Speaking on Monday at Jamestown, Mr. Roosevelt advocated the introduction
of Death-duties in the United States. The principle of the progressive taxation of inheritances in money had been authoritatively recognised by the United States Congress, and was adopted by the leading civilised countries of the world. Mr. Roosevelt praised in particular the French law, which applies the progressive principle in such a way that each higher rate is only imposed on the excess above the amount subject to the next lower rate. "I do not believe," Mr. Roosevelt added according to Renter's report, 'that any advantage comes either to the country as a whole or to individuals inheriting money by permitting the transmission in their entirety of such enormous fortunes as have been accumulated in America. The tax could be made to bear more heavily upon persons residing out of the country than upon those residing within it. Such a tax would be one of the methods whereby we should try to preserve a measurable equality of opportunity for people of the generation growing into manhood." The text of the Letters Patent conferring responsible government on the Orange River Colony was issued on Monday night. Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams, hitherto Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony, is to be its Governor. The Constitution provides for the establishment of two Houses,—a Legislative Council of eleven, and a Legislative Assembly of thirty-eight, Members. The Members of the Legislative Council will be nominated in the first instance by the Governor, who will summon fresh Members to take the place of those retiring at the end of the third, fifth, and seventh years, each Member thus and thereafter appointed to bold office for five years. It is also provided that after four years from the first meeting the Legislature may pass a law making the Council elective. The Legislative Assembly is to consist of thirty-eight Members elected by a manhood white suffrage to single-Member constituencies, with biennial registration, and redistribution every four years. The meeting-place is to be Bloemfontein, the Members are to be paid, the debates and discussions to be held in Dutch and English, and any conflict between the two Houses is to be Batted by joint Session and a majority of joint votes. The Governor is empowered to reserve any law providing for the importation of indentured labour, and the rights of British settlers are to be safeguarded by a nominated Land Board, which will exercise its independent functions for five years only.
