r_, In continuation of my dispatch of the 19th instant, and with
reference to the communication to you of the State Attorney this
morning, I wish to forward to you the following in explanation thereof,
with the request that the same may be telegraphed to His Excellency the
High Commissioner for South Africa, as forming part of the proposals of
this Government embodied in the above-named dispatch: (1) The proposals
of this Government regarding question of franchise and representation
contained in that dispatch must be regarded as expressly conditional on
Her Majesty's Government consenting to the points set forth in paragraph
5 of the dispatch, viz.: (_a_) In future not to interfere in internal
affairs of the South African Republic. (_b_) Not to insist further on
its assertion of existence of suzerainty. (_c_) To agree to arbitration.
(2) Referring to paragraph 6 of the dispatch, this Government trusts
that it is clear to Her Majesty's Government that this Government has
not consulted the Volksraad as to this question and will only do so when
an affirmative reply to its proposals has been received from Her
Majesty's Government.

NOTE.

In reply to the above proposals of the South African Republic, the
Secretary of State for the Colonies declared Great Britain "unable to
appreciate the objections entertained by the Government of the South
African Republic to a Joint Commission of Inquiry," and refused to enter
into a consideration of the alternative proposals of the South African
Republic.

As a consequence of this refusal, the South African Republic
communicated to Great Britain that the "proposal for a five years'
franchise and extension of representation of the Witwatersrand with the
conditions attached thereto" had lapsed, whereby also lapsed the
necessity of laying it before the representatives of the people for
ratification.

During the month of September following, the negotiations failed to
produce any agreement, and matters remained in this unsatisfactory state
until, on October 9, 1899, the ultimatum of President Kruger brought
affairs to an actual crisis.

CHAPTER IV.

ULTIMATUM OF SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC, OCTOBER 9, 1899.

The Government of the South African Republic feels itself compelled to
refer the Government of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and
Ireland once more to the Convention of London, 1884, concluded between
this Republic and the United Kingdom and which in its XIVth Artic