The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-06 00:00:00

THE SUN',

- s ...
bad employed a military force for the suppression of that i savages into the citizens of a regularly established state; we
rebellion—that he proclaimed martial law; underrn which he bad vainly expected that their chiefs would recognise and
caused= souse persons to be put to death and others to be I observe the law of nations; we had, entered into. diplomatic
imprisoned. Now, withregard to the twenty-one executions relations with them—appointed agents to :'reside amongst
which had been referred to, they had the authority of Sir 11. them, stipulated that the chiefs should prevent depre-
Ward for stating that not a single individual was executed .dations--ahould restore stole property,, or, make compensa-
Those stipulations had
or imprisoned simply' for having borne arms against her , tion. , the Kafirs.
been ill
: kept, for
Majesty's authority. .• Every one of these individuals were so were—to use the words of their own great chief, Sandiiii—a
punished because- they had taken a,.Part in those atrocious nation of. irreclaimabe thieves; and. there was no difference
the greatest skill and' nge-
crimes which marked the progress of the; insurrection, ouch . between chiefs and followers. The chiefs had been utterly
as the murder' of the Count Mataxa and the burning of his .faithless; they
ghtande displayed
provisions
four servants.' The, Honourable Member had referred..to , a nuity in *waditreaties. The frontier
petition alleged to have been signed by twenty-three priso- farmers had bitterly
__ complained that the British Governs.
ners in the lonian Islands; who were confined for the, part .ment, which had deprived ,them _of the right of redressing.
they took in thft insurrection at Cephalonia. Now, after the their own, wrongs, had not sufficiently,. protected; them•
statement.he had made, on the authority of Sir H. Ward, and against the depredations Of the Kafirs. Some of these cern-.
seeing that some of those - prisoners whose lives had been plaints had, without doUbt, been well founded. - With regard
spared had been sentenced to be imprisoned, some for life and toethershe
(Sir. W. Molesworth) must observe that, when
others for twenty years, and that not more than two or three individuals. had to redress their own wrongs, and when, in
years have elapsed, he thought it was rather premature— so doing they had to incur considerable risk and trouble,
even admitting it to be a constitutional course—for this House. they were apt to overlook minor wrongs, which were not
on. worth the risk and trouble of redressing, and - this had ,•been.
to endeavour ;to procure their deliverance.- The ,H
the c '
Gentliniati not 'content with making these charges within case under the commando, system. But when,
to which the treaty
the House, had made is- statement out of doors, system, a Government undertook to . redress 'the
, as under
he had no Opportunity of giving a contradiction. The Hon. wrongs of individuals, then every wrong, however trifling,
gentleman will recollect . that he had addressed a letter h
to real, or imeginary„ & became, if redressed, the source of grie-
the Daily. News in the latter part of last year, in which
.4 vows complaint against the Government. Thus whenever,
stated, that .he had received a letter from two prisoners
.m, under the areaty, eYStena, a sheep had been lost or an ox had
Cephaloniai the contents of which he had adopted by en- strayed on the eastern frontier of the colony.of the Cape, the
closing'it for publication in the lama paper. Amongst other , farmer had invariably assumed that the 'Kafirs i
had stolen t,..,
charges containeePin the letter made against Sir
.H. Ward, . and that the Government, ought to recover, it. Therefore,,
was one to this effect—that Sir H. Ward, on the..occasian of partly on account of that, partly on account of imaginary
his second visit last autumn to the island of Cephalonia, had depredations, the Colonial Government had been, constantly.
to withdraw their some of these prisoners signatures. called piton to enforce the preiisions of the treaties with the
induced
to the petition by offering bribes of money to their- wives, savages. . But those treaties could only be more, strictly.
and holding out.hopes of•pardon to the prisoners themselves. enforced..by constant recourse to armed. force, , and. that
Now; that Waal,- charge of a serious character, and reflecting, would lead to war. Soma Governors rashly engaged in war,
gravely upon the conduct of Sir H. Ward.. But Sir H. Ward, others endeavoured to avoid war.. For instance, Sir George
had written to him (Mr. F. Peel) on the subject of that Napier, who Shadbeen GoVernor of the Colony of the Cape
charge, and he would take leave .to. read the paper re- from 1837 to 1844; had stated in his dispatches, and in his
ceived !torn him in reference to it. What was the authority., - evidence before the Kafir Committee, that he had been re-
upon which the charge was made? On the authority of two peatedly 'urged to. Make-War upon the. Kafirs, and that there
prisoners, one of whom, Lamburnatos, was the second in were many, persons in South Africa who.prOfited largely by,
command, and directly concerned in the burning of Count Kafir, wars. Sir George Napier., stated that he . thought it
hlataxa and his four servants. This man has . written. a a great folly for a great country like England to be easily
paper in modern Greek. and dated from Corfu, the transitive provoked into a Kafir war; that he had declined 'for the
tion of which he had before him. The subject and purport sake of a few head of cattle to incur the expense of a K.afir.
of it was that he bad never signed nor heard of the letters war; and. he had proposed, instead of going to war, to . pay
to Mr. Hume; that an imposition. had, therefore; been.prac. in, certain special cases,, compensation oat of the public;
tired upon him,. for that he could not have signed it, because With
who had suffered from Kafir 'depredations.
