These meetings are held in Westminster Hall, which is one of the most
interesting buildings in London.

It was begun by King William Rufus, about 1090, and was used by the early
English Kings as a banqueting hall.

All the Kings and Queens of England until the time of George IV. were
crowned in Westminster Hall, and in this same building Charles I. was
condemned to death, and Oliver Cromwell was declared Protector of England,
and here the first Parliaments sat.

Westminster Hall after a while became part of the King's palace of
Westminster, where the famous Henry VIII. lived. This palace was destroyed
by fire except the grand old Hall, which was left standing alone until
the new Houses of Parliament were built on the ground where the palace had
once stood, and the Hall became a part of the Houses of Parliament.

This grand old building with its wonderful arched roof has seen many great
assemblies in its 800 years of life, but this inquiry into the affairs of
the Transvaal is by no means the least interesting of them.

If you take your map, you will see that the southern part of Africa is
divided into several states and colonies.

Cape Colony, the most southerly of all, belongs to England. Then comes the
Orange Free State, and then the South African Republic, or the Transvaal,
as it is called. You will notice that the English possessions creep up the
coast in front of the Transvaal, and also form its western or land
boundary.