ting in the people. The
executive power of the State centres in a President elected by the
people to hold office for a term of five years, every voter having a
voice in his election. He is assisted in the execution of his duties by
an Executive Council, consisting of the State Secretary and such other
three members as are selected for that purpose by the legislative body,
the Volksraad. The State Secretary holds office for four years, and is
elected by the Volksraad. The members of the Executive all have seats in
the Volksraad, but have no votes. The Volksraad is the legislative body
of the State, and consists of forty-two members. The country is divided
into twelve electoral districts, each of which has the right to return
three members; the Gold Fields have also the right of electing two
members, and the four principal towns, one member each. There is
no power in the State competent to either prorogue or dissolve the
Volksraad except that body itself, so that an appeal to the country on
a given subject or policy is impossible without its concurrence. Members
are elected for four years, but half retire by rotation every two years,
the vacancies being filled by re-elections. Members must have been
voters for three years, and be not less than thirty years of age, must
belong to a Protestant Church, be resident in the country, and owners
of immovable property therein. A father and son cannot sit in the same
Raad, neither can seats be occupied by coloured persons, bastards, or
officials.

For each electoral district there is a magistrate or Landdrost whose
duties are similar to those of a Civil Commissioner. These districts are
again subdivided into wards presided over by field cornets, who exercise
judicial powers in minor matters, and in times of war have considerable
authority. The Roman Dutch law is the common law of the country, as it
is of the colonies of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal, and of the Orange
Free State.

Prior to the Annexation justice was administered in a very primitive
fashion. First, there was the Landdrosts' Court, from which an appeal
lay to a court consisting of the Landdrost and six councillors elected
by the public. This was a court of first instance as well as a court of
appeal. Then there was a Supreme Court, consisting of three Landdrosts
from three different districts, and a jury of twelve selected from the
burghers of the State. There was no appeal from this court, but cases
have sometim