The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF COMMONS, April 10.
ST. ALBAN'S ELECTION.
Mr. AGLIONBY moved that the evidence taken
before the Committee should be produced for the in-
formation of the short-hand writers. They first got
the report of the Committee, and that was, that Henry
Edwards should be taken into custody, and that
his evidence should be presented to the Committee.
That evidence was now in the hands of the Members
of this House, but no results had followed from
its publication. The Hon. asd Learned Gentleman tin n
read a variety of extracts from the report, and then pro-
ceeded to say, that out of these remarks two questions
arose; one was a matrer of common law, and the other
of common sense. He was aware that the House
was quite indisposed to attend to questions of law,
but 3 et it was necessary to look to thin matter,
for the evidence of Mr. Edwards had never
been personally derived from him, and therefore
no result could possibly arise except through the action
of the common laiv, and that was decidedly in favour of
the defendant. By the 73d section of the 11th and 12th
Victoria, the whole of these delinquencies were dealt
with, and regulated the rules for Select Committees;
and from that section it was evident that the in-
quiry could not be proceeded with, under the cir-
cumstances, by the Committee or the petitioner.
He was told that the Committee were anxious to adjourn
beyond twenty-four hours, and they applied to the
House to do so. The House gave them leave, but after
that leave they neglected to meet again for the purpose
of declaring the adjournment as the spirit of the Act
required, and, therefore, before he proceeded further, he
should be glad to have the opinion of the Speaker upon
this technical point, because he thought the omission
be had mentioned was fatal to the wnole proceeding.
lie would therefore. move that, as the committal of Henry
Edwards was informal, he ought to be discharged from
eustody.
Mr. GOULBURN thought sufficient time had not
been given for considering the evidence in this case.
Mr. E. ELLICE, the chairman of the Committee, re-
lated the steps which had been taken in reference to the
adjournment. He was instructed by the Committee some
days ago to apply to the House for leave to adjourn for
a week. Leave was granted, and they did adjourn ac-
cordingly without again meeting; but be apprehended
there was no absolute necessity for a pro farms meeting
to adjourn.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the question
raised by Mr. Aglionby was one of great nicety, and one
which was deserving of consideration before it was de.
cided. He should therefore propose that the evidence
should be printed, and the question brought on at a fu-
ture period.
After a short discussion the motion of Mr. Aglionby
was withdrawn, and on the motion of the Attorney-
General the evidence of the Committee was ordered to
be printed.
Mr. AGLIONBY contended that the committal
of the prisoner was altogether informal, accord-
ing to the rules of the House and the principle which
had been followed in other cases. The charge against
him was that he bad dissuaded another party from
attending the Committee and giving evidence
who had not been served with a Speaker's
warrant, and the Act of Parliament referred only to
those cases in which a party was guilty of keeping a
witness away who had been regularly served with a
warrant. The Hon. Member concluded by a motion, as
we understood, for the liberation of the prisoner.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said it appeared to
him, after the best consideration he could give
to this case, that the proceedings of the Com-
mittee were strictly legal and proper. Edwards
it was proved before the Committee had tampered with
some of the witnesses, and the committal was therefore
within the jurisdiction of the Committee. Unless the
Committee possessed this power, this Edwards or
any other party might go on tampering with the wit-
nesses with impunity, but, said the Hon. and Learned
Member, Edwards ought to have been called to the bar
and asked if he had anything to say against his com.
mitts!. No doubt upon abstract principles that was
the moat desirable course, but this was not the practice
of the House, and the practice could only be changed
by resolution. In the case of the Ipswich election a per-
son alleged that he was tampered with by six persons—
three were first charged and given into custody. Ulti-
mately the whole six were charged with the offence, and
their explanation, not having been considered sufficient,
they were imprisoned. An Honourable and Learned
Friend said that was on a final report. He knew it was,
but there was an inherent right in the Committee to see
that justice was not frustrated. It appeared to him,
therefore, that as far as they had gone, the Committee
had acted quite right. As to the propbsal to hear Ed-
wards, there might be no objection to that, but he hoped
the House would agree with him in thinking that the
Committee up to the present time had acted properly.
Strangers were ordered to withdraw, but no division
took place, the motion having been, as we understood,
withdrawn.
On our re-admission to the gallery,
Mr. AGLIONBY was giving notice that to-morrow
he would move that Edwards be beard at the bar of
the House.
