endeavoured to qualify his remarks by reasserting
that these people were disrespectful and disobedient to the law,
because they were not naturalized. 'Now,' asked His Honour
triumphantly, 'can you contradict that? No, you cannot. No one can.
The law says that they must be naturalized, and they are not.'
Speeches had been made that afternoon, His Honour proceeded, urging
that the rich should be made burghers and not the poor. Why not the
poor as well as the rich, if that were the case? But he was against
granting any extension, saving in cases like that he mentioned the
other day. Those who went on commando were entitled to it, but no
others. Those persons who showed they loved the country by making
such sacrifices were entitled to the franchise, and they should get
it. These memorials were being sent in year by year, and yearly
threats were made to them if they did not open the flood-gates. If
the dam was full before the walls were washed over, a certain portion
of the water had to be drained off. Well, this had been done in
the case of commando men. They were the clean water which was drained
off and taken into the inner dam which consisted of clean water, but
he did not wish to take in the dirty water also. No, it had to remain
in the outer dam until it was cleaned and purified. The Raad might
just as well give away the independence of the country as give all
these new-comers, these disobedient persons, the franchise. These
persons knew there was a law, but they wished to evade it; they
wished to climb the wall instead of going along the road quietly, and
these persons should be kept back. He earnestly cautioned the Raad
against adopting Mr. L. Meyer's proposal.

Mr. D. JOUBERT said excitement would not avail them. They had to be
calm and deliberate. Now, what struck him was first who would give
them the assurance, were they to admit the 35,000 persons who
petitioned them for the franchise, that they would maintain the
independence of the country inviolate and as a sacred heritage? They
had no guarantee. He could not agree with the request of the petition
(here the speaker became excited, and gesticulating violently,
continued), and he would never grant the request if the decision was
in his hands.

Mr. A.J. WOLMARANS said that his position on this question was that
he would not budge an inch.

Mr. JAN MEYER impugned the genuineness of the petition, and said he
had represented Johannesburg in the Raad for some tim