Selected Official Documents of the South African Republic and Great Britain | Page 9

the Executive Council. The President and
members of the Executive Council shall have the right to sit, but not to
vote, in the Volksraad. The President is allowed, when important
affairs arise, to invite the head official to be present in the Executive
Council whose department is more directly concerned with the subject
to be treated of. The said head official shall then have a vote in the
Executive Council, be equally responsible for the resolution taken, and
sign it along with the others.
ARTICLE 83.--According to the intention of Article 82 the following
shall be considered "Head Officials": The State Attorney, Treasurer,
Auditor, Superintendent of Education, Orphan-Master, Registrar of
Deeds, Surveyor-General, Postmaster-General, Head of the Mining
Department, Chief Director of the Telegraph Service, and Chief of
Public Works.
ARTICLE 84.--The President shall be Chairman of the Executive
Council, and in case of an equal division of votes have a casting vote.
For the ratification of sentences of death, or declarations of war, the
unanimous vote of the Executive Council shall be requisite for a
decision.
ARTICLE 85.--Regularly once a month, and at such other times as the

President shall judge necessary, the Executive Council shall sit at his
office.
ARTICLE 86.--The President with two members form a quorum.
ARTICLE 87.--All resolutions of the Executive Council and official
letters of the President must, besides being signed by him, also be
signed by the Secretary of State. The latter is at the same time
responsible that the contents of the resolution, or the letter, is not in
conflict with the existing laws.
ARTICLE 88.--The two enfranchised burghers or members of the
Executive Council contemplated by Article 82 are chosen by the
Volksraad for the period of three years, the Commandant-General for
ten years; they must be members of a Protestant Church, have had no
sentence in a criminal court to their discredit, and have reached the age
of thirty years.
ARTICLE 89.--The Secretary of State is chosen also by the Volksraad,
but is appointed for the period of four years. On resignation or
expiration of his term he is re-eligible. He must be a member of a
Protestant Church, have had no sentence in a criminal court to his
discredit, possess fixed property in the Republic, and have reached the
age of thirty years.
ARTICLE 90.--Before the members of the Executive Council and the
Commandant-General receive their office, they take the official oath
before the Volksraad and sign the same. That oath shall be of similar
contents to that of the President, as modified to the title or office of the
person sworn, and that of the Commandant-General to the contents of
Article 108.
ARTICLE 91.--Before the Secretary of State receives his office he
takes a similar oath to the members of the Executive Council, with a
small modification suitable to the nature of his office.
ARTICLE 92.--In case the Volksraad decide to give effect to the
complaints mentioned in Article 31, it shall put the complaint in the

hands of the State Attorney with a view to its examination. If it appears
from such examination that the complaint is well founded, then the
Volksraad shall send the complaint to the High Court, or the Court
contemplated in Article 61, with notice of such sending to the said
Attorney. This Court, which then will have to deal with the case, shall
take cognizance of the case, and in the last resort pronounce sentence.
OF THE MILITARY FORCE AND MILITARY COUNCIL.
ARTICLE 93.--The military force consists of all the men of this
Republic capable of bearing arms, and if necessary of all those of the
natives within its boundaries whose chiefs are subject to it.
ARTICLE 94.--Besides the armed force of burghers to be called up in
times of disturbance or war, there exists a general police and corps of
artillery, for which each year a fixed sum is drawn upon the estimates.
ARTICLE 95.--The men of the white people capable of bearing arms
are all men between the ages of sixteen and sixty years; and of the
natives, only those which are capable of being made serviceable in the
war.
ARTICLE 96.--For the sub-division of the military force the territory
of this Republic is divided into field-cornetcies and districts. The
dividing lines of the field-cornetcies and districts are fixed by and in a
common council of the President, Commandant-General, and the
adjoining Commandants and Field-Cornets; and each inhabitant shall
be bound to obey the authorities of the field-cornetcy or district in
which he lives.
ARTICLE 97.--The men are under the orders of the following officers,
ascending in rank: Assistant Field-Cornets, Field-Cornets,
Commandants, and a Commandant-General.
ARTICLE 98.--The officers are chosen by a majority of votes, viz., the
Assistant Field-Cornets and Field-Cornets, by the enfranchised
burghers of the wards, so also the Commandants by