(_b_) That the troops on the borders of this Republic shall be instantly
withdrawn.
(_c_) That all reinforcements of troops which have arrived in South
Africa since the 1st June, 1899, shall be removed from South Africa
within a reasonable time, to be agreed upon with this Government, and
with a mutual assurance and guarantee on the part of this Government
that no attack upon or hostilities against any portion of the
possessions of the British Government shall be made by the Republic
during further negotiations within a period of time to be subsequently
agreed upon between the Governments, and this Government will, on
compliance therewith, be prepared to withdraw the armed burghers of this
Republic from the borders.
(_d_) That Her Majesty's troops which are now on the high seas shall not
be landed in any port of South Africa.
This Government must press for an immediate and affirmative answer to
these four questions, and earnestly requests Her Majesty's Government to
return such an answer before or upon Wednesday the 11th October, 1899,
not later than 5 o'clock p.m., and it desires further to add that in the
event of unexpectedly no satisfactory answer being received by it within
that interval it will with great regret be compelled to regard the
action of Her Majesty's Government as a formal declaration of war, and
will not hold itself responsible for the consequences thereof, and that
in the event of any further movements of troops taking place within the
above-mentioned time in the nearer directions of our borders this
Government will be compelled to regard that also as a formal declaration
of war.
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