CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1712, 1 April 1862, Page 6

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

By the Avalanche, Captain Stott, which arrived here (Auckland) Bth February, we have later news from the Cape of Good Hope. The latest date from Cape Town is December 21, being the issue of the moutbly summaries for Europe. The latest date from Graham's Town is December 5, H,M.S. Cossack arrived at Simon's Bay on the 21st December, having left Auckland on the 25th October. The following is a summary of intelligence from the Cape Argus : — The Colonial Parliament, after being prorogued from the 30lh November to the Ist January, has been further prorogued till the Ist February. The British Kaffrarian customs tariff has been altered so as to correspond with that of the Cape colony. The separation movement is still carried on and addresses have been published by the hon. Mr. Tucker, and the central committee of the League, urging the inhabitants of the Eastern Province to rely for the success of the movement on the Btitish Government, rather than the Cape parliament. The hon. Harry Rivers, Esq. Treasurer General, died on the 6th of December in the 77th year of his age. There are again symptoms of uneasiness amongst the inhabitants of the Free State and the Transvaal ; and there are . indications that they anticipate the out-

break of a war with the Basutos. The Government of the Republics, and the Native Chiefs are alike busily engaged in making preparations that will prove serviceable in the event of a hostile declaration. Kieli, the Kaffir chief who was in 1858 expelled from the country betwee,n rr the Kei and the Bashee, is again unfortunate. His people are dyiug by hundreds from famine, caused by the drought. The Supreme Court has decided that persons married in England and coming to this colony are subject, so far as the posession of property is concerned, to the English law. In point of fact, that the law of the matrimonial domicile overrides the law of the actual domicile. Mr. Justice Fitzpatrick has arrived in British Kaffraria, and the draft of an ordinance establishing a Supreme Court in that colony has been published. Outrages on women have been frequent of late; but fewer serious crimes have been committed in the colony during the past month than usual. A serious affray has taken place between Fingoes and Kaffirs in the Queen's Town district. A correspondent writing to the local papers says that the superintendent of Fingoes has located a party of Kaffirs in the immediate neighbourhood of a Fingo location. The Fingoes becoming jealous of their new neighbours first threatened their lives then waylaid and mercilessly beat many of them, next proceeded to their huts and ill-treated old men and women so seriously that some of them are not expected to recover. Not content with this, says the writer, on the' following day the Fingoes came to the determination to finish the Kaffirs ; and as we passed we saw, in the very midst of our homesteads, strong parlies of armed savages, armed with assegais and bludgeons, just ready to engage in bloody conflict, and thirsting for each other's blood. Seeing such an extraordinary state- of things, we staid in passing, and inquired into the causes, and believe that the conflict was only put off from the fact of our remaining for some time at the Kaffir's kraal. It is said that the superintendents of these ualive locations are absolutely without means of exercising the authority with which they are invested. In consequence of no proper sytsemof drainage having ever yet been carried out the sanitary condition o/ the city is deplorable, and the death rate three or four times as great as it should be, even "according to the rate of mortality in London. The tender of De Pass and Co., for taking 200,000 gallons of water per day, for 140 days, to the top of (he Lion's Hill, for the city purposes — i. c., flushing sewers, watering streets, &0., is £17 10s. per day. The Winsburg correspondent of the Transvaal writes to the Friend of the Free State, that there is a rumour afloat that Pretorius has expressed a willingness to accept a requisition to become again the president of the South African Republic. The Friend is authorised to deny it. The papers give expression to a desire from all quarters for a change in Government, U the present rotten government were superseded property would rise there 50 per cent at once, for land in the Free state and South Africau Republic is very superior to any in the Cape Colony. The farmers in the Wittebergen are, in consequence of the late murders, trekking away from their farms. Hundreds of rifles have been purchased in the free State since the last war from £30 to £40 each. The grass is in good order in the state, We have to report trade is reviving, and everything looks tolerably healthy. Buyers are slow to purchase at this soason. Wool good 'and abundant. The yield of grain large. Our new governor, the hon. Mr. Wodehouse, is anxiously expected by the next mail. General Wynyard continues to administer the government to the satisfaction of all parlies. Throughout the whole of the colony the General continues to receive the esteem of the people. Everything on the frontier is ver quiet, and the Boers and natives appear to be settling down to work again. The Kowie — now" called Port Alfred — has been opened by our new coasting steamer, the Volunteer, to the great satisfaction of the Graham's Town people. A terrible disease — the Oidium — is again making its appearance amongst our vineyards, and sadly interfering with the prospects of the vine orop,