THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNMy Lords, seeing the noble Earl, the Under Secretary for the Colonies, in his place, I wish to ask him whether he is in a position to give any information to the House with regard to the negotiations which have recently taken place between Sir Alfred Milner and the President of the Transvaal Republic.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF SELBORNE)My Lords, it is unfortunately true that the Conference has broken up without any result, and a new situation has thus been created. President Kruger has rejected the proposals for a settlement offered by Sir Alfred Milner, and the alternative suggested by him was considered by Sir Alfred Milner, and is now considered by Her Majesty's Government, as entirely inadequate. Her Majesty's Government have not vet received the Memorandum which Sir Alfred Milner informs them he has communicated to the Press on the subject of the Conference. Her Majesty's Government understood that this Memorandum would be telegraphed by Reuter verbatim to this country, but owing to some unexplained cause it has not yet arrived. I am therefore unable to say whether the statement 598 of the Government of the South African Republic, which has been published in the meantime, agrees in all respects with Sir Alfred Milner's account. Her Majesty's Government understand that the discussion turned mainly on the question of the franchise. Sir Alfred Milner was of opinion that the exclusion of the Uitlanders from representation was the root of the difficulties which has arisen, and that it was desirable, if possible, to come to an arrangement on this point before dealing with other questions in dispute between the two Governments. Sir Alfred Milner asked that the franchise should be given to all naturalised aliens who have resided five years in the country, with retrospective effect, and a fair amount of representation be conceded to the new population. President Kruger's proposal was substantially as follows: First, that aliens who were resident in the country before 1890 might naturalise and have the full franchise in two years' time; secondly, that the bulk of the Uitlanders might be naturalised in two years' time and might receive the franchise five years later—that is to say, in seven years from the present time. Between the period of naturalisation and that of receiving the franchise they would have to abandon their present nationality and would have no rights of nationality in the Transvaal. The President also attached to his offer certain conditions as to a pecuniary qualification, and the proof of possession of civil rights in the country from which the alien had come. It is not clear whether the further condition that a majority of two-thirds of the burghers would be required to confirm the possession of the franchise would be insisted upon. The President agreed that three members might be added to the representation of the mining districts, thus giving to them five members out of a total of 31. According to these proposals, no change whatever would take place for two years, and then only in the case of a small majority of the Uitlanders who had resided eleven years in the Transvaal. The whole of these proposals were made subject to an agreement by this country to refer all differences with the Transvaal to the arbitration of a foreign Power. Sir Alfred Milner considered these proposals as altogether inadequate, and further informed the President that Her Majesty's Government would not consent to the intervention of 599 any foreign Power in disputes between themselves and the Government of the South African Republic. The President also asked for the incorporation of Swaziland, but does not appear to have pressed this claim. He also demanded that the question of an indemnity for the Jameson raid should he settled, and was informed by Sir Alfred Milner that the British South Africa Company had agreed, in a despatch which was then on its way, that, while protesting against the amount of the claim sent in as altogether unreasonable, they would nevertheless consent to submit to arbitration the amount of damages for any material injury suffered by the Transvaal in consequence of the Jameson raid. The question of the dynamite monopoly was touched upon, but, in view of the failure to come to an agreement with regard to the franchise, it was reserved for further discussion between the two Governments. I have to add that the despatch in response to the petition of the Uitlanders to the Queen, which was sent to the High Commissioner before the invitation to the Conference was received from the President of the Orange Free State, and which has been held back pending the result of the Conference, will now be communicated to the Government of the South African Republic, and, as soon as they have received it, will be laid on the Table with other papers, including the petition of the Uitlanders to the Queen, and the counter-petition of other Uitlanders to the Government of the South African Republic.