THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4319, 30 March 1901, Page 7

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

CABLE NEWS.

Lxiijsu rm«s association'. — by liLucniic T-K LKO 1C A PH. —CO PY RIGHT.

AFBI HAND KIES AND THE COMMONS. PUNISHMENT OF REBELS. (Received March 30. 0.53 a.m.) LONDON. March 30. Hi the House of Commons the Hon .A. J. Balfour declined to propose that the Hons X. Merriman. and J. AV. Sauer, (ho Afrikander delegates on the position in South Africa, should be iiecual at tho Bar of the House. Tho Bight ffon .Tames Bryce objected to the punishment of rebels, mid advised a general amnesty and a gift of .33.000,000 to restock the Boer farms. .Mr Chamberlain said the rebels must he punhdied in justice to tho loyalists. It would he folly, not magnanimity, t._ sire is t tho Boers with a gift instead ol a. loan. REINFORCEMENTS. (Krccivcd M a roll 30. 0.52 a.m.) LONDON, March 30. 'speaking in Hie Flo use of Commons, I he Hon W. rft. John Brodrkk, Secretary of .State dor. ),Var.-..stated, that 38.500 mounted troops have been despatched to South. Africa since February, -diib) 0500 are awaiting transport. THE ENEMY AMBUSHED. (Received March 30, 0.28 a.m.) LONDON, March 20. (’■'done! Scobcll on tho 30th drove Commandant iSchocpor’s Force into an ambuscade prepared by Major Mullens at Ulruuiwkrnntz. The latter, firing at short range, killed sixteen ami captured i twenty-six of the enemy. FAB FAYELLINC! COLONIALS. 1 (Received March' 30, 0.38 a.m.) LONDON, March 29. The Mayor of Capetown presented a. thousand returning Australians and . New Zealanders with souvenirs. Ho praised the lino exploits, of the troops at Bothavillo, where in November last ; they took a prominent part in inflicting 1 a severe defeat on De Wet and captwr- 1 ing several guns. " Tho Mayor said ho hoped many of tho colonials would return to South Africa. ‘ 'Tho men arc, taking to Australia a gnu captured' at the Vet River. MISCELLANEOUS. LONDON, Alavch 28. The oummamioeß under Kniitzingor, Scheeper and Van Reonen, which have been raiding in Capo Colony, have now junctioned, and arc proceeding, a t-hou-sandi strong, to Orange River Colony, via Venterstad. - Do AYct, with four hundred followers, is reported to have crossed the Vaa! at Villiorsclorp, forty-live miles oast of the main railway line. Bi'U/.cr’s commando, from Blaauwkop, is starting out- to punish the Swazis for killing tho Boers who, were escaping from Lieutenant-General French. Lord Wclhornc, First Lord of tho Admiralty, speaking at the Liberal-Union-ist Club, denounced the current agitation against Sir Alfred Milner, who, he said, had stemmed two invasions with-out-infringing tho constitution. TOTAL WAR LOSSES. Tho War Office has issued] the total of the casualties reported since the beginning of tho war up to tho end of January. Tho following aro tho figures, the totals reported up to and including the month : Killed iu action, 334 officers, 3346 noncoms. and man. Died of wounds, 103 officers, 1081 noncoms. and 1 men. Prisoners who have died in paptivity, 4 officers, 92 non-coms and men. Died of disease, 188 officers, 7605 noncoms. and men. Accidental deaths, 6 officers, 230 noncoms. and men. Total deaths in South Africa, 633 ofiiccrs, 12,354 non-coms, and men. Missing and prisoners—excluding those who have been recovered or died in captivity—ls officers, 922 non-coms, and men. Sent homo as invalids, 1703 officers, 39,095 non-coms, and men. Total reduction of military forces through war iu South Africa: Deaths in South Africa, 635 officers and 12,354 non-coms, and men. Missing and prisoners, 15 officers and 022 non-coms, and men. Invalids sent home who have died, 4 officers and 265 non-coms, and men. Invalids selnt homo who have loft the service as unlit, no officers, # 1734 noncoms. and men. RETURNED NEW ZEALANDERS. . Tho following New Zealanders returned from active service in South Africa -Yesterday. having travelled from Sydney in the Waihora; —Private J. Anderson (Wa- ; uguuui). Third Contingent, wounded at lxlictiosler Kop; Private T. Andrews Ashburton), Fifth Contingent, enteric; Sergeant Warren, Kitchener’s Horse, wounded at Rhenoßter Kop; Private Theo. Casey* (Auckland . First Contingent; Private J. Townsend (Dunedin), wounded at, Tiger Poort, near Pretoria, and enteric; Farrier-Sergeant Wilkinson (Auckland), Fourth Contingent, debility; Private A. (1. Baker, Fourth Contingent: Private F. Bird, Third Contingent; Private. M. Crenn, Fourth Contingent: Private -L. Horne, Second Contingent; Private,A. IV. Bodmin, No. 13 Company, Fifth Contingent; Corporal G. E. Derrott, Rough Riders; Private W. 11. Reeves, Fifth Contingent. Imperial Bushmen; Private If, AY. Barry, Kaffrarian Rifles; Private E. C Evans. Third Contingent; Farrier Spain, Fourth Contingent; Private W. Gibson, Fourth Contingent; Private G. E. Murray, Brabant’s Horse; Private R. J. Brown. Second Contingent, wounded «t Khenostsr Kcp; Private J. A. Borlasa. ■ Second Contingent, wdunrled at Rhenoster Kop: Private AY. ' Movie,. Second C-.Miiuseut. wounded at Rhcnostcr Kop; Private A. Dickson, Fifth Contingent; Private J. R. Jensen, Brabant’s . Horse ; For rural IT. Thomson and Pri T rate J. 11. Riggins, both of the Fifth Contingent.. Tho men, on landing from the steamer, wore welcomed back by the Premier, and invited to lunch at the Occidental Hold. 1 The Premier has received a cab’earnm troni Colonel Davies at 'Johannesburg. • stating (hat the officers of the-Fourth Cor(iurrent who have volunteered for service oilii the Seventh Contingent are Cant a nt Baiichopa. Lieutenants Tubman., F.W»r. Scddon and Jiekpll. • The names of, the seventeen men of the Fourth who have also volunteered ere ”ot given. Be rp-eM *'t E. Fit-'Gorald (son of Hie late C ii'i rolier-GencraH is still in the host.ital .it Pretoria, suffering from enteric fever. His illness wiU prevent him from accepting the oiler of a commission in the Imperial linin'. , The Premier received advice yosteruav

from Capetown to flic efleet Hint the members of the Second and Third Contingents, lo tho number of 300. will leave Capetown for Wellington by the Tongariro to day Tho following mein tiers of the earlier contingcnte have decided to remain and serve with the Sixth in Sooth Africa; Harper, G wot kins, Do Caricris, Hawthorne, Hislop mid Aitrinc. Tho Mayor told the City Council hi-l night that lie had been informed by Hie (’render that Hie steamer Guif of Taranto would not reach Wellington fill Monday night, and that the probability wa- that the Seventh Contingent would leave for South Africa.on Saturday next Mr Aitken also stated that the Premier had approved of ceitein arrangements ma.de by a meeting of citizens for a send-off to the contingent.