self-government, subject to the
suzerainty, was granted to the Republic was deliberately erased by Lord
Derby, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, so that the suzerainty
naturally lapsed when the Draft was eventually accepted. In order to
make it perfectly clear that the status of the Republic was put upon
another basis, the title "Transvaal State" was altered to that of the
"South African Republic." All articles in the Pretoria Convention which
gave the British Government any authority in the internal affairs of
this Republic were done away with. As far as foreign affairs were
concerned, a great and far-reaching change was made. It was stipulated
in Article 2 of the Pretoria Convention that "Her Majesty reserves to
herself, her heirs and successors (_a_), the right from time to time to
appoint a British Resident in and for the said State, with such duties
and functions as are hereinafter defined; (_b_), the right to move
troops through the said State in time of war or in case of the
apprehension of immediate war between the Suzerain Power and any Foreign
State or Native tribe in South Africa; and (_c_) the control of the
external relations of the said State, including the conclusion of
treaties and the conduct of diplomatic intercourse with Foreign Powers,
such intercourse to be carried on through Her Majesty's diplomatic and
consular officers abroad."

This was superseded by Article 4 of the Convention of London, which was
to the following effect:--

"The South African Republic will conclude no treaty or engagement
with any State or Nation other than the Orange Free State, nor
with any Native tribe to the eastward or westward of the
Republic, until the same has been approved by Her Majesty the
Queen.

"Such approval shall be considered to have been granted if Her
Majesty's Government shall not, within six months after receiving
a copy of such treaty (which shall be delivered to them
immediately upon its completion), have notified that the
conclusion of such treaty is in conflict with the interests of
Great Britain, or any of Her Majesty's possessions in South
Africa."

The right of the British Government to exercise control over all our
foreign relations, and to conduct all our diplomatic negotiations
through its own Agent, was thus replaced by the far more slender right
of approving or disapproving of our treaties and conventions _after they
wer