considerable excitement, as its meaning was an open defiance of
England.

In this speech President Krüger stated that the Boers were perfectly
willing to abide by the London convention, but he stated emphatically
that the convention did not contain a word about the sovereign rights of
England, and since it had been made, all such rights had ceased to
exist.

The London convention was made in 1884.

In 1881, after the British forces had been beaten by the Boers, a treaty
was made by which peace was restored, and the Transvaal recognized as a
semi-independent republic, under the sovereignty of England.

In this treaty it was understood that the Boers would have freedom of
government as far as their home affairs went, but that no friendships or
alliances could be made with foreign powers. The British Government
reserved for itself the right of managing the foreign affairs of the
Transvaal.

This was in 1881.

In 1884 a new agreement was entered into which expressly stated that
England no longer wanted these rights, and that the Transvaal was free
to govern the country without interference, and to manage its own
foreign affairs as it pleased. One right only did England demand, and
that was that the Transvaal should not make any treaty with a foreign
country without the approval of the Queen.