The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-13 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

We have received the Cape of Good Hope Murree
of April 8.
The f Mowing memorial was in course of signature
at Swellendam :
TO THE QUEEN'S MOST MIOELLEXT MAJESTY.
The petition of the unders'gned landeeners, agriculturists,
and others, residing in the district of Caledon, in the Cape of
Good Hope,
Humbly showeth—That your petitioners have heard, with
much surprise and alarm, that your majesty's secretary of
state for the colonies has signified his intention of degraditig
the Cape into a penal settlement.
Tha' although yout t etitioners are in great distrusted diffi
cult; from the want of labour, and have been recently inter-
dieted by Earl Grey from supplying this went at their own
expenee, they reject with indignation the alternative which
his lordship desires to force on their acesptance ; protesting,
a: the tame time, most earnestly against a measure which
they cannot but consider u fatal to the welfare, the cha-
racter, the moral and social condition, sad all the best
interests of the colony, and for which no reason has yet been
assigned beyond the mere temporary oonvonience of the
British government.
That your petitioners, with a due remembrance of what has
occurred in other Brit ish d pandemic a, view with the greatest
abhorrence the introduction into this colony of convicted
felons, under whatsoever name they may be transported
hither, or for whatever crimes, or for how short soever a
time; and they pledge themselves, should any such be seat,
not to employ or to receive them into their esiablishments
on any terms.
That your petitioners feel deeply aggrieved that your ma-
jesty's secretary of state for the oul ni a should have taken
upon himself to force convicts upon • free settlement, which
has already, with one voice, expressed its extreme repug-
nance to this moral contamination ; and they therefore hum-
bly pray that your majesty will not sanction the projected
degradation of this rising colony into a place of punishment
for felons of any claw, of any age, or for say length of time ;
and that your majesty will be graciously pleased to eon-
mead the adoption of such stessums as may relieve rot 14_ o.
alone's, and the colonists of the Cape generally, from She
possibility of any future outran, threat, or communication
' of the same painful and humiliating nature.
And your majesty's petitioners, as in duty bound, will
ever pray.
We find nothing further worth transcribing.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

We are in receipt of the Melbourne Argus of Feb.
9, and the Corro Chronicle (Geelong) of Feb. 6.
There is no news.
On the only point referred 0 in our previous ad•
•ices—an alarm of cholera—the first-mentioned jour-
nal is silent.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(Tale DAT.)

Damao Ms. Iverson Perraion.
The grand jury last night returned a tree bill against
William Hamilton, for unlawfully discharging a loaded pis-
tol at her Majesty. It is expected that the prisoner will be
tried to-morrow worming.
ALLIOND Ro 88888 DT A LSITIII CARMEL
C J. Worrell, 18, a past-oMee letter earrier, was indicted
for stealing a letter, containing two shillings, the property
of the postraasteugeneral. Be wee also charged under the
slants with 'ahem in and ermiting the latter in question.
Mr. Clarkson and Kr. Bodkin prosecuted. The prisoner
bad no counsel.
It appeared that tba primmer was a letter-carrier, attart ed
to the Charles-come breath post-oars, gad it was pert of his
duty to sort as wall m to deliver Mein, and he usually at-
tended in the aftersomi at the camp he that purpose. Oa
the eat Imo the lateee Y qmilliee, which was emit by a
savant girl to a miler mood lldsi, sad which contained
two sbilliags,z.riaVeriisin Osimisireet, and arrived in des
mune the cam, ems after four o'clock in
the thermos, sad ps fa ser. the mane of his ionise,
bad the opportunity to 'blebs _-sins d it. About six
°Wok the mate maim sastim leMesourier, named Lew
nage, who had heat is tho MI6 ef smoking a pipe in the