Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/611

 THE TRANSVAAL BLUE-BOOKS.

C—9345, issued June 14.

THE OUTLANDERS' PETITION.

The humble petition of British subjects resident on the Witwaters- rand, South African Republic, to her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria.

Showeth that :—

L For a number of years, prior to 1896, considerable discontent existed among the Outlander population of the South African Republic, caused by the manner in which the Government of the country was being conducted. The great majority of the Outlander population con- sists of British subjects.

2. It was, and is, notorious that the Outlanders have no share in the government of the country, although they constitute an absolute majority of the inhabitants of this State, possess a very large proportion of the land, and represent the intellect, wealth and energy of the State.

3. The feelings of intense irritation which have been aroused by this state of things have been aggravated by the manner in which remonstrances have been met. Hopes have been held out and promises have been made by the Government of this State from time to time, but no practical amelioration of the conditions of life has resulted.

4. Petitions, signed by large numbers of your Majesty's subjects, have been repeatedly addressed to the Government of this State, but have failed of their effect, and have been even scornfully rejected.

5. At the end of 1895 the discontent culminated in an armed insurrection against the Government of this State, which, however, failed of its object.

6. On that occasion the people of Johannesburg placed themselves unreservedly in the hands of your Majesty's High Commissioner, in the fullest confidence that he would see justice done to them.

7. On that occasion also President Kruger published a proclamation, in which he again held out hopes of substantial reforms.

8. Instead, however, of the admitted grievances being redressed, the spirit of the legislation adopted by the Volksraad during the past few years has been of a most unfriendly character, and has made the position of the Outlanders more irksome than before.