it purports to have come from Cephalonia, whereas. With regard to this policy.. he (Sir W. Molesworth) mast
in reality, -he was all the. time in • the House of , mention a fact well deserving of attention - namely, that the
Correction .at, Corfu. Having thus taken the trouble of
interest of one-fifth of the, sum which a year .ef Kafir war.
ascertaining the truth of .thia charge.made against Sir H. would cost, weuld, more than corer the average annual loss
Ward; he trusted that the 'House would agree with him in from Kafir depredations. For Sir George Napier had stated
thinking: that- the • source front whence the Hon. Member that during. the six years Of his governmegt the average an-.
derived his infOrmation. was quite enough of itself to vitiate . nual loss from Kafir clepredatioets had not exceeded 36,0001.,
every-Other charge and allegation that could be made against a year. ' The Committee knew that a Kafir war now, costs
Sir H. Ward. --:(Hear hear.) In respect to the exercise of about 1,000,000/. a year, and he (Sir W. Molesworthifound.
the high- police' power under which he imprisoned editors that the statements of ir George. Napier were confirmed by
and wiitets bf newspapers,- he (Mt. Peel) could assure the official returns. For the ten years of Sir George Napier's
Hon.-GimileMan that Sir if. Ward was as staunch an advo- government there had been .ne Kafir war, Sir, George was
cate of a free press as •the Hon. Member himself, and that. ,an old. soldier—he knew the evils and the, coat of war, and.
he Wale -correct an appreciation of' what the rights of -the would:not rashly,eegage in it. Ile- thought that neither.
pressavereas •any person could have. ' But Sir He Ward felt the honour nor the dignity. of Great Britaiu required it. to.
that it Nita only-by this' exercise 'of the high police power treat savage tribes as civilised nations, nor to engage in re-.
that he tould punish those slanderous, immoral, and seditious • gular war with Kafire as with a European- community, for
Publications, that had disgraced the columns of the lonian violation of treaties and for offences ,against, the law of
newspapets ; and he was entitled to credit for so doing., nations. The policy of Sir George Napier had not been
Until hive' or three years • ago-there was a strict censor- lollowed by his successors. In 1846,,5ir ,Peregriee , Maitland ,
ship of the press, and - Lord Seaton proposed to remove :ievolved us in a Kafir war for the toes of one axe. In 1847
it. Earl Grey ultimately•assented to its removal ,on one, Sir Henry Pottinger renewed that war. for the. loss .of two
condition —'namely, that • a law of the press, - punishing goats-Great Britain had about .a couple of millions to• pay,
sedition, immorality, libel, and slander—similar 'to the and the consequence was that tha British .money abounded .
one in this country--should be passed. Lord Seaton did . in Cape Toivn,, and commerce flourished. The present war
proctire • such a law •to be passed, but experience , had -would' be more expensive than the last, for we had now in
shown' that that law was utterly futile and ineffectual. South Africa half as .many troops again
,as we had, in the,
Sir 11. Ward-' found it impossible to obtain a verdict war of 1846. The present war had been, produced partly by
under. it from an lonian jury. It should be borne in mind causes similar to those which had_ produced former Kafir
that 'Sir IL Ward had ,showris a great readiness to be re wars—partly by three. special Causes, . Those causes. were--
lieved of this power. , He did propose in the last lonian Par- First, the conduct of 'Sir Harry Smith in making.himself in
Bement to divest himself of this power, provided the As- 1847 the Mkori Mkalu, or great chief of British Kafraria ;
sembly would substitutelfor it a 'better law for the press. 'Secondly, the frontier policy of Sir .Harry Smith, which had .
That proposition was, however, rejected by a majority of 22 consisted in perpetual and vexatious interference with the
to 18—a majority that was opposed to the policy of Sir. H,
,affairs of the Kafirs, and in a continued and galling. attempt
Ward. He certainly considered from 1817 to 1848 that the to destroy the authority of their chiefs; thirdly, . the igno,
lonian people did not enjoy the full measure of independent ranee of Sir .Harry Smith. of, he feelings which the. Katirs en.
and 'constitutiorea 'government which was guaranteed to tertaieed towards him and his frontier policy, lie ( Sir ,W.
them "by dheireaty of 1815. They had only the appear- Molesworth) had proved these positions -at length last year.
