The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-22 00:00:00

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

We have received papers from the Cape of Good
Hope, by the ship London, which has arrived with a
division of the 4th Regiment from Madras, to the IBth
of July. The Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral
Dacres, had not returned to the Cape from the Island
of Madagascar, but was expected at the end of the
month. Affairs were progressing satisfactorily at the
Cape, in the government of Sir Harry Smith, Bart.
The London put into Simon's Bay, in want of a
mainyard, water-tanks, and water, sufficient for the
troops during her passage home; this was supplied to
her from the naval department at the Cape, and she
has made the passage home, notwithstanding her
heavy freight, in less tims than her Majesty's steam-
sloop Devastation, with her 400 horse power to assist
her canvass. The London left on the 18th of July,
and arrived on the 20th instant ; the Devastation left
on the 2d of July, and arrived on the 11th instant.
The London is of 720 tons burden, and has brought
home from Madras, -which place she-le fit. tm-the .I,th
of April, for London, a cargo of rice. Passengers—
Mesdames Thomas and family, Weiss, and Knote ;
Rev. Mr. Thomas, Major Williams, Captain Well-
man, Lieutenants Madigan and Fitzgerald, En-
signs Ponitz and Knott, Lieutenant and Adjutant
Thompson, Surgeon Logan, 14 sergeants, 4 drum-
mers, 187 rank and file, 18 women, and 38 children.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
vessel Achilles, 940 tons, R. White commander, en
route from Southampton to Ceylon, arrived at the
Cape July 8. She left Southampton May 23, and
Gibraltar June 2.

We subjoin the following from the Cape papers :

(From the Cape Town Mail, Julir
The Legislative Council was adjourned by his Excel-
lency the Governor, on Thursday last, until October
next.

The following gentlemen have been appointed Com-
missioners to receive and investigate claims preferred
for compensation for losses sustained in the last Kafir
war, viz.—The Hon. W. Cock and J. Stewart, J. Collet,
W. Southey, and J. Carlisle, Esq..
The Graham's Town Journal contains the annual
statements of the liabilities and assets of the Eastern
Province, the Commercial and Agricultural, and the
Port Elisabeth Banks, all of which are in a prosperous
and flourishing condition.
The Frontier Times reports several cases of Kafir de-
predations; but the Graham's Town Journal, subse-
quently published, states that the latest intelligence
from British Kaffraria is, upon the whole, satisfactory,
for although there had been some thefts, there had been
corresponding activity on the part of the authorities.
The Natal Witness says—" Twenty men of the 45th
Regiment have obtained their discharge, to whom Go-
vernment have been granting either erven in this town,
or any of the new villages about to be established, or
suburban allotments. Some of the men are said to be
tradesmen, and are likely to find immediate employment
at good wages."

DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.
(From the South African, July 17.)
At the sitting of the Council on Thursday last, the
Governor proposed the following resolutions, and ex-
pressed his intention to introduce a law in accordance
with them at the next session :
" 1. That in the opinion of this Council the commando
system, hitherto and now in force for the defence of the
colony, is capable of being, in certain respects, re-
modelled in such a manner as to render the burgher
service, to which the inhabitants are liable, less burden-
some to individuals, and more effectual for the protection
of the public.
"2. That the task of improving the principle and ar-
rangement of the burgher force is one peculiarly fitted
for a time, like the present, of uninterruptt d tranquillity
upon, and beyond, the eastern frontier—a period of peace,
which the exhibition of unanimity and organization on
the part of the colonists must tend directly and power-
fully to perpetuate.
"3. That it is expedient to replace the present irre-
gular and apparently arbitrary mode of calling out the
burghers, by the more equitable system of a ballot, by
which, in every district where the Governor shall deem
it necessary, a sufficient number of the inhabitants, be-
tween the appointed ages of 16 and 60 years, shall be
selected (but with a power of providing substitutes) to
form the burgher force of such district.
" 4. That it will be desirable to provide for the mode
by which different classes of the inhabitants may be ar-
ranged in different companies or troops, so as best to
promote the convenience and efficiency of the entire
force.

