On the 8th of September the British cabinet formulated a note to the South African Republic very much in the nature of an ultimatum, refusing point blank to entertain the proposal that Great Britain should relinquish suzerainty over the Transvaal and pointedly intimating that the offer of a joint inquiry into the effect of the seven years’ franchise law would not remain open indefinitely. The Transvaal’s rejoinder, printed unofficially on the 16th of September, announced that the South African Republic withdrew the proposal to give a five years’ franchise, that it would adhere to the original seven years’ law already passed by the Volksraad, and that it would, if necessary, adopt any suggestions Great Britain might make with reference to the practical workings of the law. On the 25th of September, after three days’ consideration, the British cabinet gave out the text of another note to the South African Republic, which read as follows: “The object Her Majesty’s government had in view in the recent negotiations has been stated in a manner which cannot admit of misunderstanding—viz.: To obtain such substantial and immediate representation for the outlanders as will enable them to secure for themselves that fair and just treatment which was formally promised them in 1881, and which Her Majesty intended to secure for them when she granted privileges of self-government to the Transvaal. “No conditions less comprehensive than those contained in the telegram of September 8 can be relied on to effect this object. “The refusal of the South African government to entertain the offer thus made—coming, as it does, after four months of protracted negotiations, themselves the climax of five years of extended agitation—makes it useless to further pursue the discussion on the lines hitherto followed, and the imperial government is now compelled to consider the situation afresh and formulate its own proposals for a final settlement of the issues which have been created in South Africa by the policy constantly followed by the government of South Africa. “They will communicate the result of their deliberations in a later dispatch.” CHAPTER XVI. CAUSES OF THE AFRICANDERS’ SECOND WAR OF INDEPENDENCE.—CONCLUDED. The “later dispatch” promised by the British cabinet was never sent. The answer to it of the Transvaal government was, therefore, delayed for several days, awaiting the new proposals that were to come as the result of further deliberations on the part of Her Majesty’s government. At last, on the eve of the outbreak of war, Mr. Chamberlain gave out, on the 10th of October, the text of the republic’s rejoinder to the British cabinet’s note of the 25th of September. It was transmitted by cable, through Sir Alfred Milner, and read thus: