THE TRANSVAAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 20

THE TRANSVAAL.

♦ ... UITLANDEES SENTENCED i TO DEATH. EXCITEMENT IN THE RAND. THE DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED. Pbetobia, April 28. Hammond pleadel guilty to treason, and Simpson to lese majeste. Thsj deplored the mistake of inviting Or Jameson and tried to prevent it. At the trial of the Uitlandera n>e members of the Reform Committee were sentenced to death. April 29. Death sentences were passed on Hammond, Phillips, Farrar, and Colonel Shod«M. Sixty others were sentenced to two years' imprisonment., fined L2OOO, and banished from tha country for three years. There is great excitement throughout the R%nd, and trouble is feared unless the sentences are commuted. Praiidont Kruger, in the course of an interview on the subjsot, said he trusted that' the Johannesburg popuJsce would calmly await the decUion of the Executive, which would meet on Thursday to consider the matter. ' ' There is now a strong revulsion oE feeling in favour of the Bight Hon. Cecil , Rhodes among the Afrikanders. ' April 30. The Executive have decided to csmmute the sentence of death passed on Colonel Rhodes (brother of Mr Cecil Rhode*), Hammond (an American citizen),' Mr Phillips (chairman of the Mining Exchange), and Mr Farrar, the members of the Reform Committee who signed the letter of invitation to Dr Jameson to march on Johannesburg. The Executive are discussing what action should bo taken with respect to the sentences on the 60 otherjj who were connected with the matter. ' ' . . May 2. An Interdict proclaims that the property of the members of the Reform Committee who have been convicted can be removed, except in the cases of Leonard and Woolfs. The Hollanders and Dappers obstruct the measures taken for lenient sentences. GapjujWN, April 30. South Africa is excited over the result of the trial of the Reform Committee. The Ri&d Exchange is closed, and has asked the sympathy of London. Business is suspended. i The judge in passing sentence stated that he was compelled to pass the sentence in accordance with Roman-Dutch law, but he | hoped the Executive would show clemency similar to that displayed towards Jameson and party. The Pretoria, including the Boer, jurors petitioned for a commutation of th,e sentence. The -Volksraad of the Orange Free State is in favour of large purchases of war' material. i The Raform party are very bitter against the severe sentences passed on the' prisoners, and consider their pleading guilty ill-advised. , The majority of the accused declare that they would have been able to prove that ,lhey only signed the manifesto. A number of the leading burghers have signed a petition aßkiDg that the sentence of imprisonment shall not be enforced. I Mayl. Telegrams put in as evidence at the trial at Prat oria went to show that Messrs Rhodef, Beit, and Harris (secretary of the Chartered Company at the Cape) swayed the reformers' movements, and that there was a daily exchange of cipher message* from December 7 to the 30th regarding the raid and arranging I plans ; also, that Mr Rhodes instructed Dr Jameson. Harris wired : "W« cannot have a fiasco." The key to the cipher was found in Dc Jameson's papers at Doornkop. May 2. BPthe Volksraad of the Orange Free State a motion was tabled to modify tbe extradition treaty of the Chartered Company as being no longer a civilised Government, and declaring that Mr Rhodes desired to be dictator by sending Hussars to Matabele on the pretext of importing troops. Tbe President ruled the motion out of order, and declared it was necessary to abrogate all the Chartered Company's treaties. London, April 27. Mr Chamberlain, replying to President Krager's statement, expresses himself confident that by patience and tact a satisfactory solution of the present difficulty is to be found. ' Having considered it the wiser course not to press for Kruger's visit at the present time, the Government have withdrawn the invitation and summoned Sir Horoules Robinson to London to confer on South African sfEAtrs. The Standard gives publicity to tbe report that it is believed Sir H. Robinson will nto return to Cape Colony. . April 28. .Dr Jameson's trial has been further adjourned until Jane 11. The evidence adduced today showed that a bicyclist sent by the Reformers' Committee informed Jameson on January 1 that 2000 men were ready to march to his asdintanco. Dr Jameson replied that he had no desire to fight, but that his march would be useful as, a demonstration. April 29. Mr Chamberlain wired to President Krogar that the Government hud no doubfc it, is intended to commute the sentences, and he had assured Purliamont of this conviction. Ths announcement of the sentences created great excitement in the Houae of Commons. The Times points out that the prisoners adhered to the terms President Kruger asked, and it is incredible that a civilised Government would htCng them becausa they did not obtain a personal indemnity. May I. The Times conaiders that recent events show bayond possibility of a -doubt that Mesurs Rhodes, Beit, and Harris were privy to Dr Jameson's movement?. Tbatis gravely damaging, and it is clear that Mr Rhodes consented to support Loch, which indicates be was aware of the intention of the Uitlanders to forcibly redress thjgr grievances. May 2. Parisian paper. £g»ta that U the Beuteuce

of exile passed in the Transvaal on tha members of the Reform Committee are carried into execution thej will result; in damage to the Band, and that their places will baiakeja by German*, which may injure French bendholders, they therefore urge that M. Han<Jtanx, Foreign Minister, ahould a-'ivice Proafdent Kruger to commute that portion of the. ssntencea.

' Beblin, April 80, The National Zoitung referring to (jha matter states that Mr Chamberlain adopts 4 suzerain toua towards a vaßsal. . ; , Pabis, Mayl { ■ Le Temps's Pretoria oarrflgpondent statflfl that the Govurnment possess proof that Looh in July of 1894 discussed tho invasion of tha Transvaal with the reformers, and offered to assist thorn, aad furthar that ha inquired from Mr Phillips tho extent of / the arms available.

