The Express.
London, England, 1865-01-18 00:00:00

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The French steamer Japan has arrived from the
Cape of Good Hope. She left Table Bay on the
3rd December, and brings thirteen days' later news
than the last English mail steamer.
The dispute between the Free State and the
Basutos was still unsettled. No definite reply
having been received from Moshesh to November
24, a second messenger bag been despatched from
Elosemfootein to Thaba Butigo, his capital, for
his answer. A rumour prevailed at Bloeem-
fontein that at a great council of the &autos
nation it bad been determined by a majority to
respect Sir P. Wodehouse's arbitration, and
to give up the disputed lands rather
than incur a war. This pasific resolution
was said to have been supported by Mosbesh and
his son Sebes, but opposed by Molappo and
Moperi, chiefs whose followers are the aggressors in
the Wittebergen, being the occupiers of the dis-
puted lands. Although the month allowed for the
withdrawal of those Basutos had nearly expired,
they remained quietly squatting on the Wittebergen
farms which they bad reclaimed and cultivated,
hoping yet to realise the profits of their labours, and
the impression that war would result was general.
The Burghers of the Free State were assembling
with an alacrity never before displayed by them ;
four hundred had come in from Fauresmith and
Philippolis, and were to be accompanied by a
President to Winburg on Nov. 25. Private
advicee received, however, yet stated that there
probably would be no war.
A meeting of the Constitution Defence Associa-
tion was to be held at the Commercial Exchange,
Capetown, on the day the Japan sailed, " to take
into consideration the reply said to be received
from the home government to a petition of the in-
habitants of the Western Districts against Act
No. 1, 1864 (the Customs Duties Protection and
Indemnity Act), and to resolve on what further
measures should be adopted.
The Diamond Company's steamer Kaffraria was
to leave Table Bay on December 23, with the
regular monthly mail, and may be expected in
England about January 25. By an arrangement
with the Postmaster-General in London the
Union Company have been freed from their
obligation of sending any steamer borne to
reach England in January, with the usual mails, on
account of their vessel, the Athens, being re-
quired for the new extension of the mail line
to Mauritius. The Kaffraria, however, brings
the mails under her own contract with the colonial
government, and not on any special arrangement
with the Union Company.

INDENTEIALNIRIBITIONB Alen TEI PATENT lama.
—Yesterday afternoon a deputation from the various execu-
tive committees of iadustrial exhibitions waited upon the
Right Hoe. Mr. Milner Gibson, M.P., the President of the
Board of Trade, as Whitehall. for the purpose of explaining
the injurious effects of the existing patent laws upon these
exhibitions. Mr. Lewis, M.P., having introduced the depu-
tation, Mr. B. Morrell (West London) said the object of the
deputation was to ask the right hon. gentleman, on behalf
of the goveronseat, to protect the inventions of the working
chases in there industrial exhibitions, in the same manner
as the manufacturers were protected in the national exhi-
bitions of 1351 and 1E62, by the passing of a short wad tem-
porary ad of parliament with that object. Many important
inventions of the working man were now kept back from
these exhibitions because the committee were powerless to
give them any proteotion against piracy. Both the Right
800. W. Cowper and Sir Roundel Palmer, the Attorney-
General, who took a deep interest in these 'Ail:aims, were
in favour of some such an net. He did not think
the government would meet with the slightest op-
position in passing inch la measure as that sug-
gested, and hoped they would act impartially. Other
members of the deputation having expressed views to
a similar effect, Mr. Milner Gibson said he understood the
object of the deputation was to secure protection for new
inventions plead in industrial exhibition' without the ex-
pease of obtaining a patent. He sympathised with that ob-
ject. but the question was bow were they to define these
exhibitions. The exhibitions of 1851 and 1862 were parti-
cular and defined exhibitions, under the sanction of mown
commissioners, and the acts alluded to by the deputation
were defined to apply to thaw particular exhibitions. In
the Finest case there must be a and &deities. The
question of obtaining patent r*lble was a different brume
of the subject. On that point a royal oommisden had been
sitting, whose report be believed was sow reedy. The sub-
ject new brought before him was one well worthy of the
serious consideration of the government, and be bad no
doubt it would receive every attention. If the Attorney-
General would amid in the object it would do much to
smooth away any difficulty existing. He would gift his
best consideration to the matter, and hoped a remedy would
be an lied to remove the evil complained of. The depots-
Woo the right hoe, gentleman for his courtesy end
atlantic&