The telegrams from the Transvaal show not only that there-
is a considerable amount of unrest among the English sub- jects of the Yeoman Republic, but that the Boers are in.. alined to try a very foolish form of repression. A telegram in Wednesday's Times states that the Volksraad are hurrying through a Bill restricting severely the right of public meet- ing. No ont-door meetings or addresses are to be allowed, and any assemblage of six persons will be considered a public meeting. Police or detectives are empowered to attend any meeting, and if they think the object against the public peace, may disperse them if necessary by force of arms. Every one attending is made liable to imprisonment for two years, and the conveners may be fined £500, or sentenced to two years' hard labour. " This measure is believed to be the conse- quence of the large and enthusiastic, but law.abiding, meeting of the people of Johannesburg which was held last Saturday to protest against their grievances." That is the sort of measure which may do very well for Continental Anarchists, but is hardly likely to be welcomed by ordinary Englishmen. The Boers will be very foolish if they pass and enforce such a. law. As long as they do not interfere, the gold-diggers, absorbed in their digging, will tolerate almost any sort of 'Government ; but if repression is to be the order of the day, the people of Johannesburg will some fine day declare themselves a British Colony. That would be totally illegal, but then .golddiggers are admittedly ignorant of the principles of con- ,stitutional law. Meantime, the wealth of this strange little State should be noted. The Transvaal surplus on June 30th was £909,000.
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