The Van Buren press., 1899-10-21
THE BoERS BEAT A RETREAT:
The Earee Invading Natal Retire ON
uigaGane-said to Have beeh
RepuIsed at Mafeking.

! Iaing ) Mex, ana a1ter occupy my -NeH-
castle. advanced to Pannhauser re-
tired on Ingagane Sunday evening,
their transport service being reported
defective. This will delay indefinitely
the anticipated and hoped-for assault
on the strong British positions at Glen
coe.
Another dispatch reports activity ON
the part of the Free State commando,
in the neighborhood of Aliwalnorth,
on the southern frontier. The Beers
advance patrol. the dispatch says, go
to the frontier bridge nightly TO keep
watch. firing shots at intervals as sig
nails.
1t is believed the enemy intends
shortly to try TO rush the railway sta
ton. with the help of artillery posted
on bridge commanding the town.
There are rumors that the Beers
have been repulsed at Mafeking, and
are attacking Nryburg.
A Cape Town paper has a dispatch
from the Orange river, stating that the
telegraph wires have been cut between
Vryburg and Kimberley, and it is be-
lieved that the Beers are taking adj
vantage of the presence of large
gathering of disloyal farmers at Nry-
burg celebrating Nachtmaal, to attack
the town. hoping that the farmers will
assist them against the British.
The same dispatch says that the
British force at Kimberley is confident
of its ability to hold out, but urges the
immediate dispatch of a relief force
This question of a possible rising of
the Dutch farmers in the northern
portions of Cape Colony is very inn
portant. The Daily Nails correspond
ent at Colesberg has been inquiring
regarding the matter, and on the
whole, thinks the chances are against
rising He bases his opinion on the
prospect of good crops after four lean
years, which. he believes. will pre-
dispose the farmers to peace. Never
theless there is serious disloyalty and
much anti-British agaitation in these
districts, while the Free State Beers
threaten an immediate invasion Of
Colesberg. and Aliwanorth.
The Daily Mails correspondent as
serts that Sir Alfred Miner is worked
TO death, and that Cape Town is surg
ing with bitter resentment at what is
called the Schreiner cabinets betrayal
of Mafeking, by its constant refusal
to send a volunteer force TO its relief.
Many residents of Cape Town have
relatives at Vrvburg and they are furi-
GUS with Messrs. Merriman and Sauer,
respectively, colonial treasurer and
commissioner of public works, and the
ministers are mobbed whenever they
appear in public. Mr.. Hotfmeyer, the
Afrikander leader, has gone to the
country, in order to escape the out
bursts of Indignation.
On Sunday night the streets were
filled with angry citizens, and it WAS
feared that rioting would occur. This,
combined with the pressure of the inn
perial government brought the
Schreiner government to a sense if its
peril, as well as of its duty, and moved
il to decide to call out the volunteers.
The ministerial party also worked its
hardest TO prevent the ovation to Con-
yngham tireene. on his arrival from
Pretoria, but failed.
The volunteers are 1000 strong, and
have II pieces of artillery.
The Natal invasion was made in
three columns at dawn on October 10.
through Bothas pass, Laing's Mex and
from Wakkerstroom, the objective
point of the invaders being Newcastle.
The Beers utilized several thousand ma
tives who were tramping from the
Rand. to drive their heavy guns up
Laing's Mex.
Precautions are being taken for the
defense of Pietermaritzberg and Dur
ban, in the remote contingency that
the enemy may elude the vigilance of
the British at Ladysmith and Gelncoe
camps.
A dispatch from the latter place says
the partial closing down of the Natal
coal mines will not interrupt the sup
, plies for the imperial transports at
Durham. as was imagined by the Beers,
large quantities of coal being already
on the water from India. Regular
shipments will arrive from India until
the Natal mines open again.
, The Queens Message to Parliament.
: London, Oct. 17.-In the absence of
the ministerial and opposition dinners
which are usually given ON the eve of
the opening of parliamentary sessions,
at which the contents of the queens
speech are generally made known, the
speech was privately communicated to
the leaders of the opposition last even
irg.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt and
/, John Morley will undoubtedly make
| statements of their views to-day, but
their action will be guided largely by
the line which Sir HenrS Campbell
Bannerman, leader of the opposition in
, the house of commons, takes up.
1t is considered improba BILE that Mr..
Morley will vote for a hostile amend
, ment if Sir Henry Campbell-Banner-
man moves what he considers rea-
sonable and appropriate one.
The Irish leaders, however, are GER
tain TO move an amendment condemn
, ing the governments policy, though
their following in a division and the
. lobby is likely to be small.
The advanced radicals will meet to-
day to deliberate upon the line they
shall follow, and although it is fairly
certain that any subject. but the
, TIansvaal will be ruled out of order.
James Galloway Weir. member for