The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-18

COLOTNEL bADEN-fOWE lAls
are only 5000 mounted men in the
Boer column Immediately north Of
Ladysmith, but that there are large
numbers of men on foot The horses
of the Beers are in wretchedly poor
condition. and the men look worn out
The Beers are robbing all natives
traversing the Transvaal.
The Cape Town correspondent of
The Daily News says that W. p.
Schreiner, the Cape Colony premier,
was only induced to sign the decree
proclaiming martial law in the north
ern parts of Cape Colony after Sir AL
ed Miner gave him the option of
signing or resigning. To save Mr..
Schreiner's fate the proclamation
specifically mentioned the fact that the
colony had been invaded by an enemy.
A dispatch from Kimberley says An
armored train, while accommodating
near Spytfontein, engaged the Beers,
killing five and wounding seven. The
British had no losses.
The skirmish near Spytfontein, says
q special dispatch from Cape Town,
was quite lively. The armored train,
with detachment of the Lancashires,
approached unmolested, until within
range, when the Beers opened fire. The
Maxims were instantly set to work
and did great execution among the
burghers. The latter also used artil-
lery, but ineffectively. The armored
train returned to Kimberley unframed.
The crew Of the armored train say
the Beers fired 10 shells, but their aim
was wretched and not a single shot
struck the train, which then made
bold to approach nearer and opened
fire with the Maxims. The burgher3
replied with heavy rifles, again shoot
ing wildly. Only three, or four bull
let's struck the train.
Subsequently the crew learned that
five Beers and two Boer horses were
killed, while several Beers and horses
were wounded. Not member of the
British force was SO much as touched.
The fight with the armored train
from Kimberley, in which the Beers
lost more than they did at Majuba
Hill, is held to prove that their shoot
ing is not SO good as it Ia reputed to
be. 1t Is the general belief that the
Beers actually attacked Mafeking and
were repulsed. The reports of fight
ing continued there are regarded as
proving that the Beers failed to score
q success.
The Beers seized the telephone at
Moder river Monday evening and at
tempted to speak with Kimberley,
hoping to learn the disposition of the
British forces there. The maneuver
was discovered and frustrated.
1t Is persistenely reported from
widely different sources that large
force Of Beers resolutely attacked
Mafeking on Friday and after several
hours fighting were repulsed with a
heavy loss.
In the meeting of the house of COM
mons yesterday Sir Henry Campbell
Zimmerman, the leader of the Liberal
opposition, said parliament had been
summoned to give its approval to the
early steps Of war. Never had the
house met in circumstances more seri-
GUS or amid conditions engaging to
greater degree the profound interest
of the British people. The demands
made by the government Of the South
African republic were such as to make
1t impossible for the government e:
any SELF respecting country ever 10
take them into consideration. Actual
hostilities have commenced" said Sir
Henry, "and an active aggression has
been committed which 1t Is the plain
duty of our ministers, of parliament
and of the people to resist. There will
be no disposition on the part Of this
house to place any obstacle in the way
of granting such supplies and such
powers to the crown as may be neces-
sary to secure the rapid and effective
prosecution Of war commenced to
vindicate our rights. The campaign
should be vigorously and promptly
prosecuted, and nothing necessary for
that purpose should be refused by the
house of commons"
John Dillon. Nationalist member of
the east division of Mayo, moved an
amendment to the address to the queen |
as follows:
1--WE humbly represent to her ma
jesty that the state of war now existing
between Great Britain and the South
African republic has been caused by
the assertion of claims which inter- |
fere with the internal government OF
the republic, in direct violation Of the
terms of the convention Of 1884, and
by massing large bodies of British
troops on the frontier of the republic.
We humby submit that before more
bloodshed takes place a proposal be
made In the spirit of the recent con-
ference at The Hague with view Of
finding In independent arbitration a