anceof in-electoral 'body, because they were only permitted He would not do- so again, for they had not been .contra-
to choose one out of two names that were submitted to them. dieted, and, in fact, they had been, admitted in the last dig,
in the course of 1849 an adequate reform measure was car- patches of Lord,Grey. - Hethought. that Sir Harry Smith
ried, and electoral body was increased from 1,50010 ought never to ,have been appointed governor of the
about 6;000, and most- important rights were conferred upon Cape, and ought to have been recalled long ago. ,He spoke
them': A people who were now possessed of a constituent only of the civil proceedings of Sir Harry Smith. .He did
assembly, 'fairly chosen by themselves, had- the power of . not feel competent to pronounce a decided opinion upon the
working ont commercial representation, legal, or other re- military proceedings of Sir. Harry Smith. He must, howe,
forms, provided -they only showed themselves qualified to ever, say that he could not discover any essential difference
exercise and enjoy, in a proper manner, the liberties which between those tactics and those for which Sir Harry .Smith.,
were conferred by a constitutional government.—(Hear.) . had acquired great renown in the. Kafir war of 1835. Those
The motion was then agreed to, and the House went into tactics had been to starve the Kafirs into submission, by iri-
s Cortimittee of Supply. - - vading their fistnesse.s and .sweepitig off their . cattle.. For
THR KAFIR WAR. the slimess of those tactics, it-was indispensable to prevent,
On the vote for 460,0001. to defray the expenses of the the Kafirs from simultaneously invading .our colony and,-
Kafirwar being proposed, sweeping off the cattle of our colonists. For these purposes:
Sir W. MOLESWORTH' said he would not at present two armies were indispensable-enamely, an invading army
discitstt the causes of the present state of South Africa, nor and a protecting army. ; .Of one of these armies Sir Harry
what should be the' future - policy of this country towards Smith had been deprived by the discontent of the Dutch, toad
South Africa; .He should confine his observations to the the disaffection of the Hottentots. Therefore, when Sir
quest now before -the Committee, namely, -our expendi- Harry Smith invaded the fastnesses of the.Kafirs and swept,
tare on account Of South: Africa. He , wished •to call the off the cattle, the Kafirs :turned our flank, invaded the colony, ,
attention of the -'Committee to the great Anal increasing and carried off the Cattle of `the colonists. And when Sir
amount of • that, expenditure.: as shown by returns which Harry Smith: returned from. the fastnesses of the Kafirs,
had been lately presented to Parliament. That expenditure bringing 'along with:him • their cattle, the Kafirs returned
had -gone on steadily and rapidly increasing for the- last •to - their
.fastnesses, bringing along . with them the.
twenty years. On the average of the three years ending. cattle :of the colOnists. .Therefore, for the, ill-success
1850, it bad amounted to halt a million a year, or to about of • Sir Harry Smith's , tactics, those persons were
threetimes the average of the three years ending 1836 ; or chiefly to blame who had produced discontent. amongst
to about 5/, a head for every European colonist in South the Dutch, and dissatisfaction amongt the Hottentots. Into
sAeft ; Ors to about 20s. in the pound upon our exports to the cause of that discontent and disaffection he would not
South Africa. Those exports rose and fell pretty much as inquire at present. He must say that when he considered
oar Military expenditure increased or decreased, and were the position of ~our gallant troops in South Africa, in the
greatest immediately after a Kafir war. The reason was midst of a population one-half of whom were hostile, and
ai ple ; our exports to South Africa consisted chiefly of the other half were in about equal proportions discontented,
anion
merchandise for our troops, with some muskets and ammo- disaffected, and doubtful—when he considered that those
jien for the Kafirs; and daring er immediately after a troops had not suffered one positive.defeat, had not lost one
Kafir..r war there• was abundance of British gold in South single convoy, but had accomplished many gallant feats of
___a.tce,sand commerce flourished. Therefore, if we could arms—he thought that they deserved great credit forahem-
Wertlatir w our troops from South Africa, and as a selves, and reflected credit upon their veteran commander,
ii:rnsation for so- doing were to make the colo- whose health had been worn out in the service of his coun-
act actually • present of all our . merchandise which they try.—(Hear.) A high military authority had expressed his
The
y consumed, we should make a most excellent bargain. opinion in another place that when the fastnesses of the
e greet increase in oar South African military expendi- Kafiri! were stormed by, our troops, they. ought to be de-
tarebdd arisen chiefly from two causes--namely, from the stroyed, . and roads ought to be mode into them. With the
great increase in the extent of our South African dominions, utmost deference to that high authority, he (Sir W. Moles-
androm the abolition of the old and cheap sYstem 'of self- worth) doubted, whether those things could be doneby any.,
rot p s action .by the colonists. In the course of the last ten amount of military force which we could send to,South Africa.
y_esnrs. the British empire in South Africa had been more The -fastnesses of the.Kafire were of two kinds—eitber steep
than
~ doubled.. In 1842 it covered an area of 110,000 square -mountain, capped with aendatone, resembling._ vast,,,,fortifie
:17,• Id the course of the next six years 120,000 square - cations, with huge masses of sandstone rising several ,feet
the" lied 'been added to it, and it was extended to nearly - froth.. the surface of . the ground,; or deep, narrow, gloonlY,
_.27th degree of south latitude. If a line were drawn in • ravines, called kloofs.s., Both .mountains: and ravines were
put that latitude right' across South Africa, from the covered with the. peculiar. bush of. South Africa. In that.
long,
do, the Atlantic Ocean, it would be about 1,000 miles bush, and behind.the masses of sandstofie,. the Kafirs lurked
il, and would constitute about the northern boundary of .and skirmished with impunity—retreating as our troops ad,
the Brilith &minions in South Africa. The territory lying vanced—advancingas our .troops retreated. Qin troops could,
boss...the south of that line might be called British South. Attica, not occupy these fastnesses, for they could-not live in theme
,„',4,11e Ilite•tellths of it were British dominions, the re- To open roads. in theta., over. the mountains and the klooffS :
"unlng - tenth' was the territory inhabited by our Kafir. would be a task of, immense engineering difficulty, and, would
tdetnies and which was now surrounded on all sides but cost an immense sum of money both in making and, repair--,
tkei.nsiatide by`British dominions. 'I he area of British South -big.. And whee •the roads had been made, utilise the, bush.
