The Express.
London, England, 1847-05-15 00:00:00

COLONIAL

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.—Orr dates by
the Cambria are : Halifax, May 3 ; Montreal, April 26 ;
Toronto, April 26 ; Hamilton, April 27 ; St. John's, New.
foundland, April 27. The letter of our Montreal corres-
pondent in another column, contains all that is essential in
the inisllinenoe from
Nov.s SCOTlA.—Public attention In this colony was en-
grossel, to the exclusion of almost every other subject, by
the contested election. At so early a period of the struggle
it would be diffteult for those on the spot, it is impossible
for those at a distance, to prognosticate the issue.
New BRUNSWIC6.—The provincial legislature was pro-
rogued on the 21st of April. A Parlsh-sehool Bill was
passed, and received the governor's assent. The assembly
placed 3001. at the disposal of the executive, for the benefit of
destitute emigrants during the ensuing session ; and voted
2001. for bringing the English moils from Hall's: by express.
NEWFOUNDLAND.—The; new governor, S;r GI. Le Mar
chant, was received with all the honours, and sworn in, en
the 22nd of April. Sixty-eight vessels had returned from the
sealing, with, in all, 132,530 seals. Several vessels had not
been reported at the despatch of the mails.
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CAPE OF GOOD HOPE—Our dates from this
colony are,from Cape Town to the 19th, and from Graham's
Town to the 13th of March.
The commander of t-e forces took his departure from
Graham's Town on the morning of the 10th of March, on a
tour of inspection to the several frontier forts. His intended
route was by Bathurst, and the mouth of the Kowie to
Waterloo Bay, and thence to Fort Peddle, where there wan
to be a general muster on the 17th. The governor was to
leave Graham's Town on the 15th of March, and proceed by
Waterloo Bay to Fort Peddle where he was to meet the com-
mander-in-chief and other military officers.
The frontier settlers continued to be pleased with their
uew governor; and kin operations, without being rash, had
so far been characterised by promptitude and judament. In
a proclamation, heated on the 3rd of March, he intimated that
on his arrival at Graham's Town there had appeared good
reasons for re-establishing martial law in the province, which
had been discontinovii by his predecessor from the 22nd of
April. Fearing, however, that such a step might excite
groundless alarm, he bad resolved to rest satisfied with
warning the settlers to keep on the alert and ready for action
On the 9th of March, a government notice was iuued
reminding all public officers that it was of the utmost import-
ance that all communications respecting the Kerns, fur the
information of the governor, should be made on the most
positive grounds, and not on vague and ungifted rumours ;
and that the unreserved opinion of the communicator should
be conveyed. For this reason the governor gave notice that
he would always be prepared to issue the most explicit orders
for the guidance of officers, mid to relieve them from all
responsibility when they furnished him with proper informa-
tion ; but that he could not relieve them from responsibility
when they merely transmitted idle rumours.
On the 11th of March anothergovernment notice intimated
the mode in which the governor end high commissioner
bad resolved to deal with petitions, &c., addressed to
him sines his arrival on the frontier. He had arrangedthem
in three classes. The lit, 2nd, and 3rd classes, relating to
claims for pensions on various grounds, are to he transmitted,'
when arranged, to the executive council of the colony, to he
dealt with according to former practice and usage. Class 4,
consisting of applications for payment of the value of wag-
gon', cattle, &c. lent or pressed into the service of the army,
had been referred to the commander-general, who had ee-
-1 plied :—" All claims passed by the board are at Cape Town,'
and will be paid according to priority." The sth clam coa-
-1 silted of petitions for compensation for losses by the enemy
within she colony ; and the 6th, for compensation for similar
lanes beyond the frontier. As claims of these classes have
already been referred to the home government by the
Albany memorial, no reply can be given to the several peti-
tions till an answer has beer. received from England. In
the mean time a commissioner of claims has been appointed
to arrange, record, and inquire into all specia • claims. The
governor makes known that any applicant refusing to answer
questions, or discovered to have made groundless or exag-
gerated complaints, will be excluded from further considera-
tion of his ease.
Serious embarressment was felt throughout the colony
from a scarcity of the circulating medium. Oa the eastern
frontier a paper currency was urgently called for. The issue
of commissarial drafts for small sums had proved inadequate,
and notes issued by government, and declared to he legal
tender, were wished for, At Cape Town, the South African