and have been
resident in the country for ten years.

"12. All elections shall be by ballot and shall be adequately
safeguarded by stringent provisions against bribery and
intimidation.

"13. All towns with a population of 1000 persons and upwards shall
have the right to manage their own local affairs under a general
Municipal Act. The registration of voters and the conduct of all
elections shall be regulated by local bodies.

"14. A full and comprehensive system of State Education shall be
established under the control of Local Boards.

"15. The Civil Service shall be completely reorganised, and all
corrupt officials shall be dismissed from office, and be ineligible
for office in the future.

"16. Payments from the public Treasury shall only be made in
accordance with the Budget proposals approved by the Raad, with full
and open publication of the accounts periodically.

"17. No person shall become a burgher, and no fresh constituency
shall be created except in accordance with the lines herein laid
down, and officials shall have no discretionary power in this or any
other matter affecting the civil rights of the inhabitants of the
country."

The Conference was a complete failure. Mr. Kruger obstinately
refused to make the proposed concessions, and Sir Alfred Milner
would be contented with nothing less.

[Illustration: Sir ALFRED MILNER, K.C.B.,

High Commissioner for South Africa.

Photo by Elliott & Fry, London.]

The President afterwards agreed to grant a "seven years'
Franchise" on terms that were scarcely practicable, while the
Secretary of State for the Colonies held out for the five years'
Franchise at first demanded. The bargaining was pursued for some
weeks with considerable animation, and in the end Mr. Kruger offered
to allow the five years' franchise on what he knew to be the
impossible condition, that the question of suzerainty should be
entirely dropped.

The mobilisation of the burghers, which had been secretly on foot
for some time, was forthwith carried on apace, and later--much too
tardily--British patience gave way, and troops were despatched to
South Africa. Then followed, on the 9th of October, an insulting
ultimatum from President Kruger, demanding the immediate withdrawal
of British troops from the Transvaal border, and an assurance that
no more should be landed. In default of this assurance, he declared
that at 5 P.M. on the 11th of October a state of war would exist. To
suc