the ca Was' aettooo square miles, about 'the same as that of on both sides were destroyed, the roads would be only narrow
ss_. 'Austrian empire.'' Its population amounted to about defiles, and the Kafir:lurking iii the bush would shoot with
(c‘ilt 00 persons; of these one-seventh, or about 100,000 were impunity. at our passing, troops. But.. to destroy.- the, bush-
discolir.°Pean, *iglu, and the greater portion of whom were would be a task of herculean labour, for the bush would not
ld'ented ; about 150,30(:t were Hottentots and mongrel' burn. It was composed of plants of so juicy a nature that
races;and
'generally dieaffected ; about' 350,000 were Refire flame would, not communicate froM one. plant to another.
and
kindred tilbeS most of whom were our avowed enemies;' An European could not , make a single step in the bush
fah.. tt the remaining 100,000 were Zoolabs in Natal, of doubt- without cutting, his way, except in,the paths made by wild
or allegiance. In the midst of this discontented, traitorous, beasts. But the Kafiri), with wonderful dexterity and
eenstile population, we bad about 10,000 British troops, agility,. crept through the bottom of the bush like snakes
0, Silt* and unaided, were, accOrdisng to, Sir Harry Smith, and other reptiles, and none but • Hottentots could follow •
l:_taing on a war ever an area or twice the Me atticdestroybush tt must, be • cut down. by
s tined Kingdom, with tribes as fierce as the Cireassians or the hand of man, and it must be kept down or it would
;18.etines. He' thought, therefore, the state of South Africa 80011 _spring :up again. To • cut, it down an army .of la-
dirn.4ticalS andsit 'was no wonder that our military expen- boaters would be requited, and whilst. doing it an army
The ur e. on account of it had greatly increased of late years. would be, required toprotect the labourers ; and when dime ,
(lit. other Cause of the great increase in our 'military expen- the ground would be, so sterile. and arid that it could not be
lona': eon aceonnt of South Africa had been', the abolition -in -applied to any useful purposes. Therefore, he .thought it
seo. of the old, cheap, and effectual' system of self-protection probable that the. bush of South Africa never woutd, nor -
OY the colonists. With regard to that system he must ob- .ever, could, be destroyed, and would continue tO,afford hidiog,
aoeurrVceotihat it was similar to that which had been used by places for Kafirs as long_ as Kafirs should exist.. He was,
Indians. lii
in North America in their conflicts with the afraid thatthe present Kafir, war was• not at an end. He •
When the 1 South Africa it had originated with the Dutch. , believed, however, that the commencement of the termiea-
of•thetolo• Dutch and Kafirs first met on the eastern frontier :nation had begun. It was a most important question, what.
irresistibl nYtot the Cape, the superior tattle of the Dutch had should be done: to prevent the recurrence of similar wars? -e .
warfare Katienipted the cupidity of the Kafir—a . petty • (Hear, hear.) He should not discuss that question at pre-.
former times. ensued, like that which bad raged in sent, except, to repeat a warning which he had given the
Scotland'. The 4 lithe borders between land and- House four years ago—nateety, that if our
betapreten 13 'tub
called, had combiner", as the frontier -Dutch • were African policy should be adheted to, there would
a regular‘ystem of
infor mutual assistance, and formed, 'war at,the end .of every flour or: five years; unless,' indeed,
system, When the
einegnar defence, called the commando we were to attempt to prevent a Kafir, wars by :keeping.;
his loaded musket, mountell Boer was stolen, he seised a large military force ,permaneetly
:stationed in South
gether, went off in pursuit _
sis horse, called his friends:to- Africa. •He thought that, under the present system, at
himself' with -a strong.-etto4;elfl his property, and righted least 7,000 British troops would. be regtiired to be perma-
touctillie better; if he did not h: recovered his,property so • neritly stationed in South. Africa to preaerve peace, and order
himself. ln these expeditions the B had nobody tnblatne but within the
.British dominions-4,000 :-men on the eastern ,
and' marauding savage with the heasotere..classed the prowling frontier of the colony of the Cape, 1,000 at
:Natal, 1,000 bid
With equal zest. the cattle-stealing lion andtY; and shot down - Orange, territory, and 1,000 for a garrison and teserved force
African savages, who, like . all other Kafir. The South at . Cape Town. Those 7,00 d men. would cost in effective:,
brute force, considered leniency to be wae'llges, worshipped military expenditure probably half a millien a , year, on the,,'
streilgth---who 'were accctietomed to,
slain
and cruelty ,:average of years. , This was not, an extravagant estiniate
their chiefs—hid been appalled by th.',7,so.eira wholesale by, ~ For the seven years ending 1850 our effective military
,exe,
of the Boers die
• his vigour and prowess, 100ked
energy penditure .on account of South ;Africa had amounted -toe
"int as a su- for being,. and feared more one isi' ouunted uPen 3,334,0004 or about 480,0001. a year; and, the average -
With his loaded roer than a score of her Majest , ed Boer number of British troops in South Africa during that period
Y 8 beSt d' •
coalined `troops. By these means the Boers had defends was 4,800. There could be little doubt that, under the pre-„
.
