matter of form and to gain time, to defer the formal passing of the law
until after it had been referred to the burghers. This was not done till
August last. A large section of the people were known to be against
extending the franchise, but the Government had no misgivings about the
result, counting upon the persuasive influence of the Volksraad members
who were to preside at the plebiscite meetings, and had before been
drilled up to their task. Their success was as desired, and the measure
became law in due course. Those meetings in the different districts and
wards of the State were characterised by almost uniform proceedings, so
that the description of one of them can serve for all.

The burghers assembled on the appointed day at the local Government
Office. The Landdrost, or chief official of the ward, took the chair.
There were four Volksraad members, who each in turn recommended the
adoption of the seven years' franchise measure. The burghers were
invited to express their views. The majority appeared dead against it,
but were gradually appeased, and they finally assented to a motion of
approval presented by the chairman, which also conveyed full confidence
in the Government and their representatives to deal with the enactment
and to modify it as they might consider appropriate.

One of the burghers had in his speech stated in passionate terms that no
dictation on the part of Uitlanders could be tolerated; they must either
obey the laws or leave the State. The function and prerogative of making
laws belonged to the burghers. They had been ill-used enough by the
English; it would be still worse, he said, if they were invested with
legislative rights. "On the contrary, it is the Boer nation which is
entitled to supremacy, not only in the Transvaal but right to the sea.
The Cape Colonies," he continued, "are ours by divine right, and so is
Natal, and no Afrikaner may rest until we are reinstated." General