Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/159

 1899.] Transvaal Affairs. [151

question, and make such concessions to the more urgent demands of the Outlanders that the latter might be fairly left to work out their own salvation in the Transvaal Eepublic. On the other hand, it was no less probable that President Kruger and the Boers generally could not believe in the serious intentions of the British Government. They had so long enjoyed immunity in their successive encroachments upon the liberties of the non- Boer dwellers in the Transvaal that they could not realise the possibility of the British Secretary of State claiming to exer- cise any authority in defence of his fellow-countrymen. The Transvaal Government, moreover, was probably deceived as to the influence exercised in England by the Opposition and the survivors of Mr. Gladstone's Administrations, and believed that these still represented the feelings of the majority of the British nation. That the Boers' theories were not wholly without foundation was shown by the effort made in Parliament, but more especially in the Opposition Press, to represent the Cabinet as torn by divided counsels on the South African question. Day after day it was asserted in the party organs that but for the aggressive attitude of Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Salisbury's peace- ful policy would have smoothed away the difficulties of the situation. Undercurrents were supposed to have carried the ship of the State on a course for which the titular pilot was not responsible. There was absolutely no foundation for any such fantastic suggestions, and in truth they reflected more accurately the divided counsels of the Liberal party. Its leading members on more than one occasion had spoken in commendatory terms of the action of the Government in South Africa, and by so doing had only made the gulf the greater between them and the ultra-Kadical surrender party. Possibly the reply given by Mr. Balfour (July 7) to a question by the leader of the Opposition may have given colour to this idea. He then stated that no contingency had so far arisen necessitating the material increase of the forces in South Africa. In existing circumstances, how- ever, the Government thought it necessary to bring those forces up to a proper standard of efficiency and mobility. A week later, however, the Under-Secretary for War, Mr. Wyndham, stated that three batteries of artillery were under orders to proceed to South Africa ; but, as if fearing that these words might seem inconsistent with Mr. Balfour's statement, at the next sitting (July 17) he explained that the batteries referred to were going out as relief, but if circumstances required they might be re- garded as reinforcements, as the artillery then in South Africa would be retained.

At this moment an alteration by the Transvaal Volksraad (July 18) in the franchise law, was made at the suggestion of President Kruger and General Joubert. Under this (Article 4) all white persons in the country at the time of the law pass- ing might obtain the franchise after seven years' residence and on fulfilling the prescribed conditions. It was these conditions

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