tilernseives as effectually on the eastern frontier of the Cape • sent system, the military expepditure of this country en ac- Gdottlto e•as their descendants' had lately done in the i count of. South Africa, for the next - period of, seven years
Orange tergtory and Natal, and now did under the -tropic I ilanamely, that ending 1857, would be greater than that for
of Capricorn, whence 'they had offered to come to our more etiod ending 1850. Because the present war was a.'
assistance.—.(ll h ) The commando system had con-
Nat, formidable one than that 1846 and 1847 t because
Hear ear.
tinned
ed in. full vi our up to , the year 1833, when •it., was Tar's and, the Orange sovereignty, which had . been . ac-
well on the - v•
ein the former • abolished. He g •-- • . had worked - ewe's' a
e .asserted that itnd,becau b od' • to b •
pen , were beinning, ecome expene 1
Whole in of the' frontier after the terminationse t.sere could bongo doubt that immediately i
f protecting the lives and property
sinners. ' He found that under that system our military • a view toe_
nof the last war Sir Harry Sreith, with ,
force in South Africa had been 'steadily and gradually di- military force Y had made too large a reduction,. in the
inished,' andconsequently militaryexpenditure had I system there •in
South Africa. Under the, • present
oleo. been
He found , South Africa; if wag
this dilemma with regard
the steadily and gradually diminished. d ' 'nat. force J°4 made
t in 1816. our military force in South Africa had ,mu y with n . too large a reduction in our
Yeameted to 4,500 men • that in almost every subsequent
.1 morelvg were erne"ottiview to the sieving of money,-.1
r down to 1833 it' had b ..
• .
een regularly dimini e , t
sh d till • [ thee they usually did, to disregard their treaties
ti 18a3 • 4. . than your savings w.___. : and then if war followed, more •
ti,t, ,it amounted to 2,000 men In that year our eoec i .. . we soon 3 e .
e Milititry -d" * 0001. Since you limn to enforce treaties Pnt, on the other,hand, if
th__ . , expen iture had amounted to 100, and prese peace,- •
en It had gone on steadiland rapidly increasing, both I eonstantly maintaM in South Africa rve you must
in 5.....!
, periods of peace and in periods r - Of the two 1, and incur almost ass war, expenditure. a stearge military forcer,
o aver.
J ikarg.Of peace ending•' that under: the ptent syste,
no .ll thought, therelore,
p.„ ~..
ti e. with' 1834 our effective military ex- ~prudent
Coloniesshould, after Secretary of State
CaCnt re on• account of South Africa bad been 100,0001. I for- the
a-Year; on. ~
dertake to preserve peace and order TU of the present
with 1846 the average of the three years of peace ending ‘l wars.uu . - ,
than 7,000 British trot ln British South
m liewithwere might per-
and lastly, on
_the ythree times what it had been in 1833; ‘- haps for a :time. •. , . lucky dti
of his Mee short, might get soma ,
.an ie
ending with' .18, average of the two years- of peace ' term - credit
to '380,000/. •
a ...,..
rthat expenditure had amounted , economist, but P b.l. h I .
in all ince i ity e wall d hectoo__. a as an
yea i or to
it had been in 1833.--- (Hear, nearly four times What Kafir war to his WA ,
espy. For instance, ,bittl
Lultrau costly
Grey not .
the beginning of last year,ah
to Isriods of • war.
.Ther hear.) Next, with regard • returned to.effice at s
0.
1 his administration would
any importance in the - interval There had been no war of ' accounts for the last year
diminution in our military expenditauvr "
aincelB33 there had been "three Kafir wars; 1819 and 1833 ; 'shown a considerable ~
~ _ would
is have e
ica • but e bequeathed
said to have coat 500,000/. • .tbe_ee r wars; the first was 'on account of South Aft
'f- the resent Kafir war. Th-ere_
2.000,000 L ; and we should be' lucky second had cost nearly to his successors the whole 9
adhere to our present. SOuth
the expense of the present one. Forth3'°°o9ooo/. covered', fore,if we were determined to a ,
minas to pay annuall
our. effective . military expenditure, on. e Year of war 1835. Africau policy, we must-make UP , out ,
EuropeancolOnlit in
Africa, had been returned at 240,000/. tscount of South about Si. ahead for the defence of every
ar. - (Hear.) ' _
the two years of war, 1846 and, 1847, it had ayerage of South Africa, or about halt a million aye .
system of
860d/OOL a year, or more than three times whataamounted to • his opinion a great chaege oughtto be made in our . _
to the colonists of
in 1835; and during last year it. must have tt.had been . South African policy. We ought.to give, , .
