a recruiting trip, few--very few--believed that
the illness was a physical one. It is alleged that a gentleman
on President Faure's staff, on hearing that Dr. Leyds had gone
to Berlin to consult a physician, inquired what the ailment was?
'Mal de gorge,' was the reply. 'Ah,' said the officer, 'mal de
gorge--diplomatique.' And that was the opinion in the Transvaal,
albeit differently expressed.

It is impossible within the limits of this volume nor is it at all
necessary to review all the measures which have been passed by the
Volksraad and pressed by the Government unnecessarily burdening the
Uitlanders and unjustifiably assailing their rights; such for
instance as the Election Law, which made it a crime to form
Committees or do any of those things which are regarded everywhere as
part of the legitimate business of elections--thus leaving Mr. Kruger
the sole master of electioneering machinery, namely, the Government
officials. The Public Meetings Act was another monstrous infringement
of rights. By it a policeman has the right to disperse any gathering
of more than seven persons, if in his opinion it be desirable.
Imagine it! Liberty of Speech against the Discretion of a Transvaal
policeman! But the list would be long, and the tale monotonous. And
as long and equally monotonous would be the list of the measures
proposed or threatened, but fortunately not carried. However, the
review of the period prior to 1896, and the statement of the causes
leading to the outbreak, may fitly be brought to a close by the
recital of some of the measures under both the above headings which
grace the records of the Session of 1895.

As is well known, the Grondwet (the written constitution of the
country) prescribes certain formalities for the introduction of new
laws. In order to evade the law, and so avoid hostile criticism of
proposed measures, in order, in fact, to prevent the public and even
the Volksraad members from knowing and studying or explaining and
digesting the intended legislation, it has become the practice of the
Government to propose and rush through the most radical and important
enactments in the form of amendments or explanations of existing
laws. Prior to 1895 the Transfer Law imposed a tax of 4 per cent.
upon the purchase-price of fixed property; and in the case of sales
for shares a valuation of the property was made by the Government
district officials, and transfer duty was paid on the amount of the
valuation.