BOER WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 113, 3 June 1901, Page 3

BOER WAR.

A HEAVY ENGAGEMENT. iiORL MILNER OANNOT BE SPARED. Received 1,9.41 a.m. London, May 31. * Do la Key's commando attacked Colonel Dixon's column at Vlokfont in, twenty miles south of Heidelberg, but was repulsed after hravy fighting. « Tbe attackers left 25 dead on the fi Id. Tbe British casualties numbered 174. S : r Edward Grey, M.P. for Berwick, addressing his constituent*", said if L'rd Milner was recalled from South Africa both races wou'd mistrust his eucce sor. Lord Milner, he said, mus"; return whereat least he enjoyed the confidence of the Loyalist party. The strength of that position, coupled with forbearanoe, would ultimately win the confidence of tho Boers t hems Ive». . Received 1, 10.3 a.m. London, May 31. Beatson's column of ViitonVs, operating aloog the De'oioi R-iUa), Cf mple'elv dispersed Trichardt's commando, 700 s'rong. BOSHOK INVHSTKi) FOR FOUR MONTHS. GARRISON ON HALF RATIONS. CASUALTIES AT BLACKFONTEIN. NEW ZKALANDERS' TROPHIES. REFUGE CAMP 3. x DUTCH CONSUL AWAITING BOTHA. Received 1, 9 p.m. ' London, June 1. The Boers investdd Btshof for fcur months, and tbe garrison has been on h»lf rations for tbe last two months. Four Brit sh officers weie killed at Vlokfontein en Wednesday.

Received 2, 5.3 p.m. London, Jane 1. Herbert Williams died of entetie at Spiin(,fontein. W. E. Hurt is reported mif sing at Be' hu). Both belong to the N.Z, Moucteds. Lord Kitch* n«r permitted the Frurth and Fifth Contingents to take to New Zealand the captured guta and pimporo. There are 20,000 Brers aid 12,000 native refugees in the camps establ:BV;ed by the British at Na'al and in the Orange River Colony. Rputer's coirerpondent states tlv Dutch Consul at Pretoria has been for days at Staiiderton awaiting a visit from Botha or his delegate.

LARGE VBLDT HAMPER BOER MOVEMENT. Received 2,' 4.45 p.m. London, Jure 1. Great veldt fires betwe r n tho Vbrl River and B'omfontein are hamper'ng the movements of the Boers. fiFTTLEMENT AT THE CAI'E. BCGGEBTIONS BY LOYAL'T3S. Received 1,4 51 pm. London, June 1.

A petition from tiie Mid'a'd JMstrie's of Cape Colony, signed chieflv by Loyalists and by many Dutch, infilling J. Hendrick Smith, memb r of the Afrikander Bond and representative for Graffienief in the Cape P.-rliament, assures Governor Hutchinson that tie main ideal <f diseffected inhabitants bas been destroyed ; but from th men dacity of their character it foreshadows a continuance tf bitterness against the Briti.-h unlets a responsible Govern ment in the colony is temporarily abrogated. The suspetsi nof th constitution in Canada durirg the Fenian treuble is cited as a case in point. The petition adds that the Sbbl settlement ought to he left to the Imperial Government alone, lefct the former vacil'ating policy be repeated. The Standard, commenting rn the ptfitioD, fays it is d fliculs to conduct basinets in the colony i liVctively with the prfsent narrow majoii'y ; Vut the strong counter arguments lo the proposal are unpracticable. Orr friends and Goverior Hutchinson aaay be trufitdd to rfccmuifnd nothing hastily. and to avoid any drastic trfatment in such a delicate matti r.