" 5. That this Council will be prepared to make provi.-
sion for the payment, according to a reasonable and suit-
able scale, of the burgher force, whenever called out cm
service or required to muster, it being both just and ex-
pedient that the burden of the public defence should be
borne by the public at large, rather than, as now, by
indivividuals selected, for the most part, upon no fixed
principle.
"6. That this Council is of opinion that a legislative
measure calculated to ameliorate, upon the principles
above set forth, the existing commando law of the
colony, should be prepared and submitted to the Council
at its next session.'
The reolutious were carried unanimously.

EMIGRANT BOERS AND NEW SETTLEMENT
BEYOND THE ORANGE RIVER.
(From the South African, July 5.)
In accordance with the intelligence received from be-
yond the Orange River respecting the revival of a better
spirit among the emigrant boers, letters have been re-
ceived from Natal, from which it may be inferred that
those who had removed from the settlements are return-
ing, not only in spirit, but in body and goods, to British
allegiance, as the following extract will show ;
" Pieter-Mauritsburg, June 15, 1848.
"I rejoice to inform you that the measures adopted
by Sir Harry Smith to induce the emigrant farmers to
return to their allegiance and to this district, are begin-
ning to be crowned with entire success, despite all the
difficulties and impediments they had to contend with
from all quarters, and which made me at one time quite
despair of their satisfactory accomplishment. Gert Ro-
dulph, Andries Spies, Lobaschagne, Plessier, and
several other leading men, have already returned, and
themselves admit that they are but the forerunners of a
host, who at last begin to find that there is no country
like the Flip river."
This is gratifying, and it is to be hoped tl.
nth great
fountain of discontent—the land
le, and
be
speedily dried up by some clear, simple, easily un-
derstood arrangement, by means. of which the lands
shall be made the property of private individuals, with
full power over the same, from the moment of grant,
purchase, or cession, without any conditions that may
distinguish the owners of land from the owners of any-
thing else.
(From the South African, July 15.)
The intelligence this week from the interior is to the
30th ult. Mr. Biddulph reached Wenburg, on his re-
turn from Bloemfontein, on the 26th. The party of 300
armed boers, which were reported to have driven Mr.
B. away, had no existence but in imagination. It
appears, however, that on the morning of the 24th ult.
a Mr. Jacobs, the landdrost of Wenburg, before the pre-
sent arrangements were adopted (for, more properly
speaking, the landdrost form a certain party in that dis-
trict, for they were divided among themselves, and had
two landdrosts, each party acknowledging its own), rode
into Wenburg, having with him an armed escort of, it
is said, about 50 men, and proceeded to a room which
they call their Court-house, where they entered, and re-
mained some two or three hours, supposed in trans-
acting some business of their own, and then rode away
again as quietly as they entered. The eight men which
Mr. Biddulph took with him from Bloemfontein he had
sent back to that place.
Major Warden bad returned from a visit to the
Caledon River district, where he found everything
going on prosperously. Mr. O'Reilly had held several
meetings in his district, for the purpose of elect-
ing field commandants and field cornets. One had
been elected for Slik Spruit Field Cornetcy. Upwards
of sixty farmers attended at the election, and took
considerable interest in the proceedings. They
elected Mr. Hendrik Matthysen, who has for some time
acted as such. At this meeting 500 rds. was subscribed
towards the erection of the church at Smithfield (Cale-
don River), which raises that list to 2,000 rds. This,
with what is to be derived from the sate of erven and
the advance from Government, will enable the church
to be commenced almost immediately. In addition to
the 5001. which Messrs. Liaise give towards the build-
ing, they have also to construct a dam and water-furrow,
which they have already commenced, for the purpose
of sending water into the village. All dissatisfaction in
this district has ceased, and the people go heartily to
work in assisting to carry out the Governor's measures.
Returning from Caledon River, Major Warden held a
meeting on the 28th ult., at Andrees Lubbes, for the
purpose of electing field cornets; and two were elected—
viz., Michael Oberholster and Jan Cloete. Both have
ever been staunch adherents of the British Government•
and as a large number of the inhabitants attended at the
election, the choice of these two men shows most clearly
the good feeling of the people. The. subscription list for
the church at Bloemfontein now amounts to 2,340 rds.
The land commission would have commenced its
' operations in the direction of Wenburg on the 6th inst.
,o

THE KAFIR FRONTIER.
By letters from the Kafir frontier, it appeus that the