Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY. JUNE 24, 1899 The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 24 June 1899, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY. JUNE 24, 1899 The Transvaal.

The news coming from the Cape Colony suggests that the British Government is at last getting tired of making suggestions to President Kruger for the amelioration of the condition of the outlanders in the Transvaal. It may perhaps not be remembered that the Boers are under a debt of gratitude to the British who saved them from their enemies, and afterwards, apparently now very mistakenly, handed their land back to them. It was in the year 1877 that an Atrican chief Sekukuni defeated the Boers, which caused a fear to arise that flushed with this success the whole of South Africa might be involved in war. Sir Theophilus Shepstone was therefore despatched to the Transvaal and found the public treasury empty, and the country in a state of anarchy, so to save it from further disaster he proclaimed it British territory. Matters having quietened down, the Boers objected to the fact of having lost their country, and in 1880 hoisted their flag at Heidelberg, and Mr Gladstone after the defeat of the British army at Majuba hill, recognised its independence. By the convention then made the suzerainty of Britian was acknowledged. The Boers, if harm befall them cannot blame any but themselves as they have had not only a great amount of patience shown them by Great Britain, but they have been advised by the German, Dutch and French press and politicians to put. their house into order. The " Matin " published an article on 8 May on the relations between Great Britian and the Transvaal, in whfbh it says : — "We should be glad to see the situation issue ia a peac«full solution, but,

if the contrary should prove to be he case, we shall be able to console ourselves with the thought that our interests will be profited thereby." The " Debats " commented as tollows on the situation : — " The strange obstinacy of Mr Kruger in refusing any economic reform or any alleviation of the enormous burdens which are weighing upon industry is the sole cause of the present crisis. No one will be surprised at the British Government's manifesting the intention of addressing representations to the South African Republic. The London Convention of 1884 confers upon it the right, if. not the duty, of taking in hand the cause of foreigners in the Transvaal." At Capetown military forces are being held in readiness to proceed to the Transvaal, and the volunteers at Durban have been ordered to hold themselves ready. The Boers are likewise drilling. The appearances go to show that Mr Ritchie's advice of firm and continous pressure seems to be about to be acted upon. The Republic is shut in by British territory on all sides, except a part of its eastern frontier, which is Portuguese. The area, including Swaziland is 119,---200 square miles, and has a population of 750,000, of whom 150,000 are whites. These latter include 63,000 Transvaal Boers and 87,000 Uitlanders, 80 per cent of whom are probably British subjects. The absurdity of the position taken by the Boers in the matter of the franchise will be seen when it is known that the legislative power is voted in a First Volksraad, elected by first-class burghers, and a Second Volksraad, of ho actual power, elected by second-class burghers. The privileges of first-class burghers are confined almost exclusively to white persons, who resided in the Republic prior to 1876, and their descendants. Of the total revenue of the Transvaal it is estimated that seven-ninths are contributed by the U inlanders, and these have no political rights.