The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-07 00:00:00

LONDON, THUBSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBIM 7, 1854,

OPENING OF ThE FIRST PARLIAMENT
OF THE CAPE COLONY.

The opening of the first Parliament of the Cape
Colony, Which we announced yesterday, may seem
a small matter to some whose imaginations are daz-
zled by the pomp and circumstance of Eastern war.
Others, whose imaginations are more under the
control of their judgments, may estimate the event
differently. The contests of old Europe are the
contests of mature and full-grown powers, which,
even on the assumption that they, do not verge to
their decline, touch at least upon their utmost
limits of development. The young efforts of South
Africa are the experimental trials of its strength by
an infant power with ample elbow-room about it
for growth and exertion. The interest of most
European states lies iu their past history : as for
the Cape Colony—" the vast, unbounded future
lies before it." The United States are a sample of
what English colonies may grow to, left to. their
own resources, with a wide field for their exercise.
The indomitable and enterprising spirit of English-
men is as fully alive in South Africa as ever it was
in. New England or Viroinia ; the position of the
Cape is as favourable to development of a great,
prosperous; and powerful community as that of any
part of the western continent.
Let us take a hasty glance at the local position
of the Cape Colony. The first'settlement made at
the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch was intended
to serve as a " half-way house" for their fleets,
between Holland and its Eastern possessions.
Cape Town has continued to be the " half-way
house" of the Indian trade of Europe since that
trade has grown tomore colossal proportions than the
most sanguine Dutchman could anticipate when the
first foundation stone of Cape Town was laid. But
henceforth the Cape Colony—the community occupy-
ing the southern extremity of the African conti-
nent—will be placed midway in the great highway
of trade, not between the maritime states of Europe
and a, few dependencies, but of many wealthy in-
dependent nations. On the east it has the Ameri-
can states of Oregon and California, with their out-
post of the Sandwich Islands : the English settle-
ments in Australia and New Zealand panting to run
the same career of independence with their kins-
men of the North American Union ; China, with
its yet problematical destinies, and the Asiatic
Archipelago • the empire founded by the Anglican
race in Hindostan. On the west it has theArgen-

tine republic—Buenos Ayres and Monte Video-be-
ing, in point of fact, European colonies ; Brazil—
the United States of the southern American con-
tinent ; the Antilles and the North American
Union and Europe. The Cape of Good Hope pre-
sents to the traders of these countries a convenient
midway place of rendezvous between those of the
east and those of the west ; and not to them only,
but to the whalers who sweep the southern seas.
The Cape, too, has natural products—raw materials
—of its own with which to supply the markets of all
these countries. At present it has, and for along time
to come it will have, the peltries and feathers of the
wild denizensofi ts deserts; but it has also woolswhich
already rival in quality, and may soon be made to
rival in quantity, those of Australia ; with a due ap-
plication of skill and enterprise it may be mado
fertile granary and rich wine-growing country ; and
it appears to be now placed beyond a doubt that
immense mineral treasures lie hid beneath its soil.
We may be told of the periodical droughts to which
it is liable ; but the numerous deep and narrow
ravines of which the country is full seem prepared
by nature to be dammed across in order that the
surplus moisture of rainy years may be stored up
for the needs of the dry years which alternate with
them.

The local position,and the natural resources of

the Cape of Good Rope, mark it out for a place
destined to be the scene of important events in
coming ages, when the mercantile enterprise and
ambitious struggles, which in the earlier ages of
our race's history were confined to the Mediter-
ranean, ana which in less remote times have ex-
tended to the Atlantic, shall have the universal
ocean and its shores for their theatre. And the
race which inhabit the Cape have that sturdy,
daring, dogged character which augurs well for
their acting up to the importance of their situa-
tion. The English colonisation of the Cape dates
only from the earlier years of the present century,
and its progress was for a long time slow and
feeble. The first vigorous impulse given to it
was no further hack than thirty years ago, when
the first settlers were sent out from this country to
Albany. But this English colonisation was en-
grafted upon a kindred stem—the earlier Dutch
settlements ; from which they have inherited not
only many valuable members, but also a
,certain
sturdy tone of independence, and not a few valu-
able hints for their local governmental insti-
tutions. Among the names of the mem-
bers of the first Colonial Parliament we find
Stockenstroms and Cloetes, of Dutch lineage,
mingling with the Barrys and Fairburns, of British
parentage. In the •noble struggle—clracterised
alike by self-control and fearlessness waged
against Earl Grey on the convict question, we re-
cognise the best features of those Dutch heroes who
maintained an unequal contest against the tyranny
of the Second Philip, and of the English Puritans•
who were the contemporaries of the emigrants in
the Mayflower. Nor is it in their resistance of
oppression alone that the Cape Colonists evince the
characteristics of their Dutch and English ances-'
tors • the industrial enterprise of their double
countryi also survives in them, and has already
made Pape Town a prosperous manufacturing and
commercial city, and stocked the pastures of Al-
bany with rich herds and flocks.
It is pleasant to pause for a moment in the midst
of the fierce and anxious struggle which now con-
vulses Eufope, and dwell upon the long vista of an
active, honourable career which is opening upon
our countrymen at the southern extremity of
Africa. The Cape long retained that dark and
mysterious character which the toil-worn comrades
of Vasco di Gama attributed to it. It is within
the memory of men now living that it was first
discovered to be an eligible residence for mankind.
We were much interested in turning over, a few
days ago, the pages of a book on South Africa, by
poor Pringle, so long the zealous and disinterested
Secretary of the Anti-slavery Society, by stumbling
on an extract of a letter from a college friend, who
was about to join him at the Cape. The writer, in
a strain of youthful enthusiasm, speaks of the pos-
sibility of their becoming the Franklins- of the
colony. This letter was written only thirty years
ago ; the writer is still in the prime of life, and he
has become the Franklin of the colony. It is Mr.
Fairbairn, the patriotic and sagacious leader of the
anti-convict struggle, the proprietor and editor of
one of our best colonial newspapers, and a member
of the first Parliament of the Cape Colony.—Daily
News.

