ears enjoyed a singularly monotonous experience in
ironies, but a turning came in the long lane when it became necessary
for the President to suspend the operation of his three years' ban
on two of the Reformers in order to get their advice upon the
franchise question.

JOHANNESBURG, S.A.R.,
_24th March, 1899._

GENTLEMEN,

In response to the invitation from the Government of the South
African Republic conveyed to us by Mr. E. Lippert, we beg to submit
the enclosed memorandum upon the franchise question.

Yours faithfully,
J. PERCY FITZPATRICK.
H.C. HULL.
W. DALRYMPLE.
W.A. MARTIN.
THOS. MACKENZIE.
R. STORE.
J.G. HAMILTON.
T.J. BRITTEN.
H.R. SKINNER.

_To Messrs. G. Rouliot,
E. Birkenruth,
A. Brakhan,
J.M. Pierce,
H.F.E. Pistorius
Johannesburg_.

MEMORANDUM _RE_ FRANCHISE.

After such investigation as the restrictions imposed have permitted,
we are of opinion that it would be quite useless to approach the
Uitlander population with the Government proposal in its present
form, chiefly for the following reasons:--

1. No consideration is given to the term of residence already
completed.

2. The alteration of the franchise law according to lately prescribed
procedure, whereby two-thirds of the burghers must signify approval,
is a practical impossibility,--witness the fact that at the last
Presidential election, surpassing in excitement and interest all
other occasions of general voting, with the three recognized leaders
in the field, and every agency at work to stimulate activity, less
than two-thirds of the burghers on the register recorded their votes.

3. The present form of oath would be regarded as humiliating and
unnecessary, in support of which view we instance that quite recently
the Volksraad of the Orange Free State rejected upon the same grounds
the proposed introduction of the same oath of allegiance.

4. The period of disqualification, during which the Uitlander would
have given up his own citizenship by naturalizing and have acquired
nothing in return, would be found most objectionable--especially
with the experience that rights have in the past been legislated away
as they were on the point of maturing.

5. In view of the unique conditions of this country, extension of the
franchise without some approach to equitable redistribution of
representatives would