GENERAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 29

GENERAL ITEMS.

CAPETOWN, May 20. j Ihe American residents in CapetoAvn are , signing a petition urging both the political parties in America to exclude the Transvaal question from their home politics. LONDON, May 15. j Three hundred and fifty women at Pre- ' toria haA-e demanded arms and ammunition in order to undertake the work iioav done by the officials, and to enable the latter to go to the front. j Commandant Botha threatens to resign if the Transvaal Executive prepare to carry • out their threat to destroy property. j President Kramer has consulted a Dutch seer, Avho prophesies that there Avill be , peace in June, and that the President Avill J die three months from the date of his pre- ' diction. May 16. ' ■ The folloAving belonging to the New ; South Wales troops were Abounded ai _ Welgelegen : — Sergeant-major Macalister, I Corporal Osborne, Private Buchanan, severely ; Private Mitchell, slightly. j The Victorian Bushmen have arrived at _ Beira, and gone to Marandellas. j May 17. 1 The Daily Telegraph states that Avhile Lord Roberts was rapidly nearing Kroonstad the remnant of the Volksraad decided to ask Steyn to surrender himself Avith a vieAv to peace. Steyn meamvhilo fled. 1 , May 18. j The Transvaal Volksraad • haA^e endorsed the transfer of the capital to Lydenburg, j and the archives have been removed there. , The British gunboat Fort, at Delagoa Bay, nightly shams to proceed seaAvard, going some seven miles, and then returning. This movement is due to a suspected conspiracy to explode her in the darkness, as Avas done in the case of the American warship Maine. May 20. The Boers anticipate the early closing of j the Delagoa-Pretoria railway. j The bill prepared by the Marquis of j Lansdowne (Minister of War) enabling vol-'j unteers to agree to service at home or abroad at any time has been read a first time. May 21. The Progressives at Pretoria, including members of the judiciary, are seeking to | depose Kriiger and the Executive, Avith a j vieAV to tendering submission. j The Express states that Kruger person- , ally telegraphed to Lord Salisbury in an , exceedingly humble strain, and proposed ! certain terms of peace. i - NEW YORK, May 15. j SeA'eral of the Governors of the various States throughout the Union haA'e informed Secretary Reitz tbat they will Avelcome all Boers emigrating to the United States, in the cA T ent of their proposing to do so, after the annexation of the Republics by England. May 16. The Irish-Dutch Reception Committee in NeAv York and the noisy nobodies, including Patrick Egan, Avelcomed Mr Fischer, the peace delegate. The mayor presented the freedom of Hoboken. Sixty mayors sent invitations. Mr Fischer, replying to i the Avelcome, said he hoped America would i arbitrate Avith Britain. If he was unable to induce President M'Kinley to do what Avas desired he would appeal to the American people, who would compel him. He added that.. some foreign attaches at the front, learning the reasons for the Avar, said : '' Give us guns ; avc must fight Avith ) you." May 17. The American newspapers* warn the Boer j delegates that they Avill receive no aid ficm America, and that ii, is Mr Fischer's duly to frankly inform the Transvaal Go- ' v.euu»ent o fthjs foot. , '

May 20. The Npav York Herald's Delagoa Bay correspondent announces that the Transvaal Government have asked Lord Roberts for-.a cessation of hostilities. May 21. The Hera«:l states that the Transvaal Government have sent a demand to Lord Roberts, in which they insist on immunity for colonial rebels being guaranteed, and threaten in the event of refusal to dynamite the mines- and destroy Johannesburg. SYDNEY, May 16. Mr Spooner, the Evening News war correspondent at the front, and well-known Sydney pressman, died of enteric fever at Bloemfontein. The following casualties among the New South Wales troops in the recent fighting are advised : — Privates Taylor and Tonkin, severely wounded ; Corporal Chart, Privates Williams and Darcy, slightly wounded ; Sergeant Doyle, wounded and a prisoner ; Troopers M'Donald and Harriett, prisoners. Lists have been found containing the names of 30,000 Cape Dutch who had pledged themselves to rise in support of the Boers. In view of such numerous promises of support, it is easy to understand the disillusionment of the enemy. It is affirmed in Lisbon that President Kiuger has ordered the Portuguese consul _ to quit Pretoria. Three thousand five hundred colonial troops have landed at Beira. The Gymeric lost twenty-two horses on the voyage. The New York correspondent of The Times states that the Boer delegates are mere playthings for the American politicians. ' Mr Wessels, one of the peace delegates, declares that, even if the Bocis are vanquished at present, they will get ready again and strike for liberty. Mr Fischer stated that the Boer motto would be: "Try, try, 'try again." May 19. The city was in a state of jubilation the whole day over the relief of Mafeking. There was a great display of bunting, bands paraded the streets, and large crowds gathered at the post office awaiting the hoisting of the signal of the official confirmation of the relief, and at the newspaper offices. The mail steamers fired salutes, and all joined in the jubilations. Many of the public schools were given r half-holiday. There was a scene of great enthusiasm at the Stock Exchange on the strength of a report that the Governor had received official confiimation, which, however, was no more than was contained m the press cablegrams. To-night the streets were thronged by cheering and singing crowds and impromptu bands and others. The enthusiasm was proof against want of confirmation. There was similar enthusiasm in the country and the -other colonies. \ May 21. The Premier, Mr Lyne, has let fall remarks which hint at the appointment of General Hutton as the first commandant under the Government of Federated Australia. The surplus men who were left in camp after the Imperial Bushmen were sent away are likely to be accepted as recruits for the British army. A number leave this week in charge of a shipment of horses for the Cape. BRISBANE, May 18. The Imperial Bushmen have sailed by the Manchester. They were accorded an enthusiastic send off. • HOBART, May 17. The Rakaia's files describe the attack on Lord Methuen's force when retiring from Boshof. Two thousand Boers, with a couple of guns and a pompom, made several efforts to capture a long convoy in a difficult kopje country, and got so close on one occasion that the talking and orders were heard. The protecting force, consisting of the Kimberley Mounted Force and some Yorkshire Hussars, did splendid and rapid work. Their deadly volleys' at that range repeatedly drove off the Boers.