Nr. 10852. Gross britannien. Nr. 10852. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Kolonialminister an den Präsidenten der südafrikanischen Republik. Fürsprache für die Gefangenen. Sent 1.30 p.m., 3rd January 1896. Telegraphic. It is rumoured here, that you have ordered prisoners to be shot. I do not believe it, and rely on your generosity in the hour of vic3. Jan. 1896. tory. || Rhodes telegraphs this morning that rumour as to force collecting at Buluwayo is absolutely false. Nr. 10853. britannien. Nr. 10853. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gouverneur von Kapstadt an den Kolonialminister. Reise nach Pretoria. Received 4 p.m., 3rd January 1896, Telegraphic. || Beaufort West, 3rd January.-No. 1. Your telegram of Gross- yesterday*) will be attended to. I left Cape Town at 9 o'clock last night; 3. Jan. 1896. hope to reach Pretoria at 9 o'clock to-morrow, Saturday, and cablegrams from you will reach me on the road. Nr. 10854. britannien. Nr. 10854. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Mr. Rhodes an die britischsüdafrikanische Gesellschaft. Jameson hat ohne Rhodes Kenntniss gehandelt. Dated 3rd January 1896. Telegraphic. | Mr. Rhodes says Dr. Jameson started without his knowGross- ledge or consent. Dr. Jameson had strongly worded letter from leading in3. Jan. 1836. habitants of Johannesburg asking assistance in the event of trouble arising from just demand for constitutional rights. Letter stated large number women and children would be unprotected. British South Africa Company in no way responsible for Dr. Jameson's movement. Dr. Jameson took bit in mouth and bolted off.-C. J. Rhodes. Nr. 10855. britannien. Nr. 10855. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Kolonialminister an den Gouverneur in Kapstadt. Verhandlungen mit Präsident Krüger. Sent 4.10 a.m., 4th January 1896. Telegraphic. In sending instructions under present circumstances as a Gross- guide for your conduct, I must leave you to exercise your discretion, in which 4. Jan. 1896. I have full confidence. || The following are, however, generally the views of Her Majesty's Government, which you should put before the President of the South African Republic. Her Majesty's Government need hardly assure President Krüger of their friendly feelings towards him and their desire to promote the best interests of the Republic, nor of their loyal adherence to the provisions of the London Convention. They feel, however, that the large *) Hierin hatte Chamberlain Robinsons Reise nach Pretoria für dringend nothwendig erklärt. Red. Gross interests with which they are charged in South Africa justify them in making Nr. 10855. friendly representations to the President in regard to matters outside the Con- britannien. vention in which persons of British nationality, who have for some time cast 4. Jan. 1896. in their lot with the South African Republic, are deeply concerned. || The principal of these questions is that of the electoral franchise, and that of naturalisation generally. These questions are among those on which the First Volksraad has within the last few years changed its policy by altering the status quo as it was present to the minds of Her Majesty's advisers when they negotiated the Convention of London. As to the reforms on this point, you may take it that Her Majesty's Government adopt as their own the views and arguments of Lord Ripon's despatch of the 19th October 1894.1) They do not set up the doctrine of double allegiance, which, indeed, is negatived by Act of Parliament. But the claim for full citizenship for all persons born in the Republic and also for Uitlanders who have resided for a reasonable period in the Transvaal, and who have fulfilled all other usual conditions, appears to them to be not unreasonable and justified by the precedents in all civilised States. In connection with this subject I wish you to represent to the President that the form of the oath of allegiance is unusual and humiliating, as explained by Lord Ripon. I need only add, that, once the way to naturalisation is made easy, and the electorate thus enlarged, an addition to the numbers of the Volksraad would seem to follow as a necessary corollary, so that votes may have something approaching to an equality. of value. The next point is the taxation. Her Majesty's Government understand, that the Uitlanders do not deny that public burdens should be proportionate to ability to pay, and that the Republic is entitled to take toll on the mineral wealth of those to whom the right of working the minerals has been conceded. But, for reasons with which you are familiar, they allege that the existing taxation is unequal, and more especially oppressive to that part of the community by whose toil the South African Republic has been raised