The Presidents then expressed their desire that Lord Kitchener should transmit the proposal that had been made by them; but the latter thought that it was not desirable to communicate it in the form in which it had been laid before him. He thought it could be drafted in a more acceptable form. Thereupon he took a pencil and roughly drafted the preamble of a cablegram. He read it aloud, and asked whether anybody wished to make any remark upon it, in order to make the cablegram still more acceptable, and whether they wished to appoint anyone for this purpose. Mr. Reitz was nominated, and the preamble of Lord Kitchener, with the points of the proposal (modified, as will be observed), was thus drawn up, approved of by all, and, on the adjournment of the meeting, transmitted to the British Government. The telegram read as follows:-- FROM LORD KITCHENER TO SECRETARY OF STATE. PRETORIA, _April 12, 1902_. "... The Boer Representatives wish to lay before His Majesty's Government that they have an earnest desire for peace, and that they have consequently decided to ask the British Government to end hostilities and to enter into an agreement of peace with them. They are prepared to enter into an agreement by which, in their opinion, all future wars between them and the British Government in South Africa will be prevented. They consider this object may be attained by providing for the following points:-- 1. Franchise. 2. Equal rights for Dutch and English languages in educational matters. 3. Customs Union. 4. Dismantling of all forts in Transvaal and Free State. 5. Post, Telegraph, and Railway Union. 6. Arbitration in case of future differences, and only subjects of the parties to be the arbitrators. 7. Mutual amnesty. ... But if these terms are not satisfactory, they desire to know what terms the British Government would give them in order to secure the end they all desire." After this conversation with Lord Kitchener the two Republican Governments consulted with each other, and agreed that when they again met the representative of the British Government they would very clearly declare their standpoint, namely, that in the matter of Independence it was the People alone that could constitutionally decide. Early on Monday morning, April 14th, Lord Kitchener sent to the members of both Governments a copy of the following cablegram which he had received from his Government. He also stated that Lord Milner would take part with him in the conference. The cablegram was as follows:-- FROM SECRETARY OF STATE TO LORD KITCHENER. LONDON, _April 13, 1902_.