happen it is repeated by two hundred thousand one day. You
will all admit the doors must be opened. What will become of us or
our children on that day, when we shall find ourselves in a minority
of perhaps one in twenty, without a single friend amongst the other
nineteen, amongst those who will then tell us they wished to be
brothers, but that we by our own act made them strangers to the
Republic? Old as the world is, has an attempt like ours ever
succeeded for long? Shall we say as a French king did that things
will last our time, and after that we reck not the deluge? Again I
ask what account is to be given to our descendants and what can be
our hope in the future?

Mr. DE CLERCQ opposed the extension.

Mr. JAN DE BEER said he could not agree to the prayer for extension.
The burghers would decide time enough when the dam was too full, or
when fresh water was wanted. He had gone through the memorials, and
some that wished an extension were unknown to him, even those who
signed from his district. Very few persons were in favour of the
extension. If the burghers wished it he would give it, he would agree
to it. The people coolly asked the Raad to extend the franchise to
80,000 persons, men who were not naturalized and had nothing to lose.
He did not mind extending the franchise to a few. When it was a small
case he did not object, but when it came to giving away their
birthright wholesale he kicked. He did not object to give the burgher
right to _persons who shot Kaffirs_, or he had better say, persons
who went into the native wars on behalf of the Transvaal, because
they shed their blood for the country; but people who came here only
to make money and that only did not deserve the franchise. Let them
look at that book of signatures on the table with the 70,000 names.
Who were they? (Laughter, and cries of 'Too much.') Well, 38,000
then. He had 'too much.' They were the persons, the millionaires side
by side with mining workers whom Mr. Jeppe spoke of, but where did
they find these people side by side? Nowhere! No, he would not grant
an extension of the franchise.

The PRESIDENT said he wished to say a few words on the subject, and
the first thing he had to say was that those persons who signed the
monster petition were unfaithful and not law-abiding.

Mr. JEPPE: I deny that.

The PRESIDENT: Yes--I repeat unfaithful.

Mr. JEPPE (excitedly): I say they are not!

The CHAIRMAN: Order, order!

The PRESIDENT then