Volksraad (Orange Free State)

Volksraad van die Oranje-Vrystaat
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of arms of the Orange Free State
Type
Type
History
Established1854
Disbanded31 May 1902
Structure
Seats57[1]
Length of term
4 years
Meeting place
Bloemfontein

The Volksraad of the Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Volksraad van die Oranje-Vrystaat) was the unicameral parliament of the Orange Free State. It was the supreme authority of Orange Free State.[2]

Volksraad had 52-57 members representing major town and districts in the republic.[3] The members had to be of European blood, over twenty-five years old, resident in the republic for at least one year, possessed real estate of the value of £200, and never convicted of crime.[2][3] The districts represented by members of Volksraad were Bloemfontein, Fauresmith, Caledon River, Winburg, Harrismith, Kroonstad, Boshof, Bethulie, Philippolis and Jacobsdal.[4]

The members were elected for four years, half of them retiring every second year.[2] Burghers were able to vote.

The Volksraad met once a year in ordinary session[2] in Bloemfontein. During Second Boer War, Volksraad met in Kroonstad in 1900.[3]

Parliament House of the Orange Free State

Chairmen

The chairman of the Volksraad (Voorzitter van den Volksraad) was elected annually.[5]

Chairman Took office Left office Notes
Josias Philip Hoffman March 1854 June 1854 [6]
Henry Halse June 1854 ? [7]
Gert Petrus Visser 1855[8] ?
Lodewyk Jacobus Papenfus ?-1857 1857-? [9]
Esaias Reynier Snijman ?-1859 1859-? [10]
J. N. Uijs ?-1860 1860-? [11]
Gert Petrus Visser ?-1861[12] 1863-?[13]
Esaias Reynier Snijman ?-1864 1864-? [13]
Gert Petrus Visser ?-1865 1865-? [14]
Hendrik Oostewald Dreyer ?-1866 1866[2]
Gerhardus Johannes du Toit 1866 ? [15]
Gert Petrus Visser ?-1867 1875-? [16]
Tobias de Villiers ?-1876 1876-? [3]
Gert Petrus Visser ?-1877 1879[17] [3]
Tobias de Villiers 1879[17] 1884[17] [3]
John G. Fraser 1884[17] 1896 [18]
Christiaan Willem Hendrik Van Der Post 1896[19] 1897 [20]
Cornelius Hermanus Wessels 1897[21] 1899-?[3]
Johan Godfried Luyt June 1900 June 1900 Last chairman[22]

References

  1. ^ Martin, Frederick; Keltie, Sir John Scott; Renwick, Isaac Parker Anderson; Epstein, Mortimer; Steinberg, Sigfrid Henry; Paxton, John; Hunter (Librarian), Brian; Turner, Barry (1894). "The Statesman's Year-book 1894". Palgrave.
  2. ^ a b c d e McCall Theal, George (1908). History of South Africa Since September 1795 (PDF). Swan Sonnenschein & Co.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Eales, Marjory. An Annotated Guide to the Pre-Union Government Publications of the Orange Free State 1854-1910 (PDF).
  4. ^ "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1866.
  5. ^ "Select Constitutional Documents Illustrating South African History 1795 – 1910 – Boererate". boere.co.za.
  6. ^ "Orange Free State: Heads of State: 1854-1902 - Archontology.org". www.archontology.org.
  7. ^ Collins, W. W. (1907). "Free Statia" or Reminiscences of a Lifetime in the Orange Free State. Bloemfontein, O.R.C.
  8. ^ Lloyd, Angela Read (2002). "Bridging the Divide: The Story of a Boer-British Family". Jonathan Ball.
  9. ^ Muller, Hendrik Pieter Nicolaas (1907). "Oude tijden in den Oranje-Vrijstaat" (in Dutch). Brill Archive.
  10. ^ "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1859.
  11. ^ "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1871.
  12. ^ "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1861.
  13. ^ a b "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1864.
  14. ^ "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1865.
  15. ^ "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1866.
  16. ^ "Notulen der verrichtingen van de Hoog-Edelen Volksraad" (in Dutch). 1867.
  17. ^ a b c d Boon, Martin James (1885). "The History of the Orange Free State". W. Reeves.
  18. ^ Parliament of South Africa (1911). "Who's who in the Union of Parliament: Portraits and Biographies of the Members of the Two Houses of the First Parliament of the Union of South Africa". Cape Times Limited.
  19. ^ Oordt, Johan Frederik Van (1899). "Onder de vierkleur: Een verhaal uit den tijd van den Jameson-inval" (in Dutch). Hollandsch-afrikaansche uitgevers-maatschappij v/h. J. Dusseau.
  20. ^ Scholtz, Gert Daniel (1936). "Die konstitusie en die staatsinstellings van die Oranje-vry-staat, 1854-1902 ..." (in Afrikaans). N. v. Swets & Zeitlinger.
  21. ^ Beaufort, Willem H. de (1993). "Dagboeken en aantekeningen van Willem Hendrik de Beaufort, 1874-1918" (in Dutch). Instituut voor Nederlandse Geschiedenis.
  22. ^ "Who's who of Southern Africa". K. Donaldson. 1911.