Selected Official Documents of the South African Republic and Great Britain | Page 5

the law for
that purpose.
ARTICLE 15.--The people place the judicial power in the hands of a
Supreme Court, Circuit Court, Landrosts, Juries, and such other
persons as shall be entrusted with judicial powers, and leave all these
free to discharge their function according to their judgment and
consciences, according to the laws of the land.
ARTICLE 16.--The people shall receive annually from the Volksraad
an estimate of the general income and expenses of the State, and learn
therefrom how much every man's taxes shall amount to.
ARTICLE 17.--Potchefstrom, situated on the Mooi River, shall be the
capital of the Republic, and Pretoria the seat of Government.
ARTICLE 18.--All services rendered on behalf of the public are
remunerated by the public.
ARTICLE 19.--Freedom of the press is granted provided the printer
and publisher remain responsible for all the documents which contain
defamation, insult, or attacks against any one's character.
OF THE PROTECTION AND DEFENCE OF THE STATE.
ARTICLE 20.--The people shall only appoint as representatives in the
Volksraad those who are members of a Protestant Church.
ARTICLE 21.--The people desire the growth, prosperity, and welfare
of the State, and with this view provision for suitable school teachers.
ARTICLE 22.--Providing also that in time of peace precautionary
measures are taken to enable the State to wage or withstand a war.
ARTICLE 23.--In case of a hostile attack from outside, everyone,
without distinction, shall be held bound to lend his assistance on the

promulgation of martial law.
ARTICLE 24.--No treaty or alliance with foreign powers or peoples
may be ratified until the Volksraad has expressed its feelings upon the
same, the treaty requiring to be ratified and passed or else cancelled
according to the judgment of the Volksraad, with exception of those
treaties which the Government is empowered by law or Volksraad
resolution to make.
ARTICLE 25.--In case of threatening danger for the State or in time of
war, the right of judging as to whether such treaty or alliance is
advisable or not is left to the Commandant-General advised by the
Military Council, if the commandos are in the field, and there is no
time to consult the Executive Council.
OF THE VOLKSRAAD, THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY, OR THE
LEGISLATIVE POWER.
ARTICLE 26.--The Volksraad shall be the highest authority of the
country, and the legislative power.
ARTICLE 27.--No civil servants are to be representatives of the
people.
ARTICLE 28.--The Volksraad shall consist of at least twelve members,
who must possess the following qualifications:--
They must have attained the age of thirty years, and be born in the
Republic, or have for fifteen consecutive years been burghers entitled
to vote, be members of a Protestant Church, reside, and possess
immovable property, in the Republic. No persons of notoriously bad
character, or who have had a dishonouring sentence pronounced against
them, and no uncertified or unrehabilitated insolvents shall be eligible.
They may not be related to each other in the relationship of father and
son or stepson. No coloured persons or bastards shall be admitted into
our Assemblies. In like manner no military officer or official of the
State, who draws a fixed annual or monthly salary, shall be eligible as
member of the Volksraad.

ARTICLE 29.--The members of the Volksraad are elected by a
majority of votes from among the electors of each district. No one shall
be considered as elected who has not obtained at least sixty votes.
Every one who is born in the country and has attained the age of
twenty-one years, or has become naturalized, shall be a burgher
qualified to vote. The members of the Volksraad are elected for the
period of four years.
ARTICLE 30.--No one shall be eligible who has not received a
requisition signed by at least twenty-five voters. The voters in one
district are at liberty to vote for a candidate living in another district.
(That is to say, they may be represented by a candidate who resides in a
district other than that in which the voters reside.)
ARTICLE 31.--Every enfranchised burgher is allowed, if he wishes, to
bring accusations against the President or members of the Executive
Council for contravention of their duties or official crimes, and send
those accusations to the President of the Volksraad, under the address;
"To the Hon. President of the Volksraad," who then shall act according
to his judgment of the affair.
ARTICLE 32.--The election of members for the Volksraad shall take
place in the month of January or February, or in exceptional cases upon
such times as shall be fixed. For each district two members shall be
chosen, except the districts Pretoria, Potchefstrom, Rustenberg,
Lydenburg and Vryheid, for which three members shall be elected.
Elective districts on the Gold-fields shall each elect one member. At the
expiration of the second year it shall be decided by lot which