The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-07 00:00:00

LONDON,

the morning of the Bth I marched the Mtncszana detach-
ment, under the command of Captain Stevenson, back to
their stations, and returned with the remainder of the
troops to this camp. I have, &0.,
H. SOMERSET, Major,Genetal.
Lieut.-Colonel Cloete, C. 8.,
Dep. Quartermaster. General.

GENERAL ORDERS.
Head-Quarters, King William's Town, Nov. 13, 1851.
1. The Commander-in-Chief has this day received the
report from Major-General Somerset that the gallant
and enterprising Lieut.-Colonel Fordyce, .74th High-
landers, has fallen in action with the enemy, on the 6th
instant. His loss to her Majesty's service is a severe
one, and his Exeelleiacy conceives he cannot express his
regret in terms more applicable than in the division order
of Major-General Somerset, which is herewith pub-
lished. Gallantly thus falling in the service of his
Queen and country will perpetuate the memory ,of
Lieut.-Colonel Fordyce.
The service has also to regret the loss of Lieutenant
Carey, 74th Highlanders—a rising and promising officer.

Head-Quarters, King William's Town, Nov. 7,1851.
1. Mr. C. L. Nightingale is appointed lieutenant in
the Levies, vice Guiney, killed in action.
A. J. CLOETE, Lieut.-Col., Dep. Quartermaster-Gen.

GENERAL SOMERSET'S DIVISION.
(From the Frontier Times, Nov. 25.)
CAMP, BLINKWATER, Nov. 19,1851.—The sad gloom
thrown over everything here by the death of the much
lamented Fordyce appears but slowly to pass away—in-
deed, the general feeling seems to be," who will be next?"
Many openly declare they will go there no more to be
butchered like cattle. It is a fearful sacrifice of human
life to send men as brave as ever shouldered a firelock to
such a place, with an enemy to contend against; courage
here is of no avail, discipline and steadiness under fire
only render the men better targets for the larking sa-
vages. However, it is generally reported that we are
to make a forward movement to the Kei, when we hope
to have open work of it, and get a little good meat,
which is quite out of the question at this place.
The Kafirs are daily stealing cattle from here and Fort
Beaufort, and generally succeed in getting off with them.
Yesterday they stole about fifty or sixty of the Com-
missariat oxen; but by timely notice and the activity of
a party of dismountedßifles and Port Elizabeth
Fingoes the greater part werMe retaken, and three of the
enemy shot—one sergeant was wounded on our side.
It is evident from the night fires that the enemy is very
numerous still in Fuller's Hoek and Waterkloof, and
indeed in the whole of these parts. Their being here
is a tax on the neighbourhood, for es they have no cattle
now they live upon us.
Since the above was received, we have intelligence
from the camp to the 24th instant, from which it appears
that a waggon with supplies, belonging to Captain
Bruce, 74th, and guarded by a detachment of that regi-
ment, under Lieutenant King, was attacked by the
enemy and pillaged on Saturday, and the oxen stolen.
The party were proceeding np the Bankwater Hill
towards Post Retiel. The empty waggon was recovered
the following morning. The enemy are now known to
be as numerous in the Waterkloof as ever.
A correspondent at Fort Beaufort writes:—" Novem-
ber 15.—Information has just been brought in from
the Major•Greneral's camp, that the Kafirs cut a span
of oxen loose from one of the waggons in the General's
camp last night; two Kafirs were also shot near Beau-
fort by a party of Fingoes, who ware out patrolling;
the gun of one of the Kafirs who was shot was brought
in, and the other Kafir, with a double-barrel gun, fell
into the river as he was shot. A party of Fingoes has
jest started to search for the gun in the river. The
above span of oxen which was taken from the Gene-
ral's camp, was actually taken out of his own baggage

