order to arrive at an acceptable arrangement which
might be presented to the Uitlander population, as a reasonable
concession to their just demands."

The position assumed by the English Government was a very simple one; it
had declined to interfere to a large degree, and it desired to interfere
still less, in the disputes between the Uitlanders and Boers. It was of
opinion that the only way of putting an end to them was the granting of
the franchise, so as to enable them to attend to their own interests.
The English Government, far from desiring to increase its intervention
in the actions of the Transvaal Government, desired to say to the
Uitlanders: "You have your electoral rights; make use of them in your
own defence."

As was easy to foresee, President Krueger, in accordance with his custom
began on a number of side issues, instead of going straight to the
point, thus employing the method, known to most of us who have had
dealings with mistrustful and ignorant peasants. He raised among others
the following questions: (1) Swaziland, which he wanted to annex; (2)
The mobilisation of the army; (3) The payment of the Jameson Raid
indemnity (of which we will speak later); (4) The Uitlanders' petition;
(5) The Gold law; (6) The Mining law; (7) The Liquor law; (8) The Tariff
law; (9) The Independence of the Republic; (10) The Dynamite Monopoly;
(11) Arbitration on all disputed points; (12) British intervention in
the internal policy of the South African Republic. And then, added Mr.
Krueger ingeniously, when all these matters have been disposed of, we can
take up the question of Franchise.

At the very first sitting Sir Alfred Milner declined to enter upon
those subjects; at the second sitting he proposed the following
conditions for the Franchise; (_a_) A five years' residence; (_b_)
Declaration of intention to settle in the Transvaal; (_c_) Oath to obey
the laws, and to fulfil all the obligations of citizenship, military
service included; (_d_) The Franchise to be accorded only to men of good
repute, holders of a given amount of property or of a given income;
(_e_) a certain number of seats to be reserved in the Volksraad for
districts where Uitlanders were in the majority.

After keenly contesting these points, Mr. Krueger gave renewed proof of
his 'intellectual superiority' by advancing counter proposals bristling
with conditions such as sorcerers exact to enable them to accomplish
their miracles. As there is alway