INCENDIARY FIRE IN SUFFOLK.—On Sunday evening
a stack of wheat standing in a field in the parish of
Newbourne was discovered to be on fire. There being,
no water in the neighbourhood the stack was entirely
consumed ; it was the property of Mr. Wm. Kersey, of
Waldringfield, whose loss is covered by insurance. On
Thursday last a miserably tattered-looking tramp, whp
gave his name Henry King, describing himself as being
from Calcutta, and a land-surveyor, was examined before
the magistrates at Woodbridge, charged with having
set fire to the stack. From the evidence it appeared
that the prisoner was seen in the vicinity of the field
where the stack stood a few minutes before the fire was
discovered, and, being suspected, search was made for
him, and he was found sitting in a dark place in a hedge
about two hundred yards from the fire. On being asked
if he knew what was the matter, he replied, "No ;"
but was immediately taken to the fire, and afterwards
handed over to the charge of Mr. Fitzgerald, who asked
him if he had any lucifer matches, to which he replied
"No ;" but upon being searched- lucifer matches were
found in his pocket. On the following morning police-
constable Lushington, on searching near the fire, found
a considerable quantity of lucifer matches wrapped in
two pieces of newspaper. The matches found by him
corresponded with those found on the prisoner's person,
and the paper in which they were wrapped also corres-
ponded with the paper found in the prisoner's hat, and
formed portions of the same newspaper. The prisoner
was committed for trial at the next assizes.
CONSUMPTION OF BREAD.—Estimating that there are
24,000,000 of bread consumers in Great Britain and Ire-
land (leaving out 4,000,000 of potato eaters), and allow-
ing each person one-and-a:half loaves per week, it is
36,000,000 of loaves. Admitting that each quarter of
wheat makes 136 loves of bread, it requires 168,656 qrs.
of wheat per week. To this add 10 per cent. for flour
used in other articles, and it gives 295,521 quarters as the
weekly consumption of wheat, or 15,367,092 quarters
annually. London and suburbs, with its 2,000,000 of
population, consume 3,000,000 loaves weekly, and, with
flour, require 24,626 quarters of wheat. A quarter of
wheat will give 501bs. of flour per bushel, of the quality
which makes best seconds bread-40011n. altogether ;
and the quantity of flour will make 134 quartern loaves.
A quartern of wheat ground into flour, and taking out
only the rough bran, say about 51bs. to the bushel, make
141 loaves the quarter. A quarter of wheat ground
down into rough meal, without taking any bran, will
I give 621135. of meal, and that will make about 166 loavets
of hogthy brown broad,-.--LiVCrPOGI &Wen?.

THE WAR.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
The Royal Albert, 121.—Mr. Elibank Earley Murray,
serving in the Royal Abert, has been promoted to the
rank of lieutenant. He has left this ship. Her engines
are ordered to be tried in the basin on Monday next, which
will be done in the presence of the authorities and the
manufacturers, Messrs. Penn and Co., preparatory to the
machinery department being duly delivered over to the
Admiralty authorities.

The Andromache is now the floating powder magazine,
in lieu of the Mulgrave, which is to be broken up.

THE SCREW GUN-BOATS.

The new screw gun-boat Peltor was removed yesterday
from Messrs. 'Penn's establishment in Deptford, to Wool-
wich, to be completed. In the short space of 10 days her
machinery has been fitted, and bids fair to render these
little vessels all that can be expected of them— a class, as
we have before .remarked, unquestionably superior to the
paddle-wheel "Prussian gun-boats ;" for with the small
draft of about six-feet water, all the machinery is under
the water-line, and, being propelled by the screw, they
have no paddle-boxes like the Prussian gun-boats for an
enemy's target.

THE VACANCIES IN' THE BLACK SEA FLEET,

We are sorry to hear that the vacancies of seamen and
marines in the Black Sea fleet are greater than antici-
pated ; but not so many from aJarge proportion of fatal
cases, as from the great numbers that the medical officers
are compelled to invalid. Underthese'circurnstances it is
imperative to make good the complements of Admiral
Dundas's ships at once, and with this view the best men
of the Indefatigable, 50; Captain Hope, are to be sent out,
and othe? seamen from home ships will be drafted at once,
much to their satisfaction.

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES

• Fr.OM
SIR CHARLES NAPIER.

[FROM A SUPPLEMENT TO TUESDAY'S GAZETTE.]

ADMIRALTY, SEPT. G.

Despatches, of which the following are copies or ex-
tracts, have boon received from Vice-Admiral Sir Charles
Napier, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief of her Majesty's
ships and vessels in the Baltic :
RECONNAISSANCE OP THE ENEMY'S GUN-BOATS AND