The Transvaal.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 161, 4 February 1902, Page 1

The Transvaal.

London, January 30.

The Daily Mail ia the only pap®? 1 claiming to know that the Nether. lands Premier asked safe conduct i for the Dutch'commission, and tt) I assure fighters ' that European , intervention'is hopeless, also that the struggle'is futile, /The Netherr lands Premier represented the des- ■ pairing negative attitude'of the | delegates, wno justify Boer obstin- / acy by citing the number of'fighters j still in the fiald. v ; ~ , Reuter says that tbe'Noiheflancfg . Premier merely made a tentative suggestion to facilitate the con- - clusidh 6f the ‘war. The general feeling 1 in London, however, is that r nothing wil The achieved until the Boer 'belligerents intimate their ' desire'to negotiate terms. The Times, Standard, and Telegraph denounced the hews of the intriguing of the enemy as peril- , ously near a legal offence. The Karl of Halsbury, speaking at Puthey, said ttfkt'the war is still proceodihg.'Wd jihe Boer delegates repudiate the idea of peace, yet the pro-Doer. advise Britain tb offer terms. He believed in doing what we are 'doing with all ouc might- The Government. had determined to ehd the war, but to go end it that'it would’never rtcat, and bring not an insufficient but a - Tasting peace. The eagerness on the part of the Maoris to help whs i ,afi additional tribute to Britain’s principles of freedom, equality and 'kindness to every 'race 'Under the 'flag- , - , , ... The House of Commonsi Com- , \mittee acquits British officers df , 'bribery and corruption in conneci ’tiah with the purchase 61: Hun- , gariah remounts, though it admits , there Was hlUhdSrihg... ' , ‘February 1. ■' General French dispersed Pouch's ■ '-commando north-east of Cape Colony,capturing twenty-six Boers. 1 v 'ColdhelLriscbll captured seven- ' Teen Boers 'including Field-cornet's 1 Venter and Grobelaar. ‘at Makawsi drift. . Grobelaar subsequently died •r Of WOubds. - , r Monwingt’s commando attacked i 'Colonel Dumoulin’s column ale i Abraham’s kraal on Tuesday, A > sharp action 'fallowed. Colohel ■ Dumoulih had eight men of the ; Sussex Regiment killed and aevep / wounded. The Boers were repulsed ! with loss. Sydney, January 81. ; , The Peace Society, numbering about 100 members, has drawn up a petition expressing condemnation of the war as conducted in its lat‘ter stages ifa devastating the country, and declaring against the destruction of innocent life in thb cohcentration camps. The petitioh modestly suggests what . terms Britain should give the Boers. These are amnesty for all except murder, immediate selfgovernment, and compensation to non-combatants. A member pointed out that the last condition would cost about £'40,000,000, and $ seemed doubtful /whether Britain Would agree. Farther revision will be fhade, and the petition for compen eft t ion Will likely be eliminated; •Colonel Wilson’s assailants. on JahUary 2bth numbered 900. Thb British advanced party of 200, who were surrounded under a heavy fir& charged through and .. regained Colonel Wilson’s column, whd •fought along fourteen miles of ridges to Frankfort and with difficulty escaped hoing surrounded. Marita; is storing great quantitiei of supplies in Bushman’s lafidj A dry, waterless country north-west of the Cape and full of militarjp obstacles. ~ A Blue Book which has beedr issued, foreshadows Lord Milner’# policy of kindness and hrmnesi t 6 the natives, compelling them observe contracts, aud shows ,ft determination by Lord Milner tb suppress drinking. The Westminster Gazette sayl that the precedent for Mr See’il exaction of commission .is veay slender, and /that, probably, the colonies would hot have worse of .Great. Britain if thi ‘Government fietd ‘refused to paj Gomffiissioh. . T wen ty-three columns ai?e 'operatagainst De Wet.