Gross Nr. 10704. the South African Republic has given the assurance that no laws to be made britannien. for Swaziland shall be in conflict with the guarantees given to the Swazi 15.Sept.1893. people. Her Majesty's Government also note with satisfaction, that the Govern Nr. 10705. Republik. ment of the South African Republic recognise that any alteration of the proposed Convention or Organic Proclamation of the Swazi Queen and Council, or any new Convention or Organic Proclamation, would be subject to the approval of Her Majesty's Government. || The only question requiring further elucidation is therefore whether the proposed Convention or Organic Proclamation may be abrogated without the consent of Her Majesty's Government. || Her Majesty's Government cannot admit, that there is any analogy between the proposed Convention or Organic Proclamation and treaties such as that with Germany mentioned by the South African Republic. || Her Majesty's Government have no desire to maintain indefinitely a Convention or Organic Proclamation which may, in the ordinary course of events, hereafter prove unsuitable, even with such alterations as might be mutually agreed upon, but they cannot agree that the Convention or Organic Proclamation made one day with the assent of Her Majesty's Government is liable to abrogation the next without their assent. They feel it unavoidable, that they should ask for some assurance of its reasonable duration. || Therefore, as a condition precedent to the signature of the Convention with Her Majesty's Government, they desire an assurance on the part of the South African Republic that one of the terms of the Convention with, or Organic Proclamation of, the Swazi Queen and Council shall be the provision for its duration for a period of not less than seven years, on the expiration of which term Her Majesty's Government will be ready to confer with the South African Republic as to any measures which may have then become desirable. || On receipt of the above assurance I am empowered at once to sign the Convention. Nr. 10705. SÜDAFRIKANISCHE REPUBLIK. Das Staatssekretariat an den englischen Gouverneur in Kapstadt. Ablehnung des englischen Vorschlags. (Translation.) | 20. September 1893. I am instructed to acknowledge the Südafrikan. receipt of your telegram which was confirmed by your Excellency's letter of 20.Sept.1893. the same date. This Government regrets, that it is impossible for it to accept the condition that one of the terms of the Convention with, or Organic Proclamation of, the Swazi Queen and Council shall be the provision for its duration for a period of not less than seven years. || The Swaziland question has already been so long pending that it is impossible for the Republic to bind itself to wait for seven years more after expiration of which time it would alsways still be uncertain what would happen to Swaziland. Moreover, the assent of the Swazis expressed according to the terms of the Convention taken into consideration must be final toward the Republic. It is impossible for the Südafrikan. Republic to assent, that there should be an opportunity afterwards to revert Nr. 10705. thereto. || The acceptance of the new condition imposed by Her Majesty's Go- Republik. vernment would, instead of making an end to the Swaziland question, create 20.Sept.1893. or prepare new difficulties for the future, and can therefore not be accepted by this Government, and this Government cannot do otherwise than abide by its last expressed opinion. The Government wishes again to repeat that they do not wish to act without assent of the Swazi Queen and Council. When they have agreed with them respecting a Convention or Organic Proclamation then it always still lies in the power of Her Majesty's Government to refuse its assent thereto, if it is not in accordance with the terms of the Convention with Her Majesty's Government. Nr. 10706. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gouverneur in Kapstadt an den Präsidenten der Südafrikanischen Republik. (Telegram.) || 25th September 1893. -- Gross With reference to your Honour's Nr. 10706. telegram of 20th instant, I am directed to inform you, that the South African britannien. Republic have quite misunderstood the object in my telegram of the proposal 25.Sept. 1893, that the Convention or Organic Proclamation should stand for seven years certain. Her Majesty's Government gathered from your Honour's letter of 7th instant that you feared that Her Majesty's Government wished to make that Convention or Organic Proclamation permanent, however circumstances might alter, and it was to give a proof that Her Majesty's Government had not such an idea that Her Majesty's Government proposed the seven years' term. Far from wishing to have the question re-opened, it is the desire of Her Majesty's Government that any arrangement made now should have as durable a character as possible, and it is on this ground among others that they are unable to recognise a power in the South African Republic to abrogate that arrangement at any moment, without the assent of Her Majesty's Government. Her Majesty's Government feel confident, that the South African Republic cannot desire to deprive the new arrangement of all stability, and they must press the South African Republic to give such an assurance upon that point as will remove the last remaining obstacle to the signature of the Convention. The South African Republic may rest assured, that Her Majesty's Government will at all times be ready to consider with them in the most friendly spirit any modification of the Convention or Organic Proclamation now to be made with the Queen Regent and Council of Swaziland which experience may show to be required, and which the South African Republic may propose. Her Majesty's Government do not propose any alteration of the Convention with them. Nr. 10707. Südafrikan. Nr. 10707. SÜDAFRIKANISCHE REPUBLIK. — Das Staassekretariat an den englischen Gouverneur in Kapstadt. Antwort auf das vorige. (Telegram.) || 27th September 1893.