waggon.
"18th.—Information has just been brought again of the
Kafirs taking eight spans of oxen at Blink water camp,
from the herds; the enemy were soon overtaken, and
the oxen recovered, with the exception of eighteen, which
the Kafiri got safe off with; four Fingoes were wounded,
one of whom has since died of his wound. The oxen
taken were thirteen of Mr. Prior, and five of Mr. Yellen-
tine. Last night the Kafirs crept up close to the centries,
and fired at them, but did not hurt any.
" Nov. 19.—Mosers. Knott have been robbed of all
their sheep and horses, and it is expected that all the
cattle will be swept away next. It was well known that
failure in getting the enemy out of Waterkloof would
lead them to do more mischief. There is scarcely a day
passes without the enemy getting cattle from General
Somerset's camp; they stole a span the other night, not
ten yards from the General's tent. If he remain here
much longer, you may perhaps hear of his being walked
off with."

The freight-ship Sir R. Seppinga arrived on the
18th from the Mauritius with Captain Fenwick,
Lieutenant Siborn, and 109 men, women, and
children of the Sappers and Miners ; also Lieutenant
Robertson, and 35 of the 2d battalion of the 12th
R,e giment.
Leaves of absence have been granted to Lieutenant-
Colonel Cole, commanding Royal Engineers, Lieut.-
Col. Cooper, 45th Light Foot, and Dr. Dick, 2d bat-
talion of the 12th Regiment.
Commissary-General Maclean has arrived, and
assumed charge of his department ; also Deputy-
Commissary-General Tably. Deputy-Commissary
General Green will return to the frontier. Lieut.
Greville, of the 6th Rifles, has been appointed Aide-
de-Camp to the Commander-in. Chief.
The before-mentioned appointments on the staff of
the army have taken place.
Lieutenant-Colonel Cloete, C.8.K., is to be Quarter-
master-General of the Royal and Burgher forces,
with the rank and pay of colonel on the staff.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sutton, C.M.R., to be Assistant-
Adjutant-General.
Brigade-Major Robinson, 2d Royals, to be
Quartermaster-General, and attached to head-quar-
ters. Captain Haines, 73d Regiment, now doing
duty as Major of Brigade during Major Bussuck's
absence, to be Deputy-Assistant Quartermaster-
General, and attached to 2d division.
Lieutenant Whitmore, C.M.R., to act as Major of
Brigade, vice Farmer.
The mails by the Harbinger are in charge of Cam-
mender Robertson. _ _

—Arrived at Sierra Leone, while there on the 16th
of December, her Majesty's steamer Firefly and the
screw steamer Gambia.

The Gambia brought news of a disturbance on the
coast, in which she lost two officers and seven or
eight hands. A descent has been made on the State
favourable to the suppression of 31avery, and she had
been called on for assistance.

The West India mailboat Severn arrived on the
22d of November at St. Vincent.

Tae Harbinger spoke the barque Sternshall, in lat.
36 N., long. 20 W., standing to the westward.
The Harbinger experienced on the first part of
her passage home light south-easterly trade winds
and fine weather throughout, latterly strong north-
easterly trade winds, and a continuance of north-
easterly gales until within a day's sail of the Lizard.
During the last twenty-four hours of her passage her
speed has averaged 12i knots, and at times over 13,
with a pressure of 61b. only.
Her Majesty's ship Styx, Commander Hall, has
been actively engaged in the transport of troops,
horses, and munitions of war, between this and East
London, for which port she sailed with the dispatches
brought by the Harbinger (mail steamer) on the
27th. She has made some splendid trips, and was
well selected to be the Hermes successor. The
Rhadamanthus has also been engaged in the same
service. Her Majesty's brig Dart, Lieutenant
Hoskins, left on the 7th ult. for Quillenaane. On
the 7th the Marines of her Majesty's ship Castor,
who have been serving in the field, are ordered to
join their ship on the arrival of the 43d Light In-
fantry battalion in the Vulcan. Her Majesty's brig
Grecian arrived on the 25th ult. from Rio for this
station.
Her Majesty's ships of war now in Simons Bay,
are the Castor, Grecian, Rhadamanthus, and Seringa-
patam coal depot.

