LYNCH LAW ON THE DIAMOND FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1175, 4 May 1872, Page 2

LYNCH LAW ON THE DIAMOND FIELDS.

[MELBOURNE ARGUS, APRIL 4.]

Items of news from the Cape papers come to us via Mauritius, by the barque Elizabeth, just arrived from Port Louis. In addition to the diamonds there was also gold being found in the Transvaal, and the rush of people to the diamond fields was largely on the increase. The Wolksradd of the Transvaal Republic had repudiated a decision of the President Pretorius, with regard to the regulations for the diamond fields, and he had resigned.. The people at the diggings were ■somewhat difficult to keep in check, and were manifesting a disposition to take the law into their own hands, Lynch law was beginning to. crop up, . and it was given ovit that any canteen-keeper found buying diamonds from a native would have his establishment burnt down. A canteenkeeper was discovered offending in this respect, and a meeting was called at which 7000 diggers assembled, and after a discusaion in front of his tent it was decided to take all his diamonds, burn the tent, and give, him 12 hours grace to leave the camp. On remonstrating with the diggers he was graciously informed that he would be lynched if he did not skedaddle. For the diamond which he purchased from the native he gave 133 6d and a glass of grog, and its value was L2O. The property destroyed by the burning of the tent was said to be of L2OOO value. The diggers after this seem to have instituted quite a raid against the canteens, many of which are general slores - as well as grog-shops, and five or six more shared a similar fate to the first one. Severe Sabbatarianism had also apparently set in, the diggers having made up their minds and expressed their intention of burning down every public house that opened on Sunday. Disturbances had , taken place owing to the natives getting^I drunk, and the diggers had intimated th<yA they would not wait for the Governmen^^ to set things right, but would adopt measures of their own. They had also given out that- any nigger trying to Bell a diamond would be lynched. The latest news states that an additional force of frontier police had been ordered to the diamond fields; .