CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1692, 17 January 1862, Page 5

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Br the Lord Worsley, we have reoeived Cape papers up to the 20th Sept. We extract the following intelligence from the Monthly Summary of the Cape Monitor.

Great hub bub has been made in oonsequence of the adverse vote of the Council in regard to the £10,000 grant to the troops ; and the press, with two insignificant exceptions, have spoken out boldly, and in terms of unqualified disapproval of the course taken by our legislators. * The colony is still without a governor, and no one knows who is likely to succeed, to the vacant post. Meanwhile the go- 1 vernment is administered by Lieut.-Gene-ral Wynyard. The alarm of a native outbreak at 1 Natal has terminated peaceably, and the ! supposed rebel, Ketchwayo, has sent in a most humiliating denial of the intentions alleged against him. The troops by the Conflict, Boarnerges, and Indomitable have all arrived. The head quarters of the 11th Regiment, which have arrived, will be in kept Cape Town. The Chief Justioe, Sir William Hodges, has left town for the long circuit. Complaints have reached Cape Town concerning the detention of the 59th Regiment, who are ordered to England, | on the Natal border. Under present circumstances their detention seems highly justifiable. The rule* nisi which Charles Dickens applied for, through the Attorney-Gene-ral, last mail, for restraining the Eastern Province- Herald from publishing his " Great Expectations " in that paper, has been granted. Trade is healthy, although a consider* ably larger amount of business might be done without over-working the commercial establishments.

The construction of a line of electric telegraph between Port Elizabeth and Graham's Town is already set about. The colony will in all probability adopt telegraphs extensively. Strong indications of gold it is said have been found in the district of Craddock, and parties are prospecting in the hopes of success. Great efforts are being made to improve the agriculture of the colony; the local societies are very energetic, and it is proposed to give in future, medals, cups, &c, instead of money, as rewards at the competitive exhibitions. Land is rising rapidly in price, and this is not only the case in Ihe Cape Colony, but in the Free State, British Kaffraria, and Natal.

There have been several shipping casualties. The barque Ellen, from Colombo to London, the Barbadoes, from Natal to London, the Lunaria, from Loudon to East London, and the Natalie, coasting steamer at Natal, have all been wrecked ; but no lives have been lost. Her Majesty's vessels in port at Simon's Bay are the Naroissus, Wasp, Brisk, and the transport C. S. Lemon.

{From the Cape Frontier Times, August 20.) SIB GEORGE GREY AND THE OBIQUAS.

A memorandum of Sir George Grey's relative to Griqua affairs, forming part of certain documents recently laid before Parliament on the subject of these affairs, will be found below. The British Government does not appear to have treated His Excellency at all well in this matter. MEMOEANDUM. Before quitting this colony I ami anxious to leave on record a statement of what I have done in the Griqua question, and the grounds of my deoisions and actions, in relation to it. For that subject now presents grave complications, and it will be neoessary for my successor to take some immediate action in reference to it, and I am anxious on my part to omit nothing which may lead to a just consideration of the case.

2. Properly, instead of merely stating one side of the question, I ought to answer the arguments and reasonings of the Lieut-Governor of Natal, who has taken another view of it, which has led to the disallowance of my intentions, but I have never been made acquainted with the representations he made in England regarding my proceedings, nor have I seen his statements to the Secretary of State, of the replies to them, or copies of any instructions which have been issued to him in relation to this subject. It is therefore not from any intentional disrespeot to the views and arguments of the Lieut-Governor of Natal, that I do not notice these, as if they were no weight, but beoause Ido not know what they are. I can therefore only state the oapaoity in which I did certain things, the nature of the authority under which I did them, what acts I did, aud my reasons for doing them.

3. In 1854, I was appointed her Hajesty's High Commissioner in South Afrios, and the colony of Natal was then in some respects under me, as Governor of the Cape Colony.

4. In 1856, Mr. Scott was appointed Lieut.-Governor of Natal, which colony was then, to a oertain extent, removed from under the control of the- Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, but Mr. Scott and myself were instructed in August, 1856, that I retained my com mission, as her Maje3ty's High Commissioner for the settling and adjustment of the affairs of the territories adjacent to the Eastern Districts of the Cape, and although that commission made no specific mention of Natal, her Majesty's Government were anxious that it should be fully understood that they regarded! the affairs of the native tribes adjoining to and inhabiting tfyat district, to be so nearly connected with those of the tribes immediately bordering on this colony, that whatever authority was conveyed by that commission was to extend over Natal