EXPENDITURE OF THE EMPIRE.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH then rose, pursuant to no-
tice, to move the two following resolutions:-
1. That it is the opinion of this House that steps
should be taken to relieve this country, as speedily as
possible, from its present civil and military expenditure
on account of the colonies, with the exception of its ex-
penditure on account of military stations or convict set-
tlements.
2. That it is expedient, at the same time, to give to
the inhabitants of the colonies which are neither military
stations nor convict ;settlements ample powers for their
local self-government,„and to free them from that Im-
perial interference with their affairs which is inseparable
from their present military occupation.
In doing so, he observed that the question of how the
avowedly great expenditure of this empire might be re-
duced without impairing the efficiency of its services and
defence, was one in which all were interested. The
greater portion of our expenditure consisted of two
brarcbcs. Thorp wag, first, the interest of the na-
tional debt, in which branch no reduction could be
made. The other portion of the expenditure
consisted in the government of the United

Kingdom and the colonies. He would not then enter
into the question as to whether any reduction, or what,
could be made in the expenditure of the Government of
the United Kingdom; but he was of opinion that a very
considerable reduction might be made in our colonial ex-
penditure.—(Hear, hear.) In order to sustain his posi-
tion it would be necessary for him to state the expendi-
ture of the United Kingdom with respect to her colonies;
but he regretted to say that he could not procure returns
for a later year than up to the date of 1846. The Noble
Lord at the head of the Woods and Forests knew how
hard it was to obtain accounts and returns of that de-
scription. Since the year 1846 some reductions had been
made in that expenditure, but he believed they would be
found to be very inconsiderable when compared to what
might be made.—(Hear.) The expenditure of the colonies
in 1846, then, it appeared, had amounted to 3,500,0001.
The civil expenditure had been 500,000/. ; and the
military, including ordnance and commissariat charges,
about 3,000,0001. It appeared that the military ex-
penditure had increased very rapidly of late years ; for
the amount in 1846 was 1,200,0001. more than it had
been in 1832-33. But the amount he had stated did not
by any means cover the military expenditure of the
colonies; for that was only the sum paid for actual mili-
tary service then being performed. There was besides a
large sum to be paid for services already rendered in the
colonies, which must prove a perpetual amount of dead
weight. Taking into account the whole military expen-
diture of the country at 6,600,0001. for effective service
and 2,000,000/. for non- eff, cave, he was entitled to de-
duct s.llths of that 2,000,0001., and set down the amount
of the dead weight at 1,000,0001., which being added to
3.000,0001., made the colonial expenditure 4,000,0001.
He was entitled, moreover, to add a further sum for extra
troops to afford relief to the troops serving in the colo-
nies.—(Hear, hear.) In bringing forward a motion for
the income-tax Sir Robert Peel had said that " the
main expenditure of the army was caused by the extent
of our colonial dependencies. To have those depen-
dencies, and to make no relief for the troops serving
in them, would be inconsistent with humanity as well
as effective service. This country had thirty-five
battalions of forces, not for the purpose of restraining
its population, but to carry out a system of relief; fur
our rule was for the army, five years at home and ten
years in the colonies." The meaning of Sir Robert
Peel's speech was, that you must renew tee income-tax
because you cannot reduce your expenditure. We must
afford relief to the troops in our colonies. It appeared
ale.' from what the Right Hon. Secretary at War had
said a few nights ago that for every two regiments which
we had abroad we should have one at home. Thus, sup-
posing there were 30,000 troops on service abroad, we
were bound to have 16,000 at home to relieve them.—
(Hear.) He believed he did not over-estimate the mili-
tary cost of our colonies when be took it at 4,000,000/.
a-year. That amounted to a sum of 9s. in the pound on
our exports to the colonies, and exceeded the whole of
the local revenues of the colonies by 600,0001. He felt
persuaded that a considerable reduction might be effected
in that expenditure. At the present moment the number
of troops in our colonies amounted to not less than 44,000
men, exclusive of the reinforcements which had just been
sent to the Cape of Good Hope. Nuw the only effectual
method of reducing the colonial expenditure would
be to diminish that excessive force. A consi-
derable portion of the troops were employed in the
defence of those military stations which we held in
various quarters of the world. In those stations we had,
in the year 1847, not leis than 16 700 men, who were
maintained at a cost of 710,000/. a year. This country
desired to be the first naval power in the world—to en•
joy the dominion of the seas for purposes of internal se-
curity, and for the protection of her commerce; and it
was, therefore, assumed to be necessary that she should
occupy strongly-fortified positions in various quarters of
the globe. But he believed it would be admitted that
those military stations should be as few as possible; and
should be so selected that they might be maintained with
the least possible expense. They should, in fact, be
small isolated spots. It would not be good policy on the
part of this country to take military possession of vast
islands, or of large portions of continents, or to attempt
to defend an extensive coast or a long line of frontier.
