The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-26 00:00:00

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The Union Company's steamship Briton touched
at Plymouth yesterday, with dates from the Cape of Good
Hrpe, Feb. 19 ; St. Helena, Feb. 27 ; Ascension, March 3;
Madeira, March 19. She brings 73 passengers, the nasal
mails, and four packages of specie. The 'triton afterwards
proceeded to Southampton. The following is Mr. Iteuter's
summary of her news:
. . .

At Hie Oape politics were quiet. There was already
great speculation as to the probable course of the business
during the next session of parliament, which will open
about the end of April. The neoessity of a further re-
trenchment in the public expenditure was everywhere ad-
nutted.
The Governor had issued a circular to the resident
inagistnites and civil commissioners to show how far the
retrenchment resolutions adopted br the House of As-
sembly could be advantageously carried out in their vari-
ous departments.
A pamphlet had been published by Mr. Darnell, point-
ing out that 400,000 f. might be realised by a proper use
being mule of the crown forests alone.
Refreshing rains had fallen over a great part of the
country, but some districts were suffering slightly from
drought. Agricultural prospects continued favourable, and
trade wee quiet.
Table Bay had been visited by an unusual quantity of
shipping.
The natives in the colony and on its immediate border
were perfectly quiet, but another war between the Free
State and the Basutos was ;considered imminent, as some
Boers had been killed. The lands taken from the Basuto"
during the last war had been sold by auction, but it ap-
peareddoubtful whether their purchasers would be
allowed peaceful possession. Some of the Burghers admit
that the Besutos have not space enough to live in. They
think it a great mistake to occupy land beyond Caledon,
this greed of land having, in their opinion, been a fruitful
source of colonial war.
The trial of some members of the British Kaffranian
Mutual Protection Association, which had organised an
trued attack upon a Kaffir tribe near King William's
Town, a few months since, has been fixed to come off at
Port Elizabeth in May next.
The news of the alleged death of Dr. Ltvingetone
bad reached the Cape. In a letter from Dr. Kirk, British
Consulate, Zanzibar, to Sir Thomas Maclean, the news was
feared to be but too true from the known ferocious cha-
meter of the Mazitu, the alleged perpetrators. No further
proofs, however, bad arrived than those which have
reached England.
The birthday of the Sultan of Turkey was for the first
time celebrated by the Malay popul•tion at Cape Town on
Feb. O. Great solemnity was observed. There were grand
ceremonies at the principal mosques in honour of the day,
and a complimentary address was presented to the Hon.
P. E. de Roubaix, the Consul-General for the Turkish
empire.
A controversy had been raised in the colony by Lord
Romilly's judgment in the appeal case of the Bishop of
Natal and Cape Town. Active meetings continued to be
held by the different churches, and petitions to the
Imperial Parliament were adopted. Some of these pe-
titions are in favour of the introduction of a bill similar to
that brought in by Mr. Cantwell last session, but the
large majority of them are opposed to separation in fact
or ill name from the church of England. One of the
resolutions passed at Cape Town expresses deep regret
that doctrines contrary to the fundantentel principles of
the church of England are taught within her pale in the
colony of Natal, and deeply deplores that measures have
not been taken by those whose duty it was to institute
them, through the lawfully constituted tribunals of the
church of England.
Another at Grahamstown petitions " that if the Par-
liament of Great Britain legislate in any way for the Eng-
lish church in thisoolony, they will legislate only so far as
may be necessary to remove the doubts and uncertainty
which exist, and to secure for your petitioners the same
law.
rights as their fellow-churchmen in Canada now posse= by
"

At Natal there had been a monetary crisis from there
being more banking institutions than were needed, causing
overtreding and speculation. The temporary effect of
the crisis is considered likely to be soon got over.
The African mail packet M'Gregor Laird strived out
at Madeira on the lath inst.

A deputation from the Indian Tramway Com-
pany (Limited) had an interview with the Right Hon. Sir
:Stafford Northcote, Bart, M.P., at the India...Mee, on the
73rd inst., with reference to the extension of their line.
The following gentlemen attended—viz., Sir Macdonald
Stephenson, chairman of the company ; Mr. Norton,
deputy-chairman ; Mr. Rrockett, Mr. Brain, Mr. Kimher,
and General Green, directors of the company ; Sir Charles
Fox, engineer ; and Mr. M. B. Scott, secretary to the
aompaay.