position of an absolutely independent State.

Having been obliged to recognise the right of _veto_, which Article 4
confers upon England regarding the external relations of the Transvaal,
he contradicts himself when he invokes the principle of the equality "of
States among themselves."

Taking refuge in a kind of prescription, he says: "Never, before 1898,
had England breathed a word regarding suzerainty throughout all her
interminable correspondence."

On March 6th, 1897, however, Mr. Chamberlain addressed a despatch to the
South African Republic, in which he complains of several failures to
observe the Convention of 1884. The following facts are cited by him:
(1) Conclusion of a treaty of extradition with Holland, signed at the
Hague, November 14th, 1895; of an act with Portugal, signed at Lisbon,
November 3rd, 1893; of a convention with Switzerland, signed September
30th, 1896--none of these treaties had been submitted to the English
Government, in violation of Article 4 of the Convention of 1884; (2)
Laws concerning the emigration of foreigners, the expulsion of
foreigners, the Press, all in contravention of Article 14 of the 1884
Convention.

Mr. Van Boeschoten, Secretary of State to the Transvaal at that time,
proposed arbitration, the arbitrator to be chosen by the President of
the Swiss Confederation.

Replying on October 16th, 1897, Mr. Chamberlain said that in making this
proposal the Pretoria Government "appears to have misunderstood the
distinction existing between two independent powers."

There we see a distinct assertion of suzerainty, the question which,
according to Dr. Kuyper, was first raised in 1898.

"By the Pretoria Convention of 1881, Her Majesty, as Sovereign of
the Transvaal, granted to the inhabitants of this territory
complete self-government subject to the suzerainty of Her Majesty;
and according to the London Convention of 1884, Her Majesty, while
maintaining the preamble to the preceding instrument declared that
certain other Articles would be substituted for Articles contained
in the Convention of 1881. The Articles of the Convention of 1881
have been accepted by the Volksraad of the Transvaal State and
those of the Convention of 1884 by the Volksraad of the South
African Republic.

"According to these Conventions Her Majesty's position towards the
South African Republic is that of a suzerain, who has granted to
t