derable majority over the Uitlanders,
who probably number over 40,000 adult white males.

The scope and value of this grant were made manifest when the now
notorious sewerage concession came under discussion. The Municipality
had upon several occasions endeavoured to get the right to introduce
a scheme for the disposal of the sewage of the town, and had applied
for authority to raise the necessary funds, but had been refused.
Suddenly a concession was granted by the Government--they called it a
contract--to Mr. Emmanuel Mendelssohn, the proprietor of the
_Standard and Diggers News_, the Government organ in Johannesburg.
He said that he got it for nothing--possibly a reward for loyal
services; but he also stated that he was not the sole owner. The
value of the grant was estimated by the concessionaire himself to be
about L1,000,000 sterling, and in the lately published proposals
which he made to one of the big firms interested in the Transvaal he
indicated how a profit of L100,000 a year could be made out of it.
The Town Council unanimously and vigorously protested; but the
Government took no notice of their protest. They then decided to
apply to the Court for an order restraining the Government from
making this grant, on the ground that they had no power to alienate a
right which belonged to the town itself. In order to make the
application to Court it was necessary, in terms of the constitution
of the municipality, to obtain the signature of the Burgomaster. That
official as representing the Government refused point blank to
authorize the council to dispute the Government's action in a Court
of Law, and the council were obliged to apply for an Order of Court
compelling the Burgomaster to sign the documents necessary to enable
them to contest in the Courts of the country the validity of an act
of the Government which was deemed to be infringement upon the rights
of the town. In the face of this the President capitulated for the
time being; but neither he nor the concessionaire makes any secret of
the determination to find a _quid pro quo_.

The year 1898 brought in its turn its full share of fresh
encroachments and exactions. The bare enumeration of the concessions,
privileges, and contracts, proposed or agreed to, is sufficient to
indicate what must be the condition of mind of one whose interests
are at stake under such a _regime_. Not all 'concessions,'
'contracts,' and 'protected factories' confer exclusive rights,