THE BOER WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11877, 31 January 1902, Page 5

THE BOER WAR.

THE PEACE PROPOSALS. THE .QUESTION OP INDEPENDENCE. DR. KUYPERS NEGOTIATIONS. By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright. London, January 29. Feeling in the House of Commons is not hopeful concerning peace. There is an impression that the Boers are especially anxious for an amnesty to •'.:; rebels,Yi money sto■ V. restock their farms, and withdrawal of the banishment proclamation. Kruger, Steyn, De "Wet, De la Rey, and Leyds insist on independence ; ; Fischer, Wolmarans, Schalkburger, and Botha are wiling to recognise British sovereignty. It is understood at The Hague that Dr. Leyds has utilised Dr.* Kuyper, the Netherlands Premier,; to draw from Mr. Chamberlain Britain's terms in the event of the claim for independence being waived. (Received January 31, 12.57 a.m.) London, January 30. An impression prevails at Berlin that Dr. Kuyper is acting on behalf of the Boers in the field and is endeavouring to facilitate their negotiating with Lord Kitchener. Kruger's denial of co-operation is regarded as significant. ■" KITCHENER'S WEEKLY REPORT. London, January 29. Lord Kitchener's report for last week shows that the enemy's losses were as follows : Killed .., »., :... 31 Wounded: >.« ... 20 Captured ... ... 322 Surrendered ... ... -53 I THE BLOCKHOUSES. London, January 29. The northern blockhouses in Orange River Colony have been completed. - • HOWVILJOENWAS CAPTURED. ; London, January 29. ; Major Orr waylaid Viljoen on a mountain bridle path in a "-;, district swarming with Boers. It was moonlight at the time. ; ; He demanded his surrender, firing simultaneously, killing two despatch riders, shooting Yiljoen's horse, and putting; a bullet into his coat. Commandant Viljoen and Adjutant Besters immediately surrendered. THE COMMISSION CHARGES. Sydney, January 30. Victoria made a charge, of three per cent. ; , on the payments to : returned soldiers A or, i their wives. ;■ Queensland did the same. Mr.. i Philp states that :at first he made no com- | mission charges, but he was 'advised that the | New South Wales authorities were insisting j on commission,-:-and' recommended him to follow suit.

NEW ZEALANDERS ILL. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS : ASSOCIATION. ] ; : ; Wellington, Thursday.;; :.-, The Casualty .Office,! at Capetown, cables as follows "': —" Dangerously ill at Heilbroh/ A. B. Giraud (Hawera). V: At Wakkerstrooni, Sergeant J. Cabot (Timaru), Shoeing Smith Charles Johnston J J (Wellington), .';,; Charles Thomas, and Lieutenant Shera." The many Auckland friends of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Shera will regret to learn that their son, Lieutenant Sbera, recently mentioned for gallantry at the front, has; been attacked by enteric fever, and is dangerously ill. The sad news : was received by Mr. Shera yesterday morning, in the following cable from the Military Secretary, London:—"l regret I that Lieutenant ' John Shera; is dangerously ill of enteric at Wynberg." ,-■--•., --; . ...-- ■''■ ■ ' THE EIGHTH CONTINGENT. THq AUCKLAND FAREWELL. PROPOSED DISPLAY IN THE . HARBOUR. .-\:;V,;,:";:';■'''-: :

Yesterday forenoon His Worship : the Mayor consulted with Colonel Davies with regard to ■ the ;. arrangements;; ' for ; the farewell to, the troops, but it was decided to allow the drawing up of the programme to stand over till the arrival of the Premier to-day. -.Major-General Babington will probably '.' come up . with Mr. Seddon. The troopship Surrey ; will, on arrival from Wel-. lington, be berthed at the Railway; Wharf to facilitate the shipping of the horses. They will be brought down from Waikato by special train on Saturday morning, and put on board with all possible despatch. , It is . proposed as a fitting send-off to the Eighth : Contingent, which > leaves; ; by ; the troopship Surrey to-morrow afternoon,' to give an aquatic display in the harbour, and escort the Surrey down as far as Rangitoto Beacon. Mr. C. P. Murdoch, commodore of the New Zealand '.; Yacht Squadron, has been in ; communication with Colonel Davies during the past few days '■■ on the matter, endeavouring to get the time fixed for the departure of the troopship, and has also communicated with the commodores of the othei vacht ■ and v sailing clubs in Auckland. . The proposal has Deen; very favourably received by yachtsmen generally, and it now rests with individual yachtsmen to make the display one of which Auckland, as the premier yachting centre of the colonies, may be proud.' It is \to be hoped that every yacht in the harbour and vicinity will attend, and thus add additional interest to the farewell to the troopers. ,i The time fixed for the assembling of the yachts is three o'clock to-morrow afternoon, and it is suggested that the flotilla should be led by the Government schooner Countess of Ranfurly, now in port.

