BOER WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 120, 15 June 1901, Page 3

BOER WAR.

THK KING PRESENTS THE WAR MEDALS. AN IMPOSING CEREMONY. PBB FKBBS ASSOCIATION. Becetad 13,10.25 p.m. London, June 13. In brilliant weather a brilliant pag?ant took place at the Hors* Gutris Parade, when the King, accompanied by the Queen and Princess Victoria, presented 3000 war medals. The Duke of Cornwall's children Fat at an adjacent window. Lord Roberta was the first recipient, then Lord Miloer, Sir Godfrey, Lsgden (Head-quarters Staff), foreign at taches, Natal Staff', Generals of Division, Household Cavalry, Guardsmen, and many plain clothes wounded and discharged so'diers, and finally the City Volunteers. Tin ex- Lord Mayor, the Lord Mayor, and Sheriffs, and Mno-ish Envoys provided with specalseits to view the ceremwy. Received 14, 12.35 a.m. London, June 13. The presentation of m<<Hs was • lengthy ceremony, the Sovereign standing two hour*.

1 The King, who wore ft FieldMarshal's uniform with the Blue Ribbon of the Garter, handed'a'l meda'g . at the rate cf 28 per minute. flecbived 14, 9.17 a.ra. London, June 13. Amongst tho e who received medals were Major-Geaerals Hunter and Pdle-Carew, arid a number of Australian officers. The King looked ha'e and hfarty. Tbe Timeaa&ya the significance of the event lay in the attitude of the ppectators, fhowing that the King never more faithfully reflected the wishes of his people than by honouring with his own hand the soldiers who shed their blood to cemeot the uci'y of the Em - pire. This would also apply equally to the medal bestowed upon Lord Milner, I whom the piper j describes as a statesman ios'inc'ively identified both by the people and our eremies with the Imperial poli y in South Africa. It points oat that tbe bestowal of a medal on L-)rd Milner is strictly in accordance with precedent*, and cites the presentation of medals to Lird Canning after the suppression of the Ind<«n Mutiny, Lord Elgin on-the conclusion of the China wir, and the Marquis of Dafferia after tbe conquest of Burmah,

A BRILLIANT MOVEMENT. COMPLETE BOOT OF A COMMANDO. Re.-eived 14, 919 a.m. London, June 13. Cokmel Pulteney captured 28 Boers on the Swaz-land border, including bro'her. Colonel Scobell, at dawn on the 6th, eurp.'ised looters of KruizingerVcommindces, 400 of wbem were laagered in a valley at Kingscrown, ' preparing to attack Burkley East. The Boer picke's en the bill gave warning, and Colonel Scobell 'sent a squadron of Capa Mounted Rifles under Captain Lukin to reconcoitre the mtin column. Descending the hills in the darkgess, Captain Lukin, shouting " hands up," charged with his Ibe enemy bolted, leaving their- spare hcrse3 and 18,000 rounds of ammuni-. tion. Fourteen prisoners were taken and a gun. At sunrise they cample'ed the rout. The Boers returned to the Senekel and Lydenburg district immediately General Blood "vithdrew his troops. Received 14, 9.17 a.m. Berlin, June 13. The i? furious at the Transvial Coucr-ssiocs Commission's report-, beeiuw it upsets recenS speculates in connection with the Netherlands Bailway,

CAPTURE OF 200 BOER 3. Jteceivei 14,1055 pm. London, June 14. M*j-'r -General Bruce-Hamilton last week captured 200 Boers between Petersburg aed the railway. ESTIMATE OF BOER FOROES. BA3KLEBB RUMOUR 3 OF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. PBB PBBSS ASSOCIATION. Received 14, 10.54 p.m. ] London, June 14. J In tbe House of (tommies Mr Balfour, replying to Sir H. Campbell Bannerman, sa'd the Boers were scattered over the Orange River, in the Transvaal, and small portions of the Cape Coloniee, in commando of a hundred or two hundred, the largest mentioned being six hundred Strong. He /s'imated the total number of Boers in the field at seventeen j thousand. j Rumours regarding peace regotiations were baseless. REPORT ON RESOURCES OF ANNEXED STATE,

FINANCIAL SCHEME OUTLINED. Received 15 1.6 a.m. London, June 14. The report of Sir David M. Barbour, the eminent financia 1 authority who was las*; year appointed by the British Government to report up'n thr financial condition and resources of tbe annexed StaW which was presented on March 29th., states that if his proposals for the taxation of mines, and state claims against mines wf-ra enforced, and stamps, cua'otns, license, And excise laws were enforced, the Transvaal would, in two yea-s aft<r the de clara'ion of peace, be abb to devote a portion of its ordinary revenue to tbe c st of the war. Gradual s les>, hereafter, of mining ligh-s would be a valuable asgft. Th" Trapsvaal's wealth and growth of revenue would bi dependent almost entirely upon gold mines production which would undoubtedly continue for some yeais to largely increase. He estimates the normal revenue of the Tricevaal at three and a-quirtor millions and expenditure at two and a-hilf millions', but must add -£225,000 to expenditure, as being interest cm a loan of five millions to compensate for losses ir >. Natal and Cape Colony, and to rfpair tne devas'aticn in the Transvaal caused by the war. He must further add oae-and-a-hait out of the two-and-a-half millions requ'red for the maintainance of the Constabulary, the Treasury paying tbe balance. The deficit for the yeir would be .£865,000. and to meet this he proposes a mining tax of 10 per cent, on the net profits, thereby producing £550,000. The abolition of th* ilynn mite monopoly is estimated to benefit I the industry to the extent of half a J million yearly. With z view to avoid j ing excessive taxtien, Britain should I fix "her maximum vlaiiu payable accord-

ing to the resources cf the (wo annexed c lsuies, and if unable to pay it the bald!iC9 should be cancelled.