The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-26 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

By an arrival from the Cape of Good Hope, at
Cork, we have Graham's Town journals to the 18th
Deeember.

Sir Harry Smith had arrived at Graham's Town.
In his progress from Algoa Bay, hie excellency met
Sir H. Pottinger, en route to the coast, at Sidbury,
when a lengthened conference took place on the state
of public affairs.
The accounts from Kaffirland are not important.
They state, however, that Pato had offered to sur-
render, and give 3,000 head of cattle, together with
all his arms, provided his liberty was guaranteed. The
belief was that be would surrender unconditionally
as soon as he had information of Sir H. Smith's
arrival on the frontier. Colonel Somerset was between
the Kye and the Buffalo, apparently watching the
movements of the Kaffirs in the territory occupied by
Umbala, where a large drove of Pato's cattle had
taken shelter from the pursuit of our troops,—
and respecting which no satisfactory infonnatioa
had been obtained from Umbala. although occupyir
country on the tenure of adhesion to the British cause.
His conduct of late had been well calculated to
awaken suspicion, and would, no doubt, have the im-
mediate attention of the new governor, who knows him
well. Colonel Somerset's operations across the
Kye had been, upon the whole, very satisfactory.
'rho troops were said to be in the enjoyment of good
health and in high spirits, though tired of threading
the kloofs and climbing the precipices which mark
the features of the country bordering the Kye. It
was not supposed that any movement of importance
would be made until the arrival in Kaffirland of Sir
Harry Smith. In the meantime a good many petty
depredations and aggressions by the Kaffirs are re-
ported.
Letters and papers from Natal, up to the 3rd
December, state that great excitement prevailed,
arising from some apparently hostile movement of
%Goias under Panda. 'rhe Boers at Klip River had
formed themselves into a laager for mutual defence
—and a public meeting of the inhabitants had been
rally d at Pietermariritzherg, to take the subject under
considi ration. A detachment of mounted military
had been ordered towards the scene of apparent
danger.

In the House of LORDS, yesterday, the Earl of
11.‘n!mules., in a speech condemnatory of free trade,
moved for the appointment of a select committee on
the navigation laws. Earl GREY would not oppose
the motion, though he might not consider a committee
necessary, yet it could do no harm, as the more in-
foreiation their brdshios bad before them the better
they would be enabled to deal with any measure that
government might submit to parliament on the sub-
ject to which the motion referred.
In the Ilouse of Commotis the questions put to
and answered by the government were relative
to the late murders at Canton, the rate-paying
clauses of the Reform Bill, the Irish loan,
foreign tariffs, and the present state of affairs in
France.—On the question of going into committee of
supply, Mr. HUME moved as an amendment, " that
it is expedient that the expenditure of the country
should be redueed, not only to render an inerew.e in
taxation in this session unnecessary, but that the
expenditure should be furl her reduced as speedily as
pissible, to admit of a reclue*ion of the present large
amount of taxatltin." A somewhat protracted debate
ensued upon the general expenditure of the country,
and that of the army and navy in particular. at the
termination of which the house divided, when
tie original question for going into commltee was
carried by a majority of 98, the numbr-ra being 137
to 59. The house having gone into committee, the
CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER proposed a vote of
1,100,000 f. to defray the expense of the Kaffir war,
Mr. HUME moving that the Chairman report pro-
gress. After a debate the committee divided, when
the vote was carried by a majority of 191, the num-
bers, 232 to 61.—Mr.'1Vstin then moved a vote of
245,410/. I9s. 7d. for the navy excess in 1848-7,
which was agreed to.—The Landed Property (Ire-
land) Bill was read a second time.—Mr. ARLEY
proposed the printing of a petition relative to the
land tax, which being opposed, on the ground that
the petitioner Fought to print his views on that sub.
jevt at the expense of the public, a division took',
place, when 40 members not being present the house
stood adjourned.