1 test con-
-IAOO,OOO/., or fully four times what it had .beenamotuated to South Africa the freest institutions and the comp e
T •
herefore, .since 1833 our peace expenditure. sl,l 1835' . as soon
trot over their local affairs.--(Cheers.) We .ought,
.circumstances
tstpenditure, on account of Smith Africa, had each of war . after the termination. of the present war. as
t.ta.
inereased fourfold, and our last peace expefidit had would permit, to require those colonists to take uppn 13e,
arethem
olceeded. by
_fifty per cent. our former war expenitn—d aelves the defence of their frontier against the native races
Therefore the year 1833 constituted an epoch in the historre. (Hear, hear)—and finally to reduce, the, reilitary,ferce in
of our South. African expenditure., . From:the peace ap
tY South-Africa to be maintained at the expense of this country
that:year, our expenditure had gone 'on gradually .diminiah°- to a garrisonait Cape Town, with a proportionate reduption
ing— in that year it reached its minimum;, ' thee- it oar military expenlititie.—(Hear, hear.) -
bed., 511344 it - •
sone on 'steadily and rapidlYincreasing, and would - Ur. HUME asked' whether the present .vote was for the
ncreaee :ii
, the present system were adhered to. -1n183; a _ whole year or only a portion of the year; and whether. any
greatehangewas made in our South African r Th Id
policy.. icys eo , - accounts had been received from the Cape to enable the Go-
°lleaPsandeffectual system Vet
had bee of self- protection by the colonists , nment to judge of the probable total expense? , • .• • •
for it n abolished; and the Colonial-office had substituted ' The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—It was-an
. the system of protecting the f • by • made estimate of the expense of the Kafir 2- h
nit .ravager, and enforced by frontier treaties M Marsh. , -
treat* Re had tls t. Ore icalty...t British troops. By those "--`'". With regard to future prospects, •it was altogether
-Fit4Pfpined the Smith African' iMpee.aible for hint, to say What they Ivere at, present; he
' -•
s .. . - . . .
F..
• -
s'; :-: i'' t- iS:

i'.+ .

. . ~ .
should -be better able to_da so, however, On the arrival-of the
' -text maiL a , . , . ~ ;
Mr. GLADSTONE hoped the Committee would mot rashly
infer from 'What the. Chancellor. • of the .Exchequerhad•saida
no doubt, in parfect.correctness, that, the , vote now proposed
'of, 480,0994, together w ith therote- a which was taken last
year of
:30000a, was anything like the total exp,enditurta
.On the contrary, these votes represented only the extra ex" •
pease of the, War, ,or rather only, apart of the extra expense
Oahe War. ' But• the figures And the military.expenaiture in
this matter were not the entire or worst part of the evil, •
though, the, figures themselves were almost frightful and in- j
'Credible.. The tales of the frontier. pelicy at:the Cape, and
of the loss brought, on this country in connexion with it,.
'would be regarded by those who came after us in future. ages.
'tie most fabulous.—(Hear, hear,)a It , would appear ex-
traordinary, that .a 'country .like . this should have • gene
hunting ` to that
very ends of, the earth, to ;find the
means and ppportunities of squandering. the. treasure .
and
._the liVes .of ' ats ~subjects„ , . and that for, no
conceivable purpose or policy—not to found colonies or ex
tend theni with greater effect than it might have done under
a different system, but .on the contrary, to deprive them of
`the opportunity of learning all the. lessons of freedom, of
self-reliance and of iiiaepenclence, which alone could be the
basis of their soaial'greatness, and which aloue could assure
either the duration or the utility of their connexion with,
this country. The ' Cotnmittee was indebted to; Sir W.
Molesworth on this Oceasiop, as on many former ones, for
having laid before it,in a form the most luminaus, and, with
a diligence the most praiseworthy, many of the facts which,
bore upon this interesting and most painful question- It
would he. quite unnecessary, therefore, for him (Mr. Glad-
etone)an go over ground; which had alreadv been so ably,
troddetaby his lion. Friend. ' There was, indeedaat abuna
dant scope for ' arithanetical calculations and comparisons, .
Whichineoana degree might bring home to the popular mind,
of this country the eilermoas_abaurdities that .we were,per-
petrating in Southert Africaa-aaafor instance, when we told
them that. the Oovernment'of South Africa-7not in one year,
or. in tWp, but habititafly and with every. promise of ,'perma-
nence—Cost os infinitely more.per head. than the government
Or. Great Britait and Ireland, they began. to think it strange.
Bat look at the matter' in,. another aspect, And inquire what
Were"those
.prOyinces in - Sputa . Africa, the _contigaity of
which to the laafirs had brought all, this, expense iippn. us;,
they would find
.that, according to returns which were, then
upon the table of the House, 5,500 was athe entire white •
population of the provinCe- of Alpert and 'Victoria, and the:
tearitoryknown as British..Xefraria.', And if ;they bought
up this population
_ten times trier, and transported them in .
Carriages and four -keen the provinces they; now, inhabited
.to a positfon'af security, the expense of so doing.-would not
amount to one-half or aone-fourth.patt of that which
they were expending in
,the 'Kafir mar. . And for. what
conceivahle'paneet a He was not arguing the pecuniary view
of the question, to induce" the Committee,, on account of pe-
.
cutlery losses merely; to forego the conferring some great
benefit upon 'Africa ; ,on the. contrary, the system they
were now ptrsuing conferred on Africa no benefit whatever, •
for it insured the reentretce of aheaes Itaffir . wars. with a
regularity that, antabeemning:abselately, astonishing. What
then was the course which the Parliament and the Goverta
Ment at home shenild pitraue ? lie feltahat it. was entirely.
