GENERAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 28

GENERAL ITEMS.

CAPETOWN, November 20. All duties on meat imported into the Cape have been suspended. ' • - , November 21. Mr Schreiner, the Premier, has announced that it is not intended to call out the Cape burgher forces, but they must simply remain loyal to Great Britain. Sir Alfred Milner has issued a proclamation stating that all loyalists to the British cause who sustained losses through their allegiance -will be fully compensated. Sir G. Y. Lagdens, governor of Basutoland, had interviews with Letherodi and other chiefs. He succeeded in calming the Basutos. He explained that had they risen many of the Dutch would have joined the Boers. The Chief Malopos finds it difficult to e&cape the intrigues of Field Cornet Raumpmbach. The Boers threaten to arrest the Basuto chiefs and the British officials. Women looted £1000 worth of goods from shops in Johannesburg. The machinery of two of the closed mines has been wrecked. Lieutenant-colonel Byron and Captain Jellheim, Queensland special officers, are attached to the staff of General Methuen, in command of the -Kimberley relief column. # . c The British troops traversing through the Cape are affording a great object lesson' to the Afrikanders. November 22. An additional 4000 troops have arrived at Capetown. The work of disembarking and entraining the troops proceeds with wonderful smoothness and celerity. The Boer casualties at Belmont totalled 200. [This probably refers to the engagement in which Colonel Keith Falconer lost his life.] General Sir Redvers Buller has warned the Boers that compensation will be exacted for all British property destroyed in the Transvaal. November 23. The American consul found the Boer prisoners at the Cape living in luxury. He authorised his colleague at Pretoria to advance cash to the British captives. The Boers are overrunning the township of Barkly East, in Griqualand East. Many of the natives are arming themselves with rifles and assegais, and assembling together in numbers. Their chiefs threaten on their own account to resist the Boers. General Buller has left Capetown on a short visit to Durban. The Boers are beginning to leave Natal for Bloemfontein, in the Orange Free State. Ten guns shelled the Mooi River camp. The British replied, silencing them. The infantry then advanced, and the Boers .retired'

Naval guns have been sent to the Mooi River. Three additional battalions have been landed at Durban. November 26. The New Zealand contingent met with a striking reception at Capetown. They are at present encamped at Green Point, awaiting the arrival of the Canadian and Australian contingents, when all will be welcomed by the mayorNovember 27. i President Kruger is suffering from J Blight's disease, and is in a serious condition. All the Boer commandos are reported to bo starving. ! ..- DURBAN, November 22. The Waiwera, with the New Zealand Contingent, has arrived at Port Elizabeth. ; PRETORIA, November 21. President Kruger is in a pitiable^ condition of nervous irritation. , ,' ' November 23. President Kruger has forbidden the American "Consul" hex's to" furnish Great Britain with any information" regarding the condition of the British prisoners. November 24. Boer "-women are indignant at not being informed of the fate of their relations. The authorities dread the effect of the revelations. / LORENZO MARQUEZ, November 24. Judge Gregorowski, of the Transvaal Supreme Court, accompanied by several officials, arrived at Delagoa, it is believed on a peace mission' to Capetown. November 24. The war relief fund totals £270,000, including £24,000 subscribed by the Stock Exchange. The Queen ias ordered 10,000 tins of chocolate, to provide a personal gift to each soldier in South Africa. The ladies of the British aristocracy have formed an organisation known as the "Patriotic British Dames." They purpose collecting war relief funds. Three hundred names have already been enrolled. November 22. The Duke of Portland has given £10,000 to the Red Cross South African Ambulance Association. The Queen's presents to the troops include the naval and colonial contingents. . . Official news from Ladysmith dated Thursday, 16th, states that everything was safe and comfortable. The "Times' correspondent writing from Ladysmith on Thursday, 16th inst., says that he believes the besiegers are merely retaining a force sufficient to keep General White in check, and' that the main body of the enemy is moving south. November 23. The Daily Mail states that the 6th Division is mobilising, at Aldershot. Mr Salomons, Agent-general for New South Wales, has forwarded to the war fund £10,000, the gift of an anonymous Australian. LONDON, November 24. The war relief fund now amounts to £310,000. The balance of the Princess of Wales's old 'Soudan relief fund is to be used for fitting \ip large hospital ships for use in the Transvaal with the latest appliances. Wills, the well-known tobacco manufacturers, have donated half a million cigarettes to the wounded.^ Bewlay's Company, another London firm of tobacconists, . have sent 21,000 cigars for [ the troops. The London subscription towards the American hospital ship fund is £30,000. November 25. ■ The French Red Cross Association gave medical instruments, and the Duke of Newcastle Rontgen apparatus for the hospital ship being fitted from the old Soudan fund. An official report from Ladysmith, dated Wednesday, 22nd inst., states that the defonders were all well and cheerful. November 27. Great Britain has informed the Powers of the existence of a state of war with the Transvaal and the Free State since October 11. The German newspapers, commenting on the notification, says that Great Britain thus admits that the Boers are not rebels. All Germans must remain strictly neutral. Russian newspapers declare that the Powers are now able to send officers to the Transvaal, and also choose a fitting moment to intervene. ST. PETERSBURG, November 24. The Dutch residents in Russia have subscribed 55,000 roubles to send Russian doctors and nurses and 40 beds to the Transvaal. WASHINGTON, November 25. In connection with President Kruger forbidding the American consul giving information to Great Britain with reference to prisoners, President M'Kinley has inform i?d President Kruger that America insists, as o sacred duty, in watching the interests of Britishers. MELBOURNE, November 23. In the Presbyterian General Assembly to.Aax X notice of motion wa3 jtiven in favour, .oi

