LATEST CABLE NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 93, 5 March 1881, Page 2

LATEST CABLE NEWS.

[Reuter's Special to Star.] London, February 28.

At the wool sale to-day 9800 bales were catalogued. The prices realised were in favor of buyers.

It is announced that three more regiments are under orders for Natal, to reinforce the British troops in Transvaal ; and further, that Sir Frederick Roberts will at once proceed to Natal to succeed the late Sir George Colley in command of the forces operating against the Boers.

The House of Commons now has estimates of expenditure under consideration, and the Irish members are blocking the passage of different votes. Government has consequently demanded that consideration of supply should be declared "urgent," and that the same should be done in the case of the bill to restrict the sale and possession of arms in Ireland, now before the House.

March 2.

The Irish Coercion Bill has been read a third time in the House of Lords, and has been passed.

Later. The Irish Coercion Bill has received the Queen's assent, and has become law.

The Land League has issued a manilesto, expressing its defiance of the Coercion Act.

Capetown, F binary 28.

Additional intelligence from Natal regardiug the disaster at Spitskok has been received. The Boers ai-e stated to have large stores of ammunition, with which they w<re able to maintain their attack without intermission, and stormed the position of the British splendidly during the temporary confusion which arose in the ranks of the latter. They had previously prepared to cut off the British retreat, during which they inflicted further loss on our troops, and prevented many from escaping.

Intelligence has been received that the proposals for peace which had been made to the Basutos by the commander of the colonial forces have remained unanswered, and the armistice has accordingly ceased. No further operations against the Basutos can, however, at present be proceeded with, in consequence ef heavy rains.