'needless on this -occasion. to ,revive oldaquarrels. . They were
not discuesitig in' particular, the conduct ,of this or:
.that governor, ' or. ,of this . or that minister—ex-
cept that,' in rustic's. 'to Sir Hairy' Smitha he must
say, With his 'Hop. Friend Oir.W, Molesworth), that he
was not aware of • any valid grounds of censure upon - his
Military - character.777(Oheers.) He .(Mra Gladstone), set
aside all retrospect. of :a
,recranivatory nature, but be did
hope that `he might be permitted now again to pronounce
In this House words siniilar. to those. which he had taken. .
the liberty of using on a fernier occasion ; for when the last
`aaafir war was, about -being hrought to a termination, and.
they bad one of those votes proposed to ,them, he folloWed
the atiaht. Hen. Gentle Man the Member for NorthaMptot
( air. V. •'Smith) in beseeching and entreating. Parliament
to proceed' , seriously to consider • the ' question ,of our
frontier policy, and of _ our colonial, policy.
;it geteral
at the Cape, at one. of .those golden, opportunities when
the public Mind was smarting
,under the sufferings that
hid been ',entailed by,
Our past proceedings, and . subjects,
which were connected` with the welfare of .a remote de-
pendency were no tenger, dry or .uninteresting ,to it. 1
There was one passed' in a dispatch addressed. by the late
Secretary.for the .Colonies to the.' Gallant:Officer who had '
gone outao assume the government of the Cape, to which
he (Mr. Gladstone) could not help referringat the present
moment, because it was a passage which had the character
of being eminently prospectrie. He would. not answer for
precise accuracy in quoting'g. the .terms used ;„ hilt he
thought that General Catkin had been instructed in the
first instance to address himself to the conclnsion of the war,
that he had been instructed to.. expedite the ;.operation of
the constitution; and that he had been instructed, lastly,
Ito consider filly the qnestion of . the frontier policy, and
to make a report upon that question, to be submitted to
the British Gavernment, 'and ' Parliament. Now to. him
-(Mi. Gladstone) the prospect thus opened was by no means
satisfactory. Ile
.. was 'perfectly convinced , that. debates
in this country between one system, pa frontier policy and,
.another were, in the main,. idle, 'futile,, and Mischievous in,
their results. They would proceed upon the false assumption
that the regulation of the relations between our European
settlers and those barharens natives of Southern Africa were
matters to be settled only by gentlemen sitting here in, London.•.
They .alio proceeded on the false principle that the moving
power of the operations in our South African policy was in.
this country, and not on theasPet, 'and that the respontibility
for every 'depreditieaeonaniitted on the- frOntier rested on
that abase, and not` Olathe inhabitants of tee frontier itself.
It was not in the present century that that question had to.
be'cotaidered for the, first
,time--a(Hear,,hear)7,they;were,
:not
Witheut the light and teaching of experience, althoagh;
'they had; unfortunately choSen to reject. them. 'Their co-
lonists In North America' had had aborigines .to deal with,
andhad they troubled the mother country for armaments
and votelfor half-millions and millions of money, and for
'the fives and blood of their
.gallant men, in order to obtain a
defence against the barbarians on their frontier? No; they
had known well how to defend themselves and they had
at the same time regulated their affairs infinitely better
than they could have been regulated by this country, even
though we had expended all our national resources in the un-
dertaking. He wished, therefore, to avail himself of that op-
portunity of entering-his respectful protest against the funda-
mental principle of the policy that appeared to him to be in-
volved in the instructions to General Cathcart. He said that
it was not for the Government and the Parliament in this
country to devise a new system of frontier policy ; and
he was amazed that a . nobleman of great ability, who had
had long experience as a Secretary of State; should have
stated gravely that he was convinced the time had come to
consider the necessity of some change in our frontier policy.
why, they had been considering little else in our frottier
policy tor, the last 25 years; ,and . every change seemed only
to have :`made Matters Worse than they 'hid been before.
They had changed, it already, and they were, proposing to'
Change it again • just as a skit man in his bed, weary of
lying On one side, thought it better to turn on the other, not;
becanais belied any hope of :relief, biit because. the excessive
weariness and, disgpst: created by his position rendered him
wretched and imaatient. 't, them not ,again enter on the
Tuestion of changingtheirfrontieapplicy in a spirit like that.
hey lied aleeady. seen that hetevolence, ingenuity,., and
,courage had been exerted it that matter to the, utmost, and
had been exerted in vain ; and the result was,,that they had
. worse prospects before them' that-at any fornier period, unless
they, changed their wbole method if proceeding.; .If he as,
right, W
it was to the colonists themselves they Should look for
the regulation,ef their frontier relatiops.--(Flear.) And he,
should clad ;that, in that case, they should look, to the polo-,
nista also for the deterMination of whet that frontier was to
be"; . they should'; ;n9t. send • ,out gentlemen from .thie
' country,,
;with commissions and with treaties, .to disport.
themselaes in the wilds of Africa,,lay adding:; once a week
Or once a fortnight some district once or ;twice as large as
Great Britain to the domiticins of the Cape.. Whatever
Was•doee there . should be done under the responsibility of
_.
representative institutions;. and they might rely upon.
it that if they gave to the colonists the boon. of local
liberty—subject; of course', to the maintenance 'of,imperial'
unita—withotit • stint or; limitation, they would 'find no
disposition. to , grudge the ' sacrifices and, the, efforts
necessary for the , self-defence, of the colonists:aa
(Hear, :hear.) He was not so visionary, as to say that they;
• could expect at 'once. tcaptit an end to
.our Military establish-.