THE NEW CONSTITUTION FOR THE
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
The ordinances, embodying the new Constitution
for the Cape of Good Hope, together with a dispatch
from Earl Grey, were presented on the 21st November
to the Legislative Council of that :colony. We give
below an abstract of the ordinances which contains all
the important provisions. We publish the dispatch
of Earl Grey in full. The general sentiment with
regard to the Constitution bestowed upon the colony
appears to be one of satisfaction. At a public meet-
ing held at the Town-hall, Cape Town, on the 2d
December, a series of resolutions were unanimously
adopted accepting the offered Constitution, and pray-
ing that it may be sanctioned by her Majesty's Go-
vernment without any material alteration and without
further delay.
The following petitions were also unanimously
adopted :
PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS OF CAPE TOWN.
The loyal Address and humble Peti.ti9n of the under-
signed Inhabitants of the Municipalities of Cape
Town and Green Point.
Humbly showeth—That your Majesty's faithful and
loyal subjects gratefally acknowledge the boon which
your Majesty has been graciously pleased
.to confer in
the liberal form of government embodied in the letters
patent and two draft ordinances, constituting a Parlia-
ment for this colony, published in the Cape of Good
Rope Government Gazette
of the 27th day of Novem-
ber, 1851.
i9t
nat ihltehares
That your petitioners willingly defer, for the consi-
deration of the future Parliament, such matters of de-
tail
into immediate opration together with such
psao:iiitnsdoritnaafbsolutely required to bring the said ordi-
Vas
peti-
tions on this subjectae with the
o:teassutp,,brroenrsdneinon-
ttaeeitdne arrangements,o your
accordance
Majesty
public, as well adapted last year,
and sincerelyproposed to the
And as the presente
mtLegislativeoosmt eet the
d the scheme now
the colonists. wishes of
of this settle-
ment, to which these important. ordinances have
been submitted for considerationof the
in no sense represents
.
Council wants
and.
inhabitants, your peti-
tiOnus humbly but most earn
jesty may be graciously
pleasede pray that your stly Ma
n-
to withhold your co -
sent sent from any alterations introduced
shall be found inconsistent with by that body which
the principles and pro-

visions of the said draft, and that the whole, as nearly
as possible as it now stands, may receive your Majesty's
section, and be put in force without further reference or
delay, so as to restore peace, harmony, and confidence
throughout this portion of your Majesty's dominions, and
to promote its future welfare and happiness.
And your Majesty's humble petitioners, as in duty
bound, will ever pray, Sce.

PETITION OF THE CAPE TOWN MUNICIPALITY.
To her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen.
The humble Address and Petition of the Commissioners
for the Municipality of the City of Cape Town, Cape

of Good Hope:
Showeth,—That your petitioners have read with sin-
cere satisfaction the draft ordinances, published in the
Government Gazette, for constituting a Parliament for
this colony.
That ryour petitioners gratefully acknowledge the
boon conferred upon the colonists, in the liberal form of
government embodied in those ordinances, and thank-
fully accept the same as the means, under the blessings
of Divine Providence, of restoring tranquillity through-
out this unfortunate dependency, besides being of lasting
benefit to the inhabitants at large, and your petitioners
therefore pray, that it may please your Majesty to pass
the said ordinances without any delay, and without any
material alteration in the leading principles thereof.
' And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever
pray, &c.
Town House, city of Cape Town.
Cape of Good Hope, Ist day of Dec., 1851.

