INCREASE OF OFFICIALS’ SALARIES.

July 7.—­The PRESIDENT supported the increase.  He promised the Raad—­and he had done this before—­that whenever there was a falling off in the revenue, he would at once reduce the salaries.  He had said this before, and if members did not believe him let them call him a liar at once.

1891.

SECOND RAAD.

June 5.—­Mr. ESSELEN objected to minutes not being full enough.

Mr. TALJAARD accused Mr. Esselen of insulting the Raad.

A discussion ensued on minutes, in which certain proposals which had been rejected had not been incorporated.  Several members said that the incorporation of proposals that had been rejected would entail some members being held up to the scorn of the public.

ESTIMATES.

June 24.—­Two hundred vouchers were found to be missing from the yearly accounts, and no explanation could be given.  Also L13,000 had been given on loan to the Boeren Winkel (Boer General Store—­a private mercantile venture).

July 27.—­Mr. MARE maintained that the Public Works were badly administered.

The PRESIDENT dashed down the papers in front of him and stalked out of the Raad, after emphatically denying that money had been wasted.

July 27.—­At the debate on the question of appointing a State financier, who could among other things be held responsible for the disappearance of vouchers, the Auditor-General said that he did not want an official of that nature, who would be always snivelling about his books.

CLAUSE TWENTY-THREE OF THE GOLD LAW.

August 5.—­The PRESIDENT said that owners of properties had quite sufficient privileges already, and he did not want to give them more.

Mr. LOMBAARD said the Gold Fields wanted too much.  The revenue from the Gold Fields was already less than the expenditure.  He was of opinion that the best course would be to let the Gold Fields go to the devil and look after themselves.

1892

SECOND RAAD.

May 6.—­Protracted discussion arose on the Postal Report, the Conservatives being opposed to erecting pillar-boxes in Pretoria on the ground that they were extravagant and effeminate.

OOM DYLE (Mr. TALJAARD) said that he could not see why people wanted to be always writing letters.  He wrote none himself.  In the days of his youth he had written a letter, and had not been afraid to travel fifty miles and more on horseback and by wagon to post it; and now people complained if they had to go one mile.

FIRST RAAD.

May 21.—­On the question of abolishing the post of Minute-Keeper to the Executive the President fell into a passion with Mr. Loveday who thought a Minute-Keeper unnecessary, and left the Raad in a temper.

June 13.—­The PRESIDENT said the reason why he did not subsidize some papers by giving them advertisements was that they did not defend the Government.  It was the rule everywhere to give advertisements to papers which supported the Government.