to its present prosperity. Her Majesty's Government feel sure, that these complaints will receive attention of President of South African Republic, and that he will see that much bitterness would be avoided if all grievances ascertained on inquiry to be well founded were remedied. || The other chief causes of complaint as to which I hope that redress will be granted are (1) absence of all provision for education for the children whose mother-tongue is other than Dutch, given, when their numbers are sufficient to make establishment of separate schools possible, in their own language; (2) want of efficient civil police in centres of opulation, especially in connection with detection of crime; and (3) the inefficiency of the present system of mine inspection. || I leave to you, in exercise of the discretion already entrusted to you, to bring forward and press other points as you may deem it advisable; but I should *) Nr. 10915. britannien. Nr. 10855. be glad if you could see your way to the inclusion of the very important Gross- question of the granting, in due course, of full municipal privileges to Jo4. Jan. 1896. hannesburg. The next matter with which I have to deal is the degree of urgency with which you are to press these points on the attention of the President and the other authorities. I am aware, that victory of Transvaal Government over Administrator of Mashonaland may possibly find them not willing to make any concessions. If this is the attitude they adopt, they will, in my opinion, make a great mistake; for danger from which they have just escaped was real, and one which, if the causes which led up to it are not removed, may recur, although in a different form. I have done everything in my power to undo and to minimise the evil caused by late unwarrantable raid by British subjects into the territory of the South African Republic, and it is not likely that such action will be ever repeated; but the state of things of which complaint has been made cannot continue for ever. If those who are now a majority of inhabitants of the Transvaal, but are excluded from all participation in its government, were, of their own initiative, and without any interference from without, to attempt to reverse that state of things, they would, without doubt, attract much sympathy from all civilised communities who themselves live under a free Government, and I cannot regard the present state of things in the South African Republic as free from danger to the stability of its institutions. The Government of the South African Republic cannot be indifferent to those considerations, and President of South African Republic himself has on more than one occasion expressed his willingness to inquire into and to deal with just reasons for discontent; and the Volksraad have now the opportunity to show magnanimity in the hour of their success and to settle all differences by moderate concessions. They must fully admit the entire loyalty of yourself and of Her Majesty's Government to the terms of London Convention, as shown by their recent intervention, and they must recognise that their authority in crisis through which they have passed could not have been so promptly and effectively asserted without that intervention. || If they will recognise this by making concessions in accordance with our friendly advice, no one will be able to suggest that they are acting under pressure, and their voluntary moderation will produce best effect among all who are interested in wellbeing of the Transvaal and in future of South Africa. Nr. 10856. Nr. 10856. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gouverneur in Kapstadt an den Kolonialminister. Die Lage in Johannesburg. Received 5.20 a. m., 4th January 1896. Telegraphic. || 3rd January.-No. 2. I have received following from De Gross- Wet:- || Begins: Your Excellency's telegram just received. Everything quiet 4. Jan. 1896. now, and no further serious disturbances will occur. A deputation from britannien. Gross Johannesburg Reform Committee came over last evening, giving a guarantee Nr. 10856. to keep the peace and order. I waited on President Krüger and informed britannien. him of the guarantee. He gave me an assurance, that, pending your Ex- 4. Jan. 1896. cellency's arrival, if the Johannesburg people keep quiet and commit no acts. of hostility, or in any way break laws of the country, Johannesburg will not be molested or surrounded by the Burgher forces. The deputation was highly grateful for this assurance of his Honour, and pledged the Committee to preserve peace and order. I wired the assurance to the Committee, and I take this early opportunity of testifying in the strongest manner to the great moderation and forbearance of the Government of the South African Republic under the exceptionally trying circumstances. Their attitude towards myself was everything I could wish. The prisoners have just arrived; casualties on their side are said to be severe; on the side of the Burghers very slight. Nr. 10857. