, without waiting for any Magisterial inquiry, reduced the
charge, on his own initiative, to that of culpable homicide.

"12. The bail on which the prisoner was released was the same in
amount--namely, L200--as that required a few days previously from an
Uitlander charged with a common assault on a Member of the
Government Secret Service, and the penalty for which was a fine of
L20.

"13. The widow and orphan of the late Tom Jackson Edgar have been
left absolutely destitute through the death of their natural
protector.

"14. To sum up: We humbly represent to your Majesty that we, your
loyal subjects resident here, are entirely defenceless since--(1)
The police are appointed by the Government, not by the Municipality;
(2) We have no voice in the Government of the country; (3) There is
no longer an independent Judiciary to which we can appeal; (4) There
is, therefore, no power within this State to which we can appeal
with the least hope of success; and as we are not allowed to arm and
protect ourselves, our last resource is to fall back on our status
as British subjects.

"We therefore humbly pray: That your Majesty will instruct your
Representative to take such steps as will ensure (_a_) a full and
impartial trial, on a proper indictment, of prisoner Police-Constable
Barend Stephanus Jones, and adequate punishment for his offence, if
found guilty; (_b_) proper provision by the Transvaal Government for the
needs of the widow and orphan of the deceased Tom Jackson Edgar, killed
by their agent; (_c_) the extension of your Majesty's protection to the
lives, liberty, and property of your loyal subjects resident here, and
such other steps as may be necessary to terminate the existing
intolerable state of affairs.

"And your petitioners will ever pray, &c."

Of course, this move enraged the authorities of the Transvaal, who
tried to prove the existence of a plot against the Republic, and
even to represent that British military officers were implicated in
it. But Sir Alfred Milner exposed the little machinations of the
"secret service" people, so that their duplicit efforts were not
crowned with the hoped-for success. Mr. Steyn then succeeded Mr.
Reitz as President of the Orange Free State, and his appearance on
the political scene was the signal for an offensive and defensive
alliance between the two Republics. Following the example set by
President Brand, Mr. Steyn--in the character of umpire or
peacemaker--assisted t