Early in the spring, when it was rumored that Germany was taking too friendly an interest in the affairs of the Transvaal, Mr. Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary of England, sent a very stormy letter to the Boers, saying that England insisted that the Transvaal should not make any foreign alliances without her consent, and that the treaty between the Transvaal and Great Britain, which is known as the "London Treaty," must be very closely observed. To this the Boer Government replied that it would be glad to arbitrate that point as well as the amount of the payment to be made for the Jameson raid; and the various other points on which the two governments were at issue. Soon after this Dr. Leyds, President Krüger's confidential agent, arrived in England, and had a conference with Mr. Chamberlain. They appeared to come to satisfactory understanding, and there was every prospect of a peaceful settlement to the dispute. Some weeks after this conversation with Dr. Leyds, Mr. Chamberlain was asked by the House of Commons whether he had consented to arbitrate with the Transvaal. Mr. Chamberlain answered that some points would certainly be submitted to arbitration, but the question, of the Transvaal's right to allow a foreign country to befriend her could not be so treated, because it was expressly stated in the London convention that England had sovereign rights in the Transvaal, and could therefore insist on her wishes being carried out. When the news of Mr. Chamberlain's speech reached Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal, there was great indignation among the Boers. The matter was debated by the Volksraad or Parliament, and several members declared that Great Britain must be shown that she no longer had any sovereign rights in the Transvaal. Meetings were held denouncing Mr. Chamberlain's remarks, and finally President Krüger delivered a speech before the Volksraad which caused considerable excitement, as its meaning was an open defiance of England. In this speech President Krüger stated that the Boers were perfectly willing to abide by the London convention, but he stated emphatically that the convention did not contain a word about the sovereign rights of England, and since it had been made, all such rights had ceased to exist. The London convention was made in 1884. In 1881, after the British forces had been beaten by the Boers, a treaty was made by which peace was restored, and the Transvaal recognized as a semi-independent republic, under the sovereignty of England. In this treaty it was understood that the Boers would have freedom of government as far as their home affairs went, but that no friendships or alliances could be made with foreign powers. The British Government reserved for itself the right of managing the foreign affairs of the Transvaal. This was in 1881.