The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 12 September 1899, Page 2

The Transvaal.

The T.ansvaal Govarnm?^. ha? islred Sir Alfred Milnar, British iiyh Commissioner for S^uth Africa, whe her the mobilisation of British troops on the frontier of th» Republic is explainable. Mr 3eitz read a sarcastic reply from Sir Alf fed Milner in which the High Commissioner atited that there wa= 10 secret about the position and num. ier of British troops in the neighbour, hood of the Transvaal, and ihat it was also well known that they were there in ordtr to profc ct Bifciab interests and to provide for emerrfincies, Speeches insulting and minatory i.o Great Britain followed the reading of Sir Alfred Milner'a reply. Two battalions of the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) have osen ordered to hold themselves in readiness for despatch to the Capa. The first thive army corp3 will contribute for South Africa eight' brgades, which are now ready. General Sir Redvers Bulier, com manding at Aldershot, will take the chief command. Ten thousand troop3 in India are ready to start for South Africa. The tone of the debate in the Volksraad is taken at Johannesburg to indicate that the Transvaal will jot yield to pressure. The outlanders attach great significance to the uncompromising vehemence of the speeches made. Obey anticipate that the Boers -will become immediately aggressive. It is reported that Transvaal irtillery is massing on the Buffalo River, which form 3 the boundary between the Transvaal and Natal. Fighting is expected to take place Qpar Laing's Nek, the scene of one )f the disastrous defeats of the British forces in the war of 1881. President Eruger said that Mr Chamberlain was aware that there was no ground for Great Britain's claim to exercise suzerainty over the Transvaal. Everything now de nended on a reply from the British Colonial Secretary. The Transvaal had yielded everything but its independanoe, which it would not give up. God must be the fiaal arbitrator. The President went on to express a hope that God would change Mr Chamberlain's heart. If the proposal f.ir the holding of a conference were renewed, the Tran3vaul would agree to send a commissioner.

The Vulksraad carried a resolution 'Imprecating the concentration of British troop3 on the frontier of the Transvtnl, and disclaiming any responsibility in the event of the outbreak of war. * A CthiiM council for ths consideration (i the Transvaal difficult) .vas held on Frid.«y. Crowd-) gathered in Whitehall, atid warm y cheered the Marqui* of Salisbury, the Mirqui* of Lan?. <lown(>, MrG Kch n and Mr Chamberaiu, aa they wended their way to .he Colooial Office. The deliberations of the Cabinet lasted for two hours and twenty minutes. It was unanimously decided to demand from the Transvaal Government a categorical reply to Sir Alfred Mtlner's proposals. Parliament will not be summoned unless tha undertaking of offensive operations ehould necessitate the calling out of the reserve. It has been decided that ten thou. 3and troop? shall be ordered to reinforce tbo?e at present at Natal. The troops are being sent for purely defensive purposes. The total number of the British troop3 in South Africa would thus be twenty-three thousand.