In the year 1860 Pretorius visited the State to settle public affairs He had become State President Republic two years previously, after the acceptation of the Constitu:
tion, and now, on the retirement of Prosident Boshof, was also elected President of the Oranze Free State. He owed his election to" the Unionist Pariy there, his chief aim was to amalgamate the two Republics. On attaining the second presidency, he was granted leave of absence for six months by the Volksraad of the South African Republic, of which he was also President, for the purpose of visiting the Froe State. He probably expreted to be able, within that time, to accomplish the union which ho so much desired. During the President's absence, in accordance with an carlier resolution of the Volksraad, the oldest unofficial member of the Executive Rand became Acting President of the South African Republic. In this case, fell to Johannes Grobler. He ciated, as the law required, with a further member unconnected with the Government, and these two, together with the Commandant General, composed the Excentive Raad. Towards the end of 1860, the Volksraad a resolution that the State President should hold no other office. Therefore ins, who refused to renounce the idency of the Orange Free State, med that of the South African Republic.
But, when Grobler assumed the office of Acting President, Schoeman, the Commandant General, opposed him, declar-lat the post should have been his. He held public igs to get this power transferred to himself and to obtain a vote of censure on the Volksraad. Finally, he summoned all the military officers to Pretoria, and, having assembled them, proposed to abolish the Volk-raad and to confer legislative power on the Excentive Raad.
Thus, at length, a properly-convened Volksraad met, declar: d, after thorough investigation, that Schoeman was guilty
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.