds Sir Jacobus Do Wot as British Agent here, pending a permanent appointment. The Government has withdrawn its support from the proposed exhibition at Johannesburg, and its opening lias been postponed for a year. General Joubort has been elected VicePresident of tho Transvaal Republic. Pretoria, May 18.

It is alleged that further cypher messages have been discovered which reveal a wild project for the rescue ot Jameson by 3000 men, also that Mr Alfred Beit, secretary of tho Chartered Company, was tho man who directed Jameson to start. Tho Transvaal Executive has confirmed tho sentence of three years’ banishment upon tho prisoners whoso term of imprisonment has been reduced. F. Grey, one of tho reformers, has become insane, and committed suicide. It is said that President Kruger is disposed to accept tho petition of tho Reform Committee that the amount of tho fines should be increased instead of the sentence of exile being carried out. London, May 12. Dr Levds, Secretary of State in the Transvaal Government, has cabled that Sir Hercules Robinson and the Capo Government- consider that the existence of the Chartered Company is a source of danger to South Africa. He does not believe the statements that the imperial Government is inclined to side with Mr Rhodes. It is reported that a section of tho Chartered Company’s shareholders intend to sue Mr Beit for damages, for aiding in the invasion of the Transvaal. .Jackson and While, troopers, giving evidence at Dr Jameson’s trial, denied that Mr Rhodes wired instructions to advance into the Rand. Herr Von Boeseliotcn, Under-Secretary of State for the Transvaal, is purchasing large supplies of arms and heavy ordnance in Europe. London, May 11. A private tele gram received here stales that tho sentences on Colonel Rhodes, Phillips, Hammond and Farrar, who were

originally condemned to death, have been commuted to five years’ imprisontnont. §Tlie telegram adds that the sentences passed on tho other prisoners, who were at first sent to gaol for two years, fined £2OOO each, and banished for throe years, have been reduced to a term of one year each.

London, May 15. Mr Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, has cabled to Sir Hercules Robinson that President Kruger, in his recent criticism of the British case, has been misled by tho brief reports cabled of the proceedings in the House of Commons. He (Mr Chamberlain) bad no intention of defending Air Cecil Rhodes in liis speech. The Government, he says, will await tho decision of the Joint Committee of the Lords and Commons which is to investigate the whole case after the Courts have I dealt with Jameson and his affairs, and ho deprecates a hasty judgment being formed. ; Reports from tho Rand state that with tho exception of the leaders it is likely that the members of the Reform Committee will be released with lines instead of imprisonment. London, Slay 16. President Kruger lias communicated with Sir Chambeilain thanking him for the assurance that a full enquiry will be made into recent events. In addressing a meeting at Devonshire, Lord Rosebery said that the delay in holding an enquiry into tho connection of tho South African Chartered Company with Jameson’s raid was worse than no inquiry at all, and lie declared that such delay would create suspicion abroad and discontent at Home. Cai'etown, May 15. The Capo Legislative Assembly is in favour of reposing confidence in tho Imperial enquiry into the Transvaal raid. Eir J. Gordon Sprigg, tho Premier, said, in the course of tho debate, that some form of government, like that exercised by tho Chartered Company would be necessary for years.