President of Orange Free State to Sir Alfred Milner, October 11, 1899.

I have the honour to acknowledge Your Excellency’s telegrams of this evening.  The high-handed and unjustifiable policy and conduct of Her Majesty’s Government in interfering in and dictating in the purely internal affairs of South African Republic, constituting a flagrant breach of the Convention of London, 1884, accompanied at first by preparations, and latterly followed by active commencement of hostilities against that Republic, which no friendly and well-intentioned efforts on our part could induce Her Majesty’s Government to abandon, constitute such an undoubted and unjust attack on the independence of the South African Republic that no other course is left to this State than honourably to abide by its Conventional Agreements entered into with that Republic.  On behalf of this Government, therefore, I beg to notify that, compelled thereto by the action of Her Majesty’s Government, they intend to carry out the instructions of the Volksraad as set forth in the last part of the Resolution referred to by Your Excellency.

CHAPTER VI.

CONSTITUTION OF THE ORANGE FREE STATE.

Chapter I.—­Citizenship.

SECTION I.—­How Citizenship is Obtained.

1.  Burghers of the Orange Free State are: 

(a) White persons born from inhabitants of the State both before and after 23 February, 1854.

(b) White persons who have obtained burgher-right under the regulations of the Constitution of 1854 or the altered Constitution of 1866.

(c) White persons who have lived a year in the State and have fixed property registered under their own names to at least the value of L150.

(d) White persons who have lived three successive years in the State and have made a written promise of allegiance to the State and obedience to the laws, whereupon a certificate of citizenship (burghership) shall be granted by the Landrost of the district where they have settled.

(e) Civil and judicial officials who, before accepting their offices, have taken an oath of allegiance to the State and its laws.

SECTION II.—­How Citizenship is Lost.

Citizenship in the Orange Free State is lost by: 

(a) Obtaining citizenship in a foreign country.

(b) Taking service without consent of the President in foreign military service, or accepting commission under a foreign government.

(c) Fixing one’s residence outside the country with an evident intention of not returning to this State.  This intention shall be considered to be expressed when a man settles in a foreign country longer than two years.

Chapter II.—­Burgher Service.

2.  All burghers as soon as they have reached the full age of 16 years, and all who have obtained burgher-right at a later age, are obliged to have their names inscribed with the Field-Cornet, under whom they have their place of residence, and are subject to burgher service to the full age of 60 years.