The record-union., 1899-10-05

Sum.
LONDON, Oct. 4.-The most interest
ing announcement in connection with
the Transvaal crisis to-day is that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Right
Hon. Sir Michael Hicks-B Beach, has al
ready sanctioned the provisional ex-
penditure of f3, 100000, and that the
Government will not exceed that limit
without authority from Parliament,
which will be asked to vote a sum not
exceeding fS,000,000.
A meeting of the war board to-day
discussed and drew up arrangements
to insure the safety of the route from
Durham to Laing's Mex, so that large
bodies of troops may, on disembarka-
ton, be rapidly forwarded up the coun-
try to the front without confusion or
crowding at the base.
1t is stated tonight that the War
Office has decided that the army corps
for service in South Africa shall be
much larger than originally estimated,
and that it will now consist of over
10000 men. The preparations for the
dispatch of this force, including the
chartering Of big ocean liners, is stead
lily and satisfactorily proceeding.
The most sensational news from
South Africa this morning is a reitera-
ton of yesterdays report of the ac-
QUESTION by the Transvaal authorities
of 100000 in gold, which was on the
way TO Cape Town from johannesburg.
There is nothing very tangible in to-
days war news, but the situation re-
mains as strained as ever, unless hope
may be derived from the apparent fact
that the forces on the frontier are re-
garded by both sides as wholly defen-
sive for present, and from the state
ment that J. H. Hoffmeyer, the Afri-
kander leader in Cape Colony. is still
prepared TO endeavor to secure the ad-
hesion of the Transvaal Government to
the ''irreducible minimum" proposed at
the Bloemfontein conference to Presi-
dent Kruger by Sir Alfred Milnez, thu
British High Commissioner, if the inn
perial Government will stand by the
High Commissioners original proposal
The stock exchange was influenced
during the opening hours to-day by
vague rumors that Queen Victoria had
cabled President Kruger and President
Steyn holding out the olive branch, and
by report that the Beers had been de-
feated in a small engagement. Prices
rose, but there was a speedy relapse
when both stories We're discredited.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt, the dis
tlnguished Liberal statesman for West
Monmouthshire, has another slashing
attack in to-day's papers upon the pol
icy of the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, Joseph Chamberlain.
Advices from Cape Town announce
that General Sir st. John White. who
will command the British forces in
Natal. will proceed to Durham to-mor-
row. on his arrival at Cape Town he
found the situation on the Natal border
so grave that he wired for immediate
transportation for himself and staff to
Durham, and the British second class
cruiser Fortex was placed at his dis
posal.
The British Foreign Office officials in
formed the Associated Press that abso-
lutely nothing was known there of any
Transvaal demand for the withdrawal
of the British troops from the frontier.
meeting Of Liberal members of the
House Of Commons was held this morn
ing, and resolved to support the Gov
ernment's South African policy on the
reassembling of the Parliament party,
in conflict with their former colleagues.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt and John
Morley
The various announcements regard
ing Boer movements seem to indicate
their probable plan of campaign in the
event of hostilities. Their chief force
apparently would surround the mar
row stretch of Natal territory jutting
into the Transvaal, thus threatening
Laings Mex, Charlestown and Dundee,
while the Orange Free State command
from Harrismith is expected to operate
near Van Reenan's Pass and threat
ening Ladysmith. Military critics are
confident that Great Britain will hold
her own in Natal
There is q we'll authenticated report
that a large force of Beers is assem-
bled at Selik, at the junction of the
Crocodile and Procongo Rivers, evil
IDENTIFY with the object of destroying
the railway.
The report regarding the extent of the
Boer artillery is probably exaggerated,
as it is believed the Burghers possess
few guns, and ii is unlikely that they
would dismantle their forts in order to
take garrison pieces to the front
The military authorities estimate that
there are now $1,000 Beers in the field.
Late advices from Cape Town this af-
ternoon indicate a widespread impress
sion there that unless the Beers be-
gin hostilities by Thursday they will
not fight, but will yield to the imperial
demands when formulated.
The Cape House of Assembly last ev-
ening agreed to a motion instructing
the Cape Government to demand the
speedy return to Cape Colony of any
and all rolling stock now in the Orange
Free State or the Transvaal
A special dispatch from Johannes
burg says the Boer officials there con-
F.inue to urge the British subjects who
remain to leave, and it is believed that
all who do not will be marched under
escort along the railway until a train
is reached to carry them away.
Orders have been issued from Pre-
toria closing all the saloons in the gold
fields.
The Transvaal Government has taken