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Derselbe an Denselben. Rhodes hat seine Demission angeboten. Gross Telegraphic. | Nr. 5.-3rd January. Rhodes came to me yesterday shortly Nr. 10857. before I left and stated, that he wished to resign, as, in view of Dr. Jameson's britannien. action, he felt that it was not possible for him to continue to retain the 4. Jan. 1896. combined positions of Premier and Managing Director of the British South Africa Company. I asked him to retain office till my return, pointing out that a Ministerial crisis would postpone my departure. Nr. 10858. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Derselbe an Denselben. Es ist möglich, dass die Gefangenen an England aus- Bloemfontein Station, received 2.45 p. m., 4th January 1896. Gross Telegraphic. || 4th January.-Nr. 1. Think there is possibility, that Nr. 10858. President South African Republic may offer to hand over all his prisoners to britannien. be dealt with by High Commissioner. Would be glad to hear as soon as 4. Jan. 1896. possible what your views would be as to disposal of them in such case. Question under consideration is extremely difficult to deal with, but, on the whole, I am disposed to recommend they should be sent by railway to Natal, which is nearest point where there are British troops. Non-commissioned officers and men might be paid off there, to be discharged and sent to their homes in small bodies. The whole of expense to fall on British South Africa Company. The question of how Jameson and the other officers should be dealt with seems to me matter for your judgment. Staatsarchiv LVIII. 3 Nr. 10859. britannien. Nr. 10859. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Kolonialminister an den Sent 7.37 p. m., 4th January 1896. Telegraphic. || 4th January.-Nr. 6. President Krüger's magnanimity Gross- if he were to offer to hand over the prisoners would be very highly ap4. Jan. 1896. preciated by me. In such a case I should propose, that all should be sent out of the country as you propose, except the ringleaders. If the ringleaders were delivered up they would be indicted and brought to trial in this country; but it is right to point out, that a situation might then arise which would be attended with great difficulties. It would be necessary to consider the precise legal offence which has been committed, and, whatever might be the form of indictment, the trial would evoke expressions of public feeling both one way and the other which would be prolonged, and could hardly fail to have a bad effect; furthermore, the result of the trial could not be certainly anticipated and might not satisfy the interests of justice. These considerations ought in my opinion to be in fairness submitted to the President. On the other hand, if he were to offer to deliver up the prisoners, I could not decline the offer unless I could be assured by you that, in the event of a trial taking place in the South African Republic, no excessive punishment would be awarded for the offence which has undoubtedly been committed. It might be pointed out by you that the President would furnish a marked instance of generosity if he were to release all the other prisoners; while by dealing mercifully with the ringleaders he would alienate from them the sympathy which if they were harshly treated would undoubtedly be attracted. Nr. 10860. britannien. Nr. 10860. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Geschäftsträger in Petermoritzburg an den Kolonialminister. Details über das Gefecht bei Krügersdorp. Received 10 p. m., 4th January 1896. Telegraphic. || 4th January.-Following extracted from press telegrams. Gross- Jameson's loss stated at 80 killed, besides wounded. 9 officers and 550 men 4. Jan. 1896. gone to Pretoria. If original force 800, as reported, this makes total loss 240. Papers give names of 6 who have been killed and 40 wounded. No officers in list of killed. Coventry and Barry reported seriously wounded. Grey slightly. Willoughby untouched. Gone Pretoria. Arrangements for treating wounded reported excellent. Boer loss stated to be 3 or 4 killed and a few wounded; but some accounts say that 15 were knocked off their horses at one volley. No one of note in lists. Newspaper accounts say that on evening of 31st Jameson arrived near Krügersdorp, and next morning attacked Boer position, which was very strong; was repulsed, and tried to move round by Randfontein to Roodeport, but was stopped at Doornkop on afternoon of 2nd. Heavy fighting took place, and, the State artillery having come up, and |