"12. As soon as conditions permit, a commission, on which the local inhabitants will be represented, will be appointed in each district of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, under the presidency of a magistrate or other official, for the purpose of assisting the restoration of the people to their homes, and supplying those who, owing to war losses, are unable to provide for themselves with food, shelter, and the necessary amount of seed, stock, implements, &c., indispensable to the resumption of their normal occupations. Money for this will be advanced by the Government, free of interest, and repayable over a period of years." MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S EMENDATIONS. FROM MR. CHAMBERLAIN TO LORD MILNER. COLONIAL OFFICE, _May 27, 1902_, 3.45 P.M. I have to inform you that his Majesty's Government approve of the submission to the assembly at Vereeniging for a "Yes" or "No" vote the document prepared by the commission, and forwarded by Lord Kitchener on 21st May to the Secretary of State for War, subject to the following alterations:-- Clauses 2 and 3 should be put together, and will run as follows:-- "All Burghers in the field outside the limits of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, and all prisoners of war at present outside South Africa, who are Burghers, will, on duly declaring their acceptance of the position of subjects of his Majesty King Edward VII., be gradually brought back to their homes as soon as transport can be provided and their means of subsistence ensured." The object of this alteration is to make clear that Burghers in the field outside the two States will, like the Burghers inside and the prisoners of war, declare their acceptance of the position of subjects. It was clearly not intended that they should be in any different position to their countrymen elsewhere. We have also inserted words to explain that return must be gradual. Clause 5. We add at end of clause the words:-- "The benefit of this clause will not extend to certain acts contrary to usages of war which have been notified by Commander-in-Chief to the Boer generals, and which shall be tried by court-martial immediately after the close of hostilities." Clauses 11 and 12 must be omitted and the following clause substituted:--