THE LATEST

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3862, 4 October 1899, Page 6

THE LATEST

CAPE PREMIER SUSPECTED. ACTION OF PRESIDENT STEYN. VAIN APPEAL TO AMERICA. FREE STATE BURGHERS MOVING. V j LETTER FROM LORD SALISBURY; DESIRE TO AVERT WAR. (Received October 4, 0.00 a.m.) DURBAN, Tuesday.. Trains from Johannesburg arrived at Newcastle a day late. The passengers were exhausted from want of food ou the journey. ' Six hundred Orange Free State burghers in uic vicinity of Harrismitli, on the DrakeuSburg mountain range, are proceeding nearer to the Natal border. ‘ Other burghers arc occupying passes in the Drakeusburg mountains. CAPETOWN, Tuesday. The Premier of Cape Colony (Mr. Schreiner) is being blamed for granting numerous gun licenses to Dutch Afrikander c- on tbs borders, and ako for allowing much railway rolling stock fcs-

k>uging lo Cape Colony to be retained iu the Orange Free State. LONDON, Tuesday. The Marquis of Salisbury, replying to xi correspondent*,' said tho British Government would make an effort to avert war, and had no desire to annex the Transvaal if a settlement of the present difficulty could be obtained peacefully. Tho Johannesburg correspondent of the “Times' - ’ says that a remarkable feature iii connection with the mobilisation of the Boers is the number of guns of large calibre in tneir possession. It is ‘believed that tho Transvaal Government has arranged to act in conjunction with tho Orange Free State Government in a scheme of aggressive action. Consols are quoted at £lO4 Ids, or 7s 6d higher fydiau the previously-cabled quotation. WASHINGTON, Tuesday. It has transpired that Preside:it Steyn, of the Orange Free State, made an unsuccessful appeal to tho United States Government, asking it to endeavour, with other Powers, to bring about arbitration on the Transvaal difficulty. In. tho event of war between Great Britain and the Transvaal and Orange Free State, Admiral Schley will proceed iu a United States warsnip to Delagoa Bay, for the protection of American subjects residiug in tho two Republics. ■ SYDNEY, Tuesday. The New .South Wales Lancer* at present in Kifgland have vo unteered for service in South Africa. AUCKLAND, Tuesday. Fifteen members of the Auckland Mounteu Rifles, Captain Holgatc, have volunteered for South Africa. Some horses have also been presented by various persons. . NEW ZEALAND CONTINGENT. In selecting men for the New Zealand contingent for the Transvaal preference will bo given, other things being equal, to those men who wont Home with the colonial contingent on the occasion of tho Queen’s Jubilee celebration. Captain Davies, of the Hawcra Mounted Rifles, who is to bo second in command of the Now Zealand contingent, for the Transvaal, has arrived in Wellington.-