The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-12 00:00:00

THE KAFFIR WAR.

Last evening a public meeting, called by the Peace
and Aborigines' Protection Societies. was held at the London
Tavern, Bishopegate-street. to investizate the causes and to
consider a remedy fur the deplorable war now prevailing in
South Africa, and the best means of obviating the recur-
rence of such a calamity. Me. SAMUEL GURNEY occupied
the chair, and, in opening the proceedings, said the
meeting had been called at the instance of the Peace and
Aborigine's' Protection Societies', to take into consideration
the disastrous war now going on in the Cape colony
a war, which was an awful iufringement of the
principles which they held to be sacred and true. Ile
also thought that the promoters of this meeting had acted
wisely iu thus procuring an occasion in which their scull-
meets could be publicly stated. He did not profess to say
that the Kaffirs might nut in many instances have violated
obligations, and done that which, according to the views of
many, might have required great care to prevent its recur-
rence or continuance. lie did not profess to know very in-
timately the history of the colony from its origin; but there
had been from time to time a SUOCCARiOII of wars between
the British colonists and the Kahn : and perhaps he might
say that as long ago as 1835 the late William Allea had
stated publicly that if the system of coercion continued to be
exercised which was exercised at that period it would cud in a
Kaffir war, the consequences of which would be most disas-
trous. lie regretted that that system had been persevered in,
resulting in a succession of wars, to the injury of our own
people, the destruction of Kahn, and the retarding the
prosperity of that part of the world. In the year 1836 the
then governor of the colony took possession of a large tract
of country east of the River Key, and to the honour of his
late Majesty William the Fourth, it should be stated, that
he would not accept thin accession of territory, which had
been named Adelaide, and which was the desecration of a
name to be always honoured in this country. He regretted
that in the year 1816 a different course of policy had been
pursued, and that ever since that period a constant resort to
the sword had been practised, and hence irritations had
arisen. It had been stated that the governor of the colony
had put his foot on the neck of a chief who had attended a
council. What other effect could such a proceeding have
but that of irritating the people, who were attached
to their chief ? There was another fact which
had been stated in a pamphlet, and which he
sincerely hoped was not true—that the governor
bad used these words—" that he would expel for ever these
treacherous scoundrels, whom he would destroy and exter-
minate." Was that the language which ought to be used
by a representative of the people of England ? After al-
luding in terms of praise to a despatch of Lord Glenelg, in
which he had expressed his intention to give up the then
newly-acquired territory, the chairman concluded by ob-
serving that he thought they should strengthen their cause
by net over-stating the facts they wished to bring forward
on this occasion. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. John Hodgkin, Mr. Richard'', Mr. O.W. Alexander,
and the Rev. J. Burnett, then severally proposed and sup-
ported resolutions condemnatory of the war, and expressing
a belief that, .t the present critical juncture, an intimation
on our part of a desire for peace, conjointly with the eats
blishment of an open inquiry on the spot, under the presi-
dency of impartial and independent civil commissioners,
would tend to allay animosity and probably cause an im-
mediate suspension of hostilities.
These having been carried, the meeting separated.

THE GREAT EXHIBITION. —ller Majesty and
Prince Albert paid • short and somewhat unexpected visit
to the Exhibition yesterday; having, we believe, come up
from Windsor expressly for the purpose. The royal party
arrived at the Crystal Palace shortly after 12 o'clock, and
were received by Ddr. Dilke and Mr. Cole, of the eirentive
committee, who accompanied her Majesty and the Prince
through the building. Her Majesty passed down the
foreign nave, where the dispersed workmen of Babel would
seem to have reassembled. In this once brilliant prome-
nade there remains but little to engage the attention, and
her Majesty gave but a cursory glance at the relies
las she passed by. Her Majesty then ascended the
southern gallery, and returned towards the British
side, where still less remains than in the foreign
section. What seemed to engage mad of her Majesty's
notice, was the building itself, which she had now a better
oppor
tunity of observing than on the occasion of former
visits. when her attention must have been unavoidably dis-
tracted by the gorgeous accessories displayed on every side,
and the living panorama moving within. We mentioned
some time since, that as the hoarding which shut in the full
view of the interior was being removed, the building was
revealing itself as a marvel of beauty. Her Majesty was
evidently much struck with the view which the interior of
the building even now presents, and was heard to express
herself in warm terms of approbation at the prospect.
When it is completely free of the rubbish which now par-
tally disfigures it, it will present one of the finest architect
tura] scenes of its kind in the world. The royal party re-
tired before one o'clock. The sappers and miners have been
withdrawn from farther duty in the Exhibition, with the
exception of some twenty or thirty who still remsia to
assist in the removal of the packages. The Tuscan goods
have been removed, and the American are to follow in a
few days.