BOER WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 71, 18 March 1902, Page 3

BOER WAR.

♦ GENERAL ITEMS. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. London, March 16. Colonel Parke's mounted eolumn captured two laagers and 25 Boers F north of MiddUburgh, the outcome of long night marches. The Natal Treason Court has completed its sittings. It has tried 500 . out of an estimated 800 Nat<>l rebels. *The aggregate fines amounted to £23,000. Courts-martial will deal with future cases rf treason. ■ Arr&ngments a'a progressing which I indicate that the 21st Lancers and the I 11th Hussars will accompany 6000 J Yeomanry starting for Seuth Africa in April. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE WAR. Melbouehe, March 17. The Federal Minister for Defence Btates that he has not considered the question cf following MrSeddon's lead c in offering mora troops. The Ministry is of opitiion that the war is practical over, and that the men now going will be able to finish the war. If more are wanted they will be cent. METHUEN'B MISHAP. THE GKNERAL'S REPORT ON THE AFFAIR. Received 17.10.12 p.m. London, March 17. Lord Msthuen reports that the rear sereen of mounted infantry in his column were rushed and overwhelmed at dawn. The ox and mule convoys were then a mile apart. While they were closing up, without disorder, the rear screen, . which was reinforced by all available , mounteds and a section of the 48th Battery, maintained the position for { an hour. _ , Meanwhile 200 infantry were being ( disposed to as to resist in attempt to ] outflank the left of th« reargu >rd. The Boers prw-d the »tt"flc hard, j and the mounttds in attempting to full ] back on the infantry got completely out , of hand, carrying with them in the , rout the bulk of the remaining E moonteds. j Two guns of the 38th Battery were t left unprotected, but continued in , action until everyone excepting Lieu- ( tenant Keshan was hit. When called , upon to surrender he refused, and was j killed. Lord Me'hufn, with 200 of the ] Northumberland Fusiliers and two , guns of th* 4th Battery, though ieo- , fought on for three hours. ] A hundred of the North with forty Cape police, occupied a , kraal near the waggons, repelling re- „ pea ted attacks. When Lord Methuen was wounded j the casual* ies were becoming exceed- a ingly heavy, and the ammunition was 0 mostly expanded. |fThe Northumberland Fusiliers snr- e rendered at 9.30 a.m., the p*rty in the c kraal resisting until 10, when two guns and pompoms rendered tbe ; r position <j untenable, v

Most of the Boers were clad in khaki, and many wore British badges of rank jnd were uodisticguwhable from British, even at close quartan. Methuen's report states that the infantry and artillery fought well. A few parties of Imperial Yeomanry and Oape Police continued to resist af ■er the panic had swept the hulk of the mounted men off the battlefield.

AN ITINERANr GOVERNMENT. Received 17, 11.5 p.m. London, March 17. Commandant Schalk Burger and t* e' members of the Botha Government are; north of Balmoral. ITALY WILL NOT INTERVENE. Beceived 17.11.5 p.m. Rome, March 17. Sigoor Prinatti, Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, has refused to intervene in the South Africa situation. He emphasised the cardial relations between Italy and Britain, and referred flatteringly to Mr Chamberlain's action in the matter of the language difficulty at Malta. VARIOUS CAPTURES. | THE STORY OF A GKNBRAL'B I .CAPTIVITY. Receive* 18, 0.82 a.m. London, March 17. Between Harrismitb and Colonel Garret ciptured 46 Boers, including KeUiers, wb.? wss woanded ia the Boschkoppes fight. Colonel Goldon captured twelve o'hers. The Daily Mail states thak Lord Methuen was about io ride ou 1 ; some distance ti rally the monn'ed men when he received his wound, the bullet killing his horse. General Delarey sen*. Lo-d M»thuen to Kbrksdorp in the care ot his nephew. Sehalk Birger bitterly oppr>B*d a i and sent, a party of burghers wro brought Mefchuan back. Dalarey persisted in liberating the prisoner, and .overbore the opposition. Steyn and De Wet are at Pary's, west of Vereeniging.