DISPATCH FROM EARL GREY.
Downing-street, Sept. 15, 1851.
Governor Lieutenant-General Sir H. G. Smith, Bart.,
&c. &c. &c.
Sir,—In conformity with the intention expressed in
my dispatch of the 13th August, I now transmit to you
two drafts of ordinances to be passed by the Legislative
Council of the Cape of Good Hope, for the purpose of
bringing into operation her Majesty's letters patent on
the 23d of May, 1850. The object of the first of these
draft ordinances is to determine, as required by the
letters patent, the mode of constituting the Legislative
Council and House of Assembly, which, with the Go-
vernor, are to be the future Parliament of the Cape of
Good Hope ; the purpose of the second ordinance is, to
sanction 2. ,
Is
3c, eo rut a ihna er expenditure
alreadyalready ipnrci
su
er
dr e, di
create certain permanent charges on the revenue, and to
pMraejsecsrtibyeadnby dytehpearoturrdeerfreimn
Cthoeunmeiel thofod
Joanf
uparrhoyca, ev
eeldsnisnoogt ,
thought it necessary or advisable to recommend to her
and by the letters
Patent issued in consequence of that
order. It appeared to me that, independently of any
constitutional question which may be raised as to the
power of the Crown to vary the terms on which a Con-
stitution had already been granted to the colony, no suf-
ficient reason had been shown for departing from a
course deliberately taken on the best consideration
which her Majesty's servants could give to the subject;
especiallywhen the power of amending the ordinances
by Order in Council, reserved by the letters patent, is
so extensive that there will be full
power to consider
and adopt, in the last stage, any changes in the ordinances
passed by the Legislative Council which may be deemed
expedient. I have to add that a further proof of the ex-
pediency of this course is afforded by the fact, that even
with the full information
been found impracticable, in preparing the draft now
submitted to you have furnished, it has
Yee, to avoid leaving some blanks to be
filled up, and some doubtful points to be determined on
the spot, by yourself end your Council, who possess more
minute local knowledge than can be commanded in this
country.
3. In framing the first of these ordinances I have, as
you will perceive, made great use of the provisions of
the draft order in council, transmitted with your dispatch,
No. 12, of January 21, 1851. They have, in fact, been
in great measure transferred into the draft ordinance,
with such alterations as were rendered necessary by the
difference between the constitution of the Legislative
Council proposed by Mr. Porter and that to a hich her
Majesty's Government have on consideration determined
to adhere, as the best calculated to secure a fair repre-
sentation of the interests of different classes and diffe-
rent districts, and to create a body which shall possess a
character of its own, duly independent of the House
of Assembly. With this view her Majesty's Govern-
ment have adopted the suggestion of the Attorney-Ge-
neral in his very able minute of the 15th of January
last, that the Legislative Council should be composed of
fifteen members to be elected by the same body of
electors as the Assembly; eight for the western and seven
for the eastern district of the colony—leaving the divisions
by yourself and the cordcil. But in providing that the Le-
gislative Council should be thus elected, it has been
considered advisable, for the reasons explained in the
twenty-fifth paragraph-Of the report of the Committee
of Privy Council on this subject, that the votes should
:1?e taken in such a manlier as to guard, as far as possi-
lele, against the exclusion of the minority of the electors
in either district of the colony from their fair share of
influence in that branch of the Legislature. Accordingly,
you will find that the clauses of the draft ordinance upon
this point have been so framed as to answer this object,
and with the view of more perfectly insuring it, regula-
tions having a similar tendency have been introduced as
to the nomination of candidates. You will also observe
that the mode of voting for the members of the Legisla-
tive Council is further calculated to exclude from the
exercise of the privilege persons who, though they may
have the requisite property qualification, have not had
the advantage of even so much education as to enable
them to write. This has appeared to be a proper and
useful limitation of the right of voting, and will, I hope,
have likewise the effect of creating a greater desire
amongst the inhabitants of the colony for the advantages
of education.
4. In adopting the clauses relating to the registration
jesty's Government have been influenced by their con-
of voters proposed by the Attorney-General, her Ma-
viction that if a franchise is to be created which renders
a system of registration necessary, the safest course that
could be followed was to rely entirely on Mr. Porter's
jthuedgdmreanft ordinancet and
d local knowledge, adhering in this part of
to his recommendations, instead of
in
reviewingappear
the
attemptingof to introduce improvements of detail, without
ascertaining what local reasons may exist
forat hme means
somend ate
n. I shall, oft theprlr however, which
clauses of the draft ordinances, point out the changes
which, unless there are local reasons against them,
would appear to be advisable in the scheme of registra-