[by TELEGRAPH.PRESS association.] V: New '; Plymouth, Thursday. Staff-Captain Mathews : and Lieutenant Valentine went North to-nighfc to rejoin the contingent. f_ , ■ \- THE NINTH CONTINGENT. The Recruiting Board ■ in the Auckland volunteer district, \. will be called i together for Monday next, when a commencement will be made with the enlistment of men for the Ninth New Zealand Contingent. Major Holgate will be ;in charge of the military tests for town applicants, and ; the Medical Board will be under Surgeon-Major Walker.; Recruits ; will, be drawn s from the Auckland districts as follows: Auckland, ■ 105 Whangarei, 17 Dargaville, 18' Thames, 25 ; Cambridge, 18; Hamilton, 17: total, 200. Captain Jackson Palmer, M.H.R., has received a telegram from the Defence Minister stating that a commission in the Ninth Contingent will be granted him. Tot TELEGRAPH.—PEESS association.] Westfort, Thursday. Forty-three applications have already been received here for the Ninth Contingent. . ' . .; ...V ■ ■ ' New Plymouth, Thursday.; ■ The total ' numbei •of ■ recruits ' at * this centre for the Ninth Contingent to date ; is Wk J ,'::■>';■:[ ■■';:•■ h<:' : i : .v : ft'.' '':'■■": ?

| MILITARY SENTENCES, 1j fI M

' *' -J -''T u - "DON'T SHOOT ! IT'S MY FATHER I»£f >' " Yhtbtibg, December 13 This ? week: the Assistant Provost-Marsha?", (Lieutenant 'T'X"" S. M. Jones, D.E.0.V.R.) publioly >invnounced " the ,/ sentences imposed « byl>\v' : a-' military > Court last month on certain, rebels in this district. i The most serious' f \ was that of Francois du Toit, who was convicted of three charges—arson, treason and attempted murder. Ho had taken a prominent part in burning the farmhouse of & J v ; man named Kearns, - whom the Boers rare | . the option of joining them or losing all he had and going into Yryburg. Du Trot was actively in arms against the King last Sep-< tomber, and |he : took • part in a fight at Grysrand, when one of the Yeomanry was wounded and subsequently died. 'He was 'C„ 4 sentenced to death by hanging, but the sen*, : - <■ ■ tence was commuted by the Commander-in* " Chief to penal servitude for life. J. J. do Villiors, who was in arms against! , • ; His ■ Majesty's troops in October, was sentenced to five years' penal servitude and a ' fine ■of £750—reduced to . two years -J and vU £100. J. van Eeden, who was taken with Boer ammunition ;on him in the neighbourhood - of the enemy, and also had Government? ' - property in his possession, was sentenced to two years and £100. This sentence was commuted altogether, ''however,' by: t ; Lord Kitchener. Van Eeden, who has the . reputation of being a decent fellow and; hard-working farmer, had a remarkable escape. It was on the occasion of .the last' fight outside Yryburg, when our men were , retiring from Maritsani with stock recap- ' \ tured from the Boers. The firing was warm! | i and extended over a long line of country. Two members of a local corps suddenly en-» countered a mounted and armed Boer, and g one of them raised his rifle, and would have ~.. shot him at once had not the other cried ■ out: • "Don't shoot him it's my., father !' , So it was. Papa surrendered, thanking his;"' >; stars that tho ■ " Englishman" who took him. was his own son; and tho trial above-men-' : tioned was the result. , -