The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-17 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

(EXTRACT OF A LETTER.)
Even during my short absence from the colony, a visible
change has taken place, whether for better or worse I cannot
say. The influx of Slave Compensation Fund awarded to
this colony has been the cause of much speculation lately;
and, in miniature, the mania for Companies appears to be as
strong in Cape Town as in London. We have the Cape
of Good Hope Banking Company, Steam Navigation Com-
pany, Assurance Company, Boat Company, South African
Assurance Company, Bank Company, Marine Assurance
Company, and heaven knows what besides. No sooner is
a Joint Stock Company proposed than shares areimme-
diately subscribed for, and the next day sold at a premium.
Of course this will not last long. Mortgages bore 6 per
cent, interest when I left the colony ; they now, in many
cases, bear only 4 per cent. First, property has risen.
nearly 50 per cent., labourers' wages the same. Beef has
been as high as Is. a pound, it is now Bd. ; salt butter 2s.
a pound; food for horses nearly double what it was two
years ago ; bread in proportion. Metchants are obliged to
be content with less profit than before. Political conten-
tion has subsided a little, at least as far as I can judge.
At present Governor Napier is visiting the frontier districts.
The Lieut.-Governor Stockenstroom has procured leave of
absence, and will shortly proceed to England to lay his
wrongs before Ministers. Col. Hase, of the 27th, has been
appointed acting Lieut.-Governor. The Ex-Governor, Sir
B. D'Urban, is still rusticating in the colony. The Editor
of our Liberal Paper (commercial Advertiser) was tried
for a libel, the other day, on one of the Members of Council,
and was convicted in a penalty of 201. As he libelled two
or three other Members of Council at the same time, I am
told they each intend bringing an action against him. i
send you the paper containing the libel and the result of the
trial. If I mistake not, the London Papers libel Ministers
and Members of both Houses of Parliament
daily.Aalmfe7montlis
How out lords-paramountdomineer.over us.
prohibiting the
ago, a Bill passed the Colonial Legislature,
came t o
sale of any description of article on a Sunday, .
work of any kind. The consequence wa,,
for this port, hot
be known, that vessels not exactly boundce to touching at St.
when
eto,
nd
forbiddingi t
which called here for water in
has since been altered, and butchers,
the
morning on Sundays.
can sell till nine or ten o'clock in
of
butchers
'shambles,and
number
Helena or other places, abandopnreefderuesalbtoagkeetrh,,era.ndTohtebelaisw,
There are only a certainf
G
Government. They are annually
they arc the property
other place in Cape T
any
monopoly.
disposed of by tender, ando cattle_oiv
ns oor
tsitte ptbceansanloet emkeTte d
isi

An inquest was held yesterday evening, at St. Bar-
tholomew's Hospital, on the body of a child seven years of age,
whose death was occasioned by his pinafore catching fire
during the temporary absence of his mother. These accidents
sre of daily occurrence. The Coroner and jury lamented the
great sacrifice of children's lives by fire, which arose from the
parents not having it in their power, through poverty, to tcave
a person in care of them during their absence. Vradict—
Accidotal death."