- Your Excellency's telegram of the Republik. 25th September. The Government of the South African Republic gives the 27.Sept.1893. assurance that Organic Proclamation, &c., shall not be altered or abrogated without the joint assent of Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the South African Republic, and then only at the request of the Government of the South African Republic, whereby this Government assumes that if such a request be found reasonable it will be acceded to. Upon receiving the assurance of Her Majesty's Go ernment that they accept the above understanding his Honour the State President will be prepared to sign the Convention. Nr. 10708. Nr. 10708. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gouverneur in Kapstadt an den Präsidenten der Südafrikanischen Republik. Verlängerung der Konvention. (Telegram.) || 30th September 1893. It affords me much pleasure to inform britannien. your Honour, that I am instructed by Her Majesty's Government that they 50.Sept. 1893. accept as satisfactory the assurance of your Honour and of the Government of the South African Republic, on the understanding conveyed in the telegram of the Acting State Secretary of the 27th September, and I therefore suggest that the text of the telegram should be embodied in a letter from your Honour to me and I can then reply to it in a letter identical in terms. I also suggest, to allow time for the preliminary arrangements, and for your Honour's negotiations in connexion with the Organic Proclamation, that the Convention of 1890 should be prolonged to some fixed date, terminable, however, at an earlier date on the ratification of the Organic Proclamation, and I would suggest, therefore, to your Honour that it should be prolonged either to the 31st March or 30th June next. I name these two dates as being convenient on account of financial arrangements. || I am sending your Honour a further telegram with respect to the preamble and printing of the Convention. Nr. 10709. Republik. Ver Nr. 10709. SÜDAFRIKANISCHE REPUBLIK. Der Staatssekretär an den englischen Gouverneur in Kapstadt. längerung der Konvention bis zum 30. Juni 1894. Government Office, Pretoria, October 6, 1893. (Translation.) || Your Excellency, || I am directed to confirm hereby my Südafrikan. telegram dated to day, reading thus: "I am instructed to thank your 6. Oct. 1893. Excellency for your telegram of the 30th September, and to say that the English and Dutch text of my telegram of the 27th September will, without Südafrikan. delay, be sent in a letter to be addressed to your Excellency. This Govern- Nr. 10709 ment further agrees with your Excellency's suggestion that in order to give Republik. it time to carry on negotiations in the matter of the Organic Proclamation to 6. Oct. 1893. extend the Convention of 1890 to a certain date, it being, however, terminable before that time on ratification of the Organic Proclamation. The date of extension to be the 30th June next." C. van Boeschoten. Nr. 10710. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Gouverneur in Kapstadt an den Minister der Kolonien. Meldet die Unterzeichnung der Konvention. Gross (Telegraphic.) || Cape Town, 8th November 1893. Following telegram Nr. 10710. received from State Secretary this morning. Translation begins: - || "8th No- britannien. vember. I am instructed to inform you, that the Swaziland Convention has been 8. Nov. 1893. signed to-day by his Honour the State President, and that a copy thereof is being sent to your Excellency to-day." Nr. 10711. britannien 1. März 1894. Bündnisse, Verträge, Konventionen, Nr. 10711. GROSSBRITANNIEN UND CHINA. Burmah- und Thibetgebiet *). Vertrag über das London, March 1, 1894. Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Gross- Ireland, Empress of India, and His Majesty the Emperor of China, being sinund China. cerely desirous of consolidating the relations of friendship and good neighbourhood which happily exist between the two Empires, have resolved to conclude a Convention with the view of giving effect to Article III of the Convention relative to Burmah and Thibet, signed at Peking on the 24th July, 1886, and have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries for this purpose, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, the Right Honourable the Earl of Rosebery, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; || And His Majesty the Emperor of China, Sieh Ta-jên, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of China at the Court of St. James', and Vice-President of the Imperial Board of Censors; Who, having mutually communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles: Article I. It is agreed, that the frontier between the two Empires, from latitude 25° 35′ north, shall run as follows: || Commencing at the high conical peak situated approximately in that latitude and in longitude 98° 14' east of Greenwich and 18° 16' west of Peking, the line will follow, as far as possible, the crest of the hills running in a south-westerly direction through Kaolang Pum and the Warong Peak, and thence run nearly midway between the villages of Wanchon and Kaolang - leaving the former to Burmah and the latter to China-on to Sabu Pum. || From Sabu Pum the frontier will run in a line slightly to the south of west through Shatrung Pum to Namienku Pum, thence it will be continued, still running in a south-westerly direction, along the crest *) Blaubuch Treaty Series 19. 1894 (7547). |