Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/122

 114] ENGLISH HISTORY. [uly

of the conference was embodied in a despatch from Pretoria to Dr. Leyds, its representative in Europe. According to this, on the British side stress was laid on the franchise and dynamite questions, while for the Transvaal arguments were put forward in reference to the franchise, the incorporation of Swaziland with the republic, the payment of the indemnity demanded on account of the Jameson raid, and the adoption of arbitration for the settlement of the differences between the two countries. The High Commissioner did not insist in regard to the dynamite question, and President Kruger did not insist on the Swaziland demand. As to the Jameson raid indemnity, Sir A. Milner stated that a despatch was on its way from his Government, proposing a settlement of the matter by arbitration. The pro- posals of both sides in regard to the franchise were set forth, and it was added that the High Commissioner did not regard the President's proposals as sufficient. President Kruger stipulated that all his proposals should be subject to the acceptance by the British Government of arbitration in reference to the differences between the two countries ; and if that stipulation were complied ^with he proposed to submit the different proposals to the Volks- xaad.

The attitude of the Government was generally endorsed by public opinion throughout the country, the organs most hostile to the display of even firmness, not to say force, in dealing with the Transvaal, hinting more or less clearly that the alleged grievances of the Outlanders were being skilfully engineered and in a great measure manufactured by the capitalists. There was no doubt that on these fell the burden of taxation, direct and indirect, whilst their workmen, enjoying a high rate of wages, only felt their inequality when coming into actual conflict with the dominant Boers. It was, moreover, urged, both in Parliament and in the Press, that the actual differ- ence between the treatment of foreigners desirous of being naturalised as British subject and those who were able to com- ply with the numerous conditions required by the Transvaal Government was only two years. On the other hand it was admitted that even had President Kruger's proposals been ac- cepted as the basis of further negotiations, foreigners who went to the Transvaal before 1890 would still have to wait two and a half years for the franchise, and those arriving subsequent to that date seven years. The weak side of the British position was the Jameson raid, and the subsequent abortive proceedings in Parliament, by which Mr. Rhodes, who was regarded as the arch-enemy of Transvaal independence, had not only escaped all charges of privity to the raid, but had been extolled in Parliament by Mr. Chamberlain, who, as Secretary for the Colonies, was most prominent in the present proceedings.

In reply, however, to a direct question (June 15) Mr. Chamberlain stated that the report that he had been conferring with Mr. Rhodes was without foundation, for that since 1896