ssion on
it, the President pointed out that it was impossible for the
Republican Governments to act in accordance with the desire of the
British Government, seeing that, as had already been said on Saturday,
they were not qualified to discuss the question of Independence before
having consulted the People.

Lord MILNER: May I ask if the prisoners-of-war will also be consulted?

President STEYN: Your Excellency surely cannot be in earnest in
putting this question?

Lord MILNER (in a tone of annoyance): Yes, certainly.

President STEYN: How can the prisoners-of-war be consulted?--they are
civilly dead. To mention one practical difficulty: suppose the
prisoners should decide that the war should be continued, and the
burghers on commando that it should not--what then?--

Lord Kitchener and Lord Milner, seeing the absurdity of it, laughed
aloud. They quite agreed with President Steyn, and admitted that the
difficulty raised by him was to the point.

Lord Kitchener, however, wished to draw attention to the word
"excluding" in the answer of the British Government. He put it that
the words "excluding Independence" rendered a discussion, as to
Dependence or Independence, superfluous. The question should now be
discussed as if Independence were finally excluded; and assuming this,
such proposals should be made as it was thought would be acceptable as
well for the Boers as for the British Government.

President Steyn then pointed out again that it was beyond the power of
the Government to do so. They had no right to make a proposal that
even assumed the exclusion of Independence.

Lord Kitchener and Lord Milner here again agreed with the President.
Both said at the same time, "We agree--we agree."

Meanwhile it had been urged several times that Lord Kitchener should
request his Government to make such proposals as might be regarded as
some measure of compensation, and which could, as such, be laid before
the People, in case the question of surrendering their Independence
were laid before them. This looked as if the Republican Governments
were convinced that their cause was hopeless, and as if they, not
being competent to sacrifice the independence, only waited for the
decision of the people on that point. The fact, however, is that the
members of the Governments never thought of such a thing, and that
they were convinced that if they consulted the People, the People to a
man would say: "We want to retain our Independenc