THE TRANSVAAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10616, 11 March 1896, Page 2

THE TRANSVAAL.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. London, March 9.

The Boer translator confirms the statement tbat Br Jameson's surrender wm conditional.

The cablegram which reached Australia aud New Zealand concerning the closing of the mines by President Kruger was evidently mutilated. Instead of closing the mines, President Kruger condemned the owners for doing so in a proclamation issued on January 27, as follows:—" Whereas ths Government of this Republic has been informed that theintention has been conceived soon to close some of the mines of the Witwatersrand Goldfields, and that the cause thus givan for this step consists' of an unavoidable dearth of necessary labour, snd whereas there are good grounds to suspect that tho intended closing of the miues has origin in a continuation of the disturbance and unlawful coi'imotion which took place recently, and not iv eaatew which are given or put forward as preliminary, and whereas it is to the interest of tho general public and highly necessary that the development of the mining industry of the Witwater3rand goldfields should be curried on and advanced peacefully and uninterruptedly, the arbitrary closing of the mines in consequence of the above unlawful reasons cannot be otherwise than most damaging; aud financially detrimental to shareholders in various gold companies, against which shareholders ought to be warned in their own interests : so it is that I, S. .1. P. Kruger, Stats President, &c, in accordance with Act 51 of Minutes, dated 27th inst., and with special reference to Act 148, Law No. 19, of 1895, re digging and trading in pretious minerals and precious stones, hereby proclaim that the Government vigorously continues, ss in the past, to guarantee adequate protection for the peaceful development of tho mining jndustry, and that each and every one who attempts to disturb, or disturbs, this peaceful developmeut shall be subjected to tho severest penalty of the law, and I make known that the i.jovirnment is prepared to extend all help and assistance within its power to facilitata aud advancn the supply of native labour on the digging* of this Republic, in terms of Law No. 23, 1895, and by such other measures as will tend to advance the carrying out of tho abovementioned development."