. also, as far as the nature of the casa, " . admitted, and that it would be the duty i of the Lieut.-Governor of Natal to cooperate, to the best of his ability, with me as High Commissioner, and to render ' deference to my paramount authority in ail matters touching the special dutiea which that commission imposed on me. 5. These instructions which have never been repealed, I conceived implied that the Lieut.-Governor of Natal was only to correspond with her Majesty's Government on the native affairs and territories adjacent to Natal through me, or that at least I should be furnished with copies of such communications. I did not think from the terms of these instructions, that he could have corresponded on such subjects direct with her Majesty's Government, and that important arrangements might be made in regard to them, and instructions issued to him in relation, which, after they had been in existence for many months, I should never have seen, and I submit, if I am right in so thinking, that the interest of third parties, who relied upon my having certain powers, should not be injured. If I really had these powers I think every, ar* rangement I made should be held good until such time as the revocation of jpy powers was made known to me. I would not put forward this plea did I not think it a just and substantial one, which I ought to urge for innocent third parties. 6. I was authorised by Mr. Labouebere to try to arrange the difficulties that had arisen in Griqualand, upon the distinct understanding that the British Parliament was not to be asked to make any further provision in the way of compeii~ ; sation or otherwise. This was the only limitation placed on my powers. It seemed to imply that some compensation; might probably have to be provided from some source. 7. Oc the 4th February, 4860, her Majesty 's Government no tified_their general concurrence in my views of the. inevitable necessity that the whole country between the colonies of the Cape of Good Elope and Natal must at no very distant period be occupied by a mixed popula- • tion of Europeans and natives, and added that the necessary measures must be proceeded with under my superintendence. 8. The large traot of country which Faku recently gave over to us, as detailed iv Sir Walter Curries report, was given

up with a distinct belief that Adam Kok and the Griquas were to occupy the pro* posed tract of country near Natal. r. 9. The foregoing remarks explained the capacity in which, and the authority under which, I performed all acts in reference to the Griquas. In my despatch No. 16, of the 19th February last, will be found detailed the several things I have done in relation to these people, and the reasons for my actions, to which, however, I should wish to add, that 1 was partly influenced in what I did by a view to the interest of the Orange Free State, and the safety of our own border in that direction. 10. I think that if the Griquas are left in their present position, wilh such relations as now exist between them and the Orange Free State Government, they; must either quarrel with that Government, or that breaking up, they mast pass into Moshesh's territory, gradually , fall in civilisation, and augmenting the power of the Basutus, spread down in lawless hordes into the oouutry they now propose to move to. In either case they will be equally dangerous to the Orange Free State and to ourselves. For as long as we act as a police to prevent Moshesh's people from obtaining arms and ammunition for the purpose even of hunting, and are hound to supply those who maybe hostile to him with any quantity of these they may require, whilst we take no guarantee for their treating him with justice or moderation, his position will be a very difficult one. It is hard to say if he can or will keep out of trouble, and it will be a dangerous thing for the Orange Free * State to force the Griquas, now friendly and loyal to us to unite with him especial* ly at the present moment. 11. In many respects the sentiments and interests of the people of the Orange Free Slate are identical with those of a large portion of our own population, and the welfare of her Majesty's possessions and subjeots can only be secured by view* " ing, on an extended scale, the interests r and desires of the large populations submitted to the Queen's rule, or whose happiness is, from their proximity to her possessions, bound up in the policy which her Governors may pursue. 12. In seeing, on the eve of my depar- ; ture, plans, which I had carefully arraiig-^^ ed, set aside, I have this satisfaction Jbat V* there have been and yet will be times in which it would be thought a serviceable act to have preserved as friends those who might have been troublesome enemies, and to have added 6pdb. or 7QoQ good atui; 4 loyal subjects to her; Majesty's emipin^! > who possessed energy aud a large amount of capital, who would have ocoupied ahc! subdued wild and useless lands, who would cheerfully have acted as a barrier against barbarious tribes, would hare opened up an almost unknown country with roads, have helped to tieon.'a'sehli^ ; :>^ i ment surrounded by hoatil^ savag^sWiiJ:; strong, large, and prosperous oplbny^aja^vv ;;7 have brought to a young and yet '.Btmjjp&Mii gliog community, a large amount of -jpro^aj duce, revenue, trade, cpmmerc(B;ijaJDpi|?s||; strength, and would have' done all 'J|i«s^pi not as -'a class settlement, but^ mixed^p.: with a European pdpulationi/inib^wfiiSKliS they would speedily have been absVjbed,/ and with ail BUO h powers of disPos^gofX lands- as w:^4^W^^mSmS ;• Queen's . subj epts,-^ ?r ~ ■- . ; v^|^P^^|^^| :," Cape Town,