TRANSVAAL AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1423, 8 June 1899, Page 25

TRANSVAAL AFFAIRS.

LONDON, Friday. Lengthened correspondence has been passing for some time between the Right Hon J. Chamberlain, Secretary for the Colonies, and the Boer Government concerning the dynamite monopoly in the Transvaal, which has an oppressive effect on the outlanders engaged in the mining industry. The correspondence has now been published. In his letters Mr Chamberlain contends that the Boers, in granting a monopoly to a French firm of manufacturers, have incurred a breach of the Convention of* 1884, which gave to Great Britain the suzerainty of the Republic and the control of its foreign relations.

Mr Reitz, the State Secretary to the Republic, denies that Great Britain has any right to interfere. The tone of the Transvaal Secretary’s dispatch is aggressive and even offensive.

Mr Chamberlain has, however, reiterated his protest, and maintains that the rights of the British subjects in 1 lie Transvaal must be respected. CAPETOWN, Friday. Sir Alfred Milner, the Governor of Cape Colony and High Commissioner of South Africa, met Mr Puulus Kruger, the President, of the Transvaal Re-pub-lie, at Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, yesterday. The conference was held in secret, and lasted two hours. As to what transpired nothing yet has leaked out. CAPETOWN, Saturday. Sir Alfred Milner and President Kruger are’sitting in conference for four hours daily. The. British representative has submitted to the President of the Republic a definite programme embodying the minimum which Britain will accept in satisfaction of the demands made by her subjects in the Transvaal. LONDON, Saturday. Great Britain is prepared to lenew her guarantee of independence to the Boers if the Transvaal Government will grant speedy and substantial reforms in favoui of the outlanders. A Reuter’s correspondent at Bloemfontein, where the Conference is being held, states that there are strong indications that Mr Kruger and Sir Alfred Milner are approaching an agreement. LONDON, Tuesday. In the House of Commons, the Rignt Hon J. Chamberlain, Secretary of Soace for the Colonies, in reply to a question bearing upon the conference on the grievances of the Outlanders now proceeding between Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner of South Africa, and Mr Kruger, President of the Transvaal, said he would decline to direct Sir Alfred Manor to refuse the petitions dealing with the internal affairs of the Transvaal. (Per s.s. Moana at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, May 18. Eight alleged former British officers were arrested at Johannesburg on May 16th by order of President Kruger, charged with high treason. The arrested officers were:—Captain Patterson, Colonel R. F. Nicholls, Lieutenant J. Tremlett, C. A. Ellis, Lieutenant J. A. Mitchell, J. Fries, J. P. Hooper and Nichols. None of them have been in the employ of the British South African Chartered Company. It is said the Commissioner of Police had been working on the case for four months. The British agent called on President Kruger, and expressed regret that former British officers should be concerned in such a- movement. The President said he would not believe the men were British officers till such had been proved. The charges against the prisoners is that while staying at the Rand privately they were engaged in enlisting men for the purpose of rebellion at a given signal. It is said the enlistment roll included two thousand men, and a number of incriminating documents are alleged to have been found. The London press has little information as to the trouble, hut has received word that a telegram was sent from Pretoria to Johannesburg on May 12th saying that a special train fully equipped with Boer artillerymen, guns and search-light apparatus was being held in readiness at the capital. Mr Cecil Rhodes, in an interview, disclaimed all knowledge of the difficulty. The work of fortifying redoubts and hill-tops at points of strategic importance continue.