tion as originally devised by him. But I must in the
first instance call your attention to the preliminary and
very important question, whether it may not be possible,
by adopting a different franchise, to dispense altogether
with any registration of votes.
L. It is impossible to consider the clauses relating to
registration which have been proposed by the Attorney-
General, without being struck by the extremely cum-
brous and complicated nature of the machinery by which
this is to be effected. If the object, however, is to be
attained at all, I do not believe that this machinery is
capable of being simplified or materially improved; if
there is to be a register of electors, it seems impossible
to avoid calling on those entitled to vote to put in their
claims, giving to those who wish to dispute these claims
an opportunity of stating their objections, and providing
some authority finally to decide upon all claims and ob-
jections, and to settle the list, taking care at the same
time that due publicity is given to the various proceed-
ings. All this can only be done by some such ma-
chinery as that proposed, which is copied in a great
measure from that established in this country by the
Act of Parliamentary Reform, and of the different
Acts since passed to amend it in this respect. But
the working of the system of registration, even
with all the advantages afforded by the great faci-
lities for communication which exist in this country,
has not been such as to afford much encouragement
for its introduction into the Cape of Good Hope. No
doubt the establishment of a register, by which the right
to vote of persons claiming to do so is not open to dis-
pute at the time of elections, has its advantages in many
respects, and especially so by rendering it practicable to
abridge the time during which the poll is kept open, but
still the mode of proceeding adopted in forming the re-
gister has been attended with much inconvenience. The
trouble and expense attending it have been found to be
a grievous burden both upon candidates and electors,
while it has had a still more injurious result on the sys-
tem of periodical registration, and the machinery by
which it is conducted—that it tends to perpetuate the
excitement of electioneering contests, exasperating the
bitterness of party conflicts, and depriving practically of
political power, those moderate men who decline identi-
fying themselves with any l• •
pu ttical party; these being
the very persons whose influence it would be desirable to
increase, so far as this can be done.
6. The force of this© objections eections to a mode of registra-
tion requiring claims to be ut in by all who obtain the
a
right of voting, and
13
• I investigation of those
claims, has been
80, 0 periodica
Parliament, that in
Act
the most recentstrongly felt by
of this class—that for amending the
So
laws which regulate the l'ficationland registration of
Parliamentary voters inia Irelandt (13 and 14 Viet., cap.
69)—an endeavour what
has been made to establishmay
b© termed a
e self•acting registration. This has been
effected by making _
the emere
fact of occupying pro.
a c
petty rated to - em
ertain amount one of the qualifica-
tions of electors (and in • the principal one), the
practice
name of every Person entitled to vote being placed
on the register so without any interference on his part, and
m
without any eta-'
7. The effect a being sent in.
of this is, to a great extent, to make the
rate book answer the purposes of a register, and if it had
not been that there exist in Ireland other rights of
voting arising
from the possession of property, which it
was not expedient to abolish, but for the maintenance of
which A register was essential, it is probable that regis-
tration would have been altogether got rid of.
8. It would, in ray opinion, be very desirable to esta-
blish such i
a kmple-syaleen at the Cape, where there is
no embarrassment, arisingd from existing rights, and
where, from the great extent of the country in propor-
tion to the number of inhabitants, and from the compa-
ratively rude state of society, the formation of a register
cannot but be attended with peculiar inconvenience.
This, however, could only be done by adopting a dif-
foment franchise from that proposed in the draft ordi-
nance, and adopted from that which was agreed upon by
the Legislative Council, before the resignation of four
of its members, because, in order to prevent disputes and
delays in taking the poll at elections, it is necessary that
it should be previously ascertained who are the persons
entitled to vote. Hence, though there is no objection
to the franchise suggested in the colony, on the score of
the proportion of inhabitants whom it would admit
to the right of voting, much advantage would result
from substituting for it a qualification, as nearly as pos-
sible equivalent to it in this respect, and following the
principle of the Irish Act above referred to.
9. It would be impossible, with the information acces-
sible in this country, to judge whether this could be tee-
complished,:and still more to frame the necessary pro-
visions for doing so. But I should wish you to consider,
with the assistance of the Legislative Council, whether
the right of working might not be made to depend on
1 the feet of i —Dav4 4 goes or Wu, so as to make the liat