[ setting aside a day for humiliation and 1 * prayer on account of the unnecessary and uai righteous war in the Transvaal. Themotioa was received with expressions of strong dis-i sent. • '■ - t N November 24., Thirty-one of the New South Wales Lancers, returned by the Nineveh. Six . are invalided, and were not "passed by the army, doctor at the Cape. It had originally been supposed that allhad volunteered, with one exception. When; the test was applied by the War Office three days before tlfe Nineveh left, it was found! that 30 declined to sign the paper to voluni teer. Great indignation was expressed by the War Office authorities. The men who are returning .assert thatf they were never seriously asked to -volunteer. Had they ! been, they should have - refused to go. In June Captain Cox asked whether, in the event of war, they would join with him in offering then* services* The captain asserts that only one refused^ On the strength of this, he conveyed tha offer to the War department. • He secured .the influence of Lord Carringtqnr to induca ■ 'the authorities to accept the"7 offer. Ha never dreamt it necessary to consult the men - again. When the offer was accepted he got' some inkling that the men were going back on him. The men declare Captain" Cox never consulted the whole of them. Some - say under no circumstances would they haye consented to go with Captain Cox. November 27..1The officer commanding the New South' Wales Lancers has notified to those of the company on board the Nineveh that -a Military Board will sit as soon as they are, discharged from quarantine to hear their explanations as to why they refused to go to the front. SYDNEY, November 21. The patriotic fund amounts to £4040." Mr J. C. Williamson, in response to Lady Churchill's appeal, has opened funds j at Melbourne and Sydney for the fitting of ! a hospital ship. t - November 22. The Premier intends -to ask the Imperial authorities to cable, if possible, the names of the killed and wounded belonging to the New South Wales Contingent. November 24. The Daily Telegraph congratulates New 5 Zealand upon being the first colony to get her troops to -the' Cape. 'Her J Government .' had raised and embarked the contingent with the most zealous expedition, and their ' early arrival at the seat of war^proves that . the colony's spontaneity in . offering the services of her troops was backed up by thoroughness of organisation. November 27. The Kent, with the New South Wales contingent, and the Medic, with tha southern contingent, have arrived at Capetown. The latter only lost one horse oa ths voyage. The Governor (Earl Beauchamp) has re* ceived a cable stating that his brother (tha Hon. Robert Lyon), second lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards, was slightly; wounded at Belmont. - * LAUNCESTON, November 27. A well-known firm have given a bott!* of whisky as a Christmas gift to each o£ J the men in the Tasmanian contingent for the Transvaal. A cable received by the Commandant of the Forces (Colonel Penton) from the Cape states that our men arrived " all well," but that 12 horses died during the .voyage. Private Hunt met with a slight accident, and is in the hospital.