Received 18,1.14 a.m. i London, March 17. | Camroantfent Mulae pass°d Willakof. on the 12th. Colonel Dovan is closely I pursuing him. , j The r ocent 10-a "f two in north-west Oape Colony is delaying operations against Commandant Maritz. Wellington, Mirch 17. j The Premier has be«n advised thit j Captains Stevenson and Tucker, Sjr- ■ geou-Cap*:ain O'Nei'l, and Lieu'e'int Tudor have been recommended fo- th ■ D.S 0. for good work in the fisl', and Corporal Walter Thorp, of Te Kui V and Sergeint Harris, of Chris'ehurch, for the distinguished conduct medal. AH belong to the Sixth Contingent. The tr-wpdrp Surrey, with the North Island battalion of th* E'gMb; Copti-igent, anived at Durban on Saturday. The Cornwall, with the. South Isbnd section, was expected last, night. The Surrey reports her troops al! weli, and that only nine horses died, or 1 \ per cent. She last saw tbe Corn- j wall on tbe 7th. I The Premier hasr*caived the muowing cable from Lord Kitchener:—" Refefring fo yonr cablegram re "Tenth Contingent, I ea-.not oxp-eso fuffiment thanks for tbe great Mp given and offered. Th-re are oone I wou.d sooner have with me in than the gillant New Zeilan^ers." With reference tocrtain statement* recently p..bli*hel in New Z«l»nd that some-hing approaching a mutiny occurred in one New Zealand reg>m«nt in South Africi, and that certain member had been trussed to gun wheels as Premier epmmuni-

cated wi li LorJ Kit dene? on the sub j?ct The 1 =tter caVe< that the sensational report* are unfounded, and ho j iutima es thht a full report is following. ! Wanoanui, Match 17. i A I cil r.< sidt-nt has received a letter from Professor Numbery, of Budi Pestb University. In reply to sym-j pathetic remarks upon the enunciation ' of the Hungarian Premier in regard to j Gwa; Britain, Prcfeesor Namberyi says: —" The behaviour of Continental ' Eui ope to-day against England is the outcome of unqualified wickedness and stupidity. Unfortunately the masses are \ei by selfish patrons of medieval darkness, >.nd tr>ey will deeply regret it when they Jearn that they have given their assis'ance in pulling down a glorious rampart of liberty, and that they have helped to extinguish the noblest light mankind have ever produced. We nil hope they will no": succeed in thtir diabolical work. England will issue victorious out of the present struggle, nnrl I trust thu colonies will not forg.'t that any harm done to the fountain of their political existence must bring ruin to themselves."

i THE TENTH ( ONTINGENT. SUGGESTED MOBILISATION AT NEW PLYMOUTH. | A deputation consisting of thp Mayor (Mr E. Dockrill), Hon. W. T. Jennings, Messrs E. 6. Allswortb, S. Hill and others, waited on the Premier on Monday evening on his arrival at the railwajjstation, in refarence to the despatch of n portion of the Tenth Contingent from New Plymouth. Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.K.. introduced the deputation, and the Mayor at once mentioned their object, Iu asking that the Government might sen its way to allow a portion of the contingent to be raised, equipped and sent to the final port of departure from New Plymouth, Mr Dockrill referred to the great interest taken by Taranaki in former contingents. The most popular commanding officer* (Colonel Davies) had gone from here, as also bad several other officers and men who had greatly distinguished themselves. Taranaki had offered more men for service in proportion to the quotas allotted to it than any other district in the colony. For tb« Eighth the number offered was as 15 to ? of the numbec assigned, and for th« Ninth 12 to 1. He was su'e th't with such cupabli officers as Lieuenanf-Colonel Ellis and Captain j and Adjutant Taunton there could b« no do-'bt that men could be drilled and equipped ready for servio in a manner fquil to anything that cruld be done in the larger centres. Mr Seddon, in reply, stid that Major-General Babington, the Comimandant, was on the train, and hs would plsee the matter before him. | Had tl ere been sufficient water at the J wharf, added the Premier, as he hoped 'horq would some day be, to havn allow*d troopships to come alongside, he was satisfied New Plymouth, from its central position, would have made an excp'lent point of departure for ono of the contingent*. Mr Smith pointed out that a troopship could now come to within twenty ( chains of the wharf. j

Mr Seddon said that wauld scarcely do, as they could not undertake the work of swimming so many horses such a distance. From what ue had heard, however, he thought New Plymouth might be made a recruiting: centre from which to draf'. men to the point of departure and he wouH give the matter his earnest consideration.