TheReform Committee was an organisation of prominentJohannesburg citizens that existed late 1895 and early 1896.
TheTransvaal gold rush had brought in a considerable foreign population, which was chiefly British although there were substantial minorities from other nations. TheBoers referred to them asUitlanders (foreigners). The immigrants, who were by far the wealthiest part of the community,[1]: 293 formed a Reform Committee headed byLionel Phillips, Charles Leonard, ColonelFrank Rhodes (brother ofCecil),John Hays Hammond, Chief mining engineer from California Victor Clement, and a few others.[1]: 293 They demanded a stable constitution, a fair franchise law, an independent judiciary and a better educational system. The government, under PresidentPaul Kruger, made promises but failed to keep them.[1]: 293
Some members of the Committee had been instrumental in the preparation for theJameson Raid.Leander Starr Jameson had been in charge ofMatabeleland but overstepped his authority and invaded Transvaal with 1,500 troops.[1]: 293 That greatly exacerbated the many adverse conditions that would lead to both theSecond Matabele War and theSecond Boer War. Upon Jameson's capture and surrender to the forces of theSouth African Republic (the Transvaal) in December 1895, the Committee took charge of the peace and security of Johannesburg before it conceded control back to the Boer authorities some days later.
For conspiring with Jameson, the members of the Reform Committee were charged, confined in deplorable conditions and finally found guilty ofhigh treason against the Transvaal. Many received severe sentences, including death, but the majority of the membership escaped with high fines in January 1896. When a second trial of the Reform Committee was called in late April, the leaders were condemned to death byhanging, but punishments were commuted to fines and imprisonment the next day as a gesture of magnanimity on the part of President Kruger and his government. For the next few weeks, the Reform Committee leaders were jailed in deplorable conditions, and some, including Hammond, nearly died. In May it was announced that the Reform Committee leaders would have to spend 15 years in prison, but by mid-June, Kruger had released Hammond and the final six Reform Committee members still in jail after each had paid a $125,000 fine.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)Political history ofSouth Africa | |||||||||||||
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