Washington, April 29. - ■ The American Oonsal haa.oabled that Hammond's' sentence frill be commuted. Both Houses earned a petition to President Kroger for the pardon of Hammond. Both Oongraas and the press are unaalmons in the demand, for a commutation of the aentence on Hammond. Pbbth, May 2. . Mr Walter Davles, one 'of the sentenced reformers at Pretoria, is a son of an oft coloniat here. It ia thought possible that the Government will make some roprasentatioii* on the matter. i ' ■ - '.' 1 '.' UitUnder " in the, Melbourne. Acgus bas ■ compiled the following, Hat of prisoners :— " Lit [ Lionel Phillips " (a partner ia the firm of Er. Eckstein and* Co., the Jobanr.e^burg rfpresen-' tatives of Wernher, Beit, and Co., of London'; this is the most important firm in South African finance, and Me Alfred Beifc ig a oodirector with Mr Cecil Rhodes,, of the Chartered Company) ; Mr S. B. Joel (a, nephew and partner or Mr * Barnie * Barnato, the celebrated •diamond king'); Colonel Frank W, R.Bbodeß (» brother of Mr Cecil Rhode*, and tbe South African represent aHve of the goldfielfls of South Afrioa : thi» company is practically Mr Cecil Rhodes «nd hi« partner, Mr Rudd, and i$ one of the most important factori m Transfaal development; the colonel for* marly commanded the Ist Royal Dragoons, was military secretary to the Governor of „ Bombay, aide -da - camp to Sir Herbert * Stew?r> in the Soudwi, and *tso acted at chief of Sir G.'iald Portal's stiff »t Usauda) ; Mr George Farrar (member of the firm of Horrard, 'Farrar, and Co., the principal engineers on the Rand and one of the wealthiest men in Johannesburg) ; Mr H. B. Marshall (a Rund pioneer, exceedingly wealthy and the founder of Marshall's township, one of the prinoipal quarter* of Johannesburg) ; Mr H. J. King (an extremely wealthy speculator) ; Mr J. W. Leonard (Q.O.t formerly Attoraej-gentral el the Cape Colodv and now the leader of the Transvaal bar~a very able man, with perhaps one of the leading legal incomes of the world) ; Mr ' 3. H»ys Hammond (mining expert to Mr Cecil Rhodet's company and considered as the , voty head of his tpro* fe«*ion. Mr BUmmond was in the receipt of £12,000 per annum ' as retaining fee from the go W fields of South Afros)' ; Mr Abe Bailey (one of the rich«*fc speculators in Jolianne*burg); Mr W. B. H.idson (solicitor) ; Mr W. Van Huleteyn (solicitor, and partner of Mr Charles Leonard, who escaped from Capetown to England) ; Mr Fritz Moaenthal (speculator) ; Mr J. A Roger (partner in the firm of Parker, Wood, and Co , the most important firm of morchtnts in Africa) ; Drs Duirs, W. j T. F Dftvies, R. T. Mitchell, Hans Bauer, A, | P. Hillier, and Brodie (the principal medical men on the R»nd) ; Sir Drnmmond Dunbar, Bart, (formerly sanitary superintendent for the mining area — a good and luorative anpoinlmeot; it was this gentleman who said at % meeting that he was an Englishman first and than a Trar.w*»l official) ; Mr A. WCaekio Niven (t-p.jcul?.tor) ; M«*SBr« W H. S. Bell, E. P. Solomon, and H. C. Hull (solicitors) ; Messrs R G. Frcker, H. A. Rogers, W. Godda'd, P. H Dubofr, Befctingtou, J J Lace, W. Goddard, M»x L-Migrrmtinn, G. Mnllens, J. S. Curtis, W. B. Head (speculators and proI minent men on 'Change) ; Mr J/M. Buckland (represenUtire of the M' Arthur- Forreit Goldrecovery Company) ; Me A. R. Goldring (secretary of the Chamber of Mines) ; Mr W. D. Davis (from Went Awtralia, and the introducer into Africa of kauri timber) ; Mr S. W. Jameson (a brother of Dr ' Jim,' and formerly the representative of the Oceana Conapanj) ; Mr F. R. Lingham (an American) ; Mr W. Sfc. John Care (one of Johanneiburg's oldett identities, »nd p -idenfc of the hospital committee) ; .Mr George Richards (a leading mine m*n«g j .r) ; Captain M«*i a (an* American, and manager of the Robinson Gold Mining Company) ; Mr F, W. Hamilton (the only journalist among the accused, and editor of the Johannesburg- Star, the Transvaal organ of Mr Cecil Rhodes's policy) ; Mr Henri Bettflhhim (Turkish Consul) ; W. Hosfcen, C. GarUcd, Hutcbison, D F. Giifillan, Fred Grey and Alfred Bro'^n (»H important merchants) ; Messrs A. W. Bampuon (mine manager), F. Spencer, C. Mullins, C. L. Anderson, H Beecher, Harold Strange, Fitzpatrick, Donald, nud A. L. Liwley (the lostnan^ed was one of the contractors for the construction of .the Beir* railway). It wonld be rather an ur.der-eifciniaMon than an <>veresHraa t .Jon to say that six oF tbe occupy cj alone (Mews Lionel Phillips, S. B. Joel, G. F*rrar, H. B. Marshall, H. J. King, and Colonel Rhodes) represent in Africa considerably ovejc 50 millions of capital."