tents: on the frontier. What he wanted was to see the.
centre of reaponSibility and eaten, Which had been wrongly
placed in this country. by. a, modern and vicious' policy, in
despite of 'ancient and
_better example—what he wanted
was to see the centre of responsibility carried back to the
place froth whieh it ought never to have been removed.—
(Hear, hear.) liatatitei to, see the the colonial community
in full recognition' of the prinCiple that with themselves lay
the first ditty anclaespoesibility of their own defence. • .11e
was conainced that in. Urging that view lie 'was urging that
for whiCh they would tbepaselVes be the most. ready to ctin-
tend. ' Parliament 'and- the Gpvernmint had only to. give
them the freedom which; the Ainerieinti colonists had enjoyed ;
Nand With the enjoyment of that-freedom they would, he felt
persuaded,cheerfully accept the burden of its responsibilities.
What was the duty which the 'British' Government and;
Legislature owed to them? , Their. first 'duty was to protect
them against 'those enemies, if there should be such, with.
whom ' they could not themselves cope—againat ' civilised
'powers, if any attack, which he did. not see any reason to
apprehend, should be direeted'againat them by those powers.
say; would go further, and , that we should not grudge our
money in the first instance, „but that Wealiduld coutinue to
assist them liberally, ' until they should be . Completely ex-
tricated , from `a vicious - sYstem.—(Lleara heir.) . lie was
cure that - the Hen.' Member ' for Montrose -,Careftil; and
justly, careful, as he Was, for the economical" expenditureof
the public funds—iwould feel that we could not in a moment
cure the consequences of a - policy pUrsued duringi long
series of years. ' In , his (Mr. Gladstone's) opinion, no Oct-
betty 'eotild be ,more 'false.; than to put an end suddenly,
our Military expenditure' in Southern Africa. What
be recommended was a chafige in the
;,eentre of Teapot-
inbility. Let' that question: `be Made; a ealonial Ties-
: tion a let it be, treated as a local question, anti let it
fill within athe sphere of local liberties ' and local re-
sponsibilities, . :Surely that was no unreasonable demand.
Surely it was not a question of British, or imperial interest
whether or not,the, frontier of the Cape coloty should be, at
the Great fish" River, or the Orange River, or the Kei.
Those Were'rnatters, if ' there were any, which thecolanists
should be perniittad to consider for themselvea ; 'and if they
weee alldwed to consider`thein, theiaweald glidlY Undertake
—and they taid,alrectili I wade many. declarations to that.
effect,- to, discharge the duties Which belonged' to the condi-
tion of freecnen„Xlitarlause .reight rely upon, it that in
,doing everything they could to' foster that spirit of freedom
aim,. Self-re fiance, they would, on the one hand, be giving
the meat poweafol stimnlus to the growth bathe- colony and,
the development 'of its prosperity—a fataindie pOwerful sti-
mulus than they could give by pouring out their treasures
.over the sands of Africa ;. while they would, on:the other
hand,he was donvinceda by, contributing , to link with the
utmost possible firuiness the bonds of attachment which
connected that colony with ,England,--(lleara hear.) . .
• . Lind J. RUSSELL said.he. had. listenectattentiiely to the
flight Hon: Gentleman, with a hope. that he would have. fur-
pishad them With some gelation. of that Ver'ydifficult problem
—the government of . Southern Afriect Bata able and elo-
tiepposei ' was anent aa the speech of the Right lien. Gentleman undoubt-
reidale of the.
• ;PLY: w as, he (Lord a. - Resiell), confessed that he had
P,c_ala'ad from it no ueiv light with respect to the best :45;3-
firtcuptuey to be adopted in that etalony,, The question,
which.hed net that which the Right Hon. Gentleman
,h:4dgeonletoltfro
oqaestion to be discussed' at; present, in the j
la Reid
century, was tot such a pestion .as that
i. Itmoe North America in the aatii.-a(" Heir,
bear " tioral
her .for. Shifßeld aa:?ack.) .The Hon; and Learned Mein-
doubtm Etnisgaita„up:Stiotiothmat
country
tutlreyt
first persons who had
them lob, k i:it whatbeen done in North America. The
-sometimes consisting 'of the owners
'vessels, sometimes consisting':
of adventurers'
and crews of Merchant
. ott With some 'commission aroia _wild had 'gone.
,a aa ,_ the Crown, and sometimes
of individuals sugi%eu it expeditione partaking. rather of
tore of
the 'mt.had
buccaneering • or military
sOns fouttled the'Y enterprises-'
those- per,
,their" own ,
i of ' the Oast, 'and Settlements'
ca some 'par ~,.
_l__ Z , :41 tvap 'or three
'se, settiement3. were. swept
years . tilt)
been 'engaged in, ahein,hi away, and
-those who hadt been mardered
hy: the savagesino g Thoin 'they atiad.
"
• 't
of these transa • fixed '-• their
atone reached this
abodes. ' But no account . _ ,
. .
' d
,Of perhaps two or three y - -
Country for
_paperm _ , .
ht under any ears, and
the kno4ladge Of theth inlg i .. or . o,potcircumstances haVe
few 0 - 4 ' '
1 beeta,; tottrined tq
,a