That attempt had been made in South Africa with the
most costly and disastrous results. He feared that if we
were to persevere in that policy, the British empire, while
it extended its extremities would paralyse its centre, and
would ultimately perish of exhaustion. There were, in
his opinion, but eight or nine stations which it was
desirable that we should occupy as military posts—
namely, Gibraltar and Malta, in the Mediterranean ;
Bermuda, in the Mid Atlantic; Halifax, commanding
the coast of North America; Barbadoes, among the
West India Islands; the peninsular extremity of South
Africa, on the route to India; the Mauritius, in the
same quarter; Singapore, at the entrance of the Chinese
seas; and perhaps he might add Hong Kong, in the
same seas. He readily admitted that the charge of
maintaining the troops in these stations ought to devolve
upon the mother country. The general rule in that
matter was that troops required fur Imperial purposes
ought to be paid for out of the Imperial Exchequer, and
that troops required for colonial purposes ought to be
paid for by the colonists; but in order to carry out
that principle it would be necessary to extend to the
colonies the principle of local self-government. Ever
since Now England had been discovered it had been the
policy of this country to plant her distant pcasessions
with other Euglands, and it was manifestly her interest,
and ought to be her ambition, that those her children
occupying what had previously been the uninhabited
portions of the earth's surface, should carry with them
to their new homes the laws, the institutions, and the
feelings of Englishmen that they should there
become energetic, capable, and willing to aid their
,parent in times of need, and not weak, puling
infants, ever crying to their mother for assist-
ance, and exhausting her purse. If our colo-
nies were attacked during a war in which the whole
empire was involved, the mother country ought, no
doubt, mainly to bear the expense of defending the colo-
nies in such a case; but even then, he believed that the
colonies, if well governed, would readily contribute their
fair portion towards meeting the expense of such a war.
But, in the case of a war with frontier tribes, the ques-
tion arose whether the expenses of a war of that descrip-
tion ought to be borne by the local Government in
each colony, or whether a portion of those expenses
ought to be defrayed by the Imperial Government.
Now, it appeared to him that the answer to that question
depended entirely on the nature of the Government es-
tablished in the colony. If the inhabitants of the colony
enjoyed local self-government, then he said that they
should be held responsible for the cost of such a war,
and that no portion of it should be defrayed by the Im-
perial Government. He believed that if that principle
were adopted the local Government would take good
care not rashly to engage in such a war—(Hear, bear)—
and that,' when engaged in it, they would take good care
to bring it to a termination as speedily as possible, and
at the least possible expense. But that, unfortunately,
was not the case when the Imperial Government had to
defray the expenses of the war, because there were many
persons in every colony who had a direct sinister inte-
rest in increasing the amount of the Imperial expendi-
ture. The people and the Government of this country
had no means of controlling that expenditure, nor
even of becoming acquainted with the mode in which
their money bad been spent. He believed that
no Member of that House had any notion how
2,000,000/. had been expended in the late Kafir
war ; and Sir H. Pottinger had stated in a dispatch
to Lord Grey, that it would be impossible to convey
any idea of the fraud, peculation, and confusion which
had prevailed during that war. Generally speaking the
House knew nothing whatever about those matters until
two or three years after the money had been expended,
and then they were told that measures would be taken
to prevent the recurrence of such expenditure in future.
The House was easily satisfied with such a statement,
and nothing more was heard upon the subject until they
were again furnished with a similar Bill.—(Hear, hear.)
It appeared to him to be of the utmost importance that
we should not, if possible, be rendered liable for any bill
on account of such a war, because a Bill of the kind
would always be sure to be a most extortionate one. If
in any particular case it should be deemed expedient
that this country should come to the assistance of a
colony possessing representative institutions, it appeared
to him that by far the best and most economical mode of
so doing would b© to give the colonists a round sum of
money, and then let them employ that money in the
manner they might deem most advisable. But if the
inhabitants of a colony had not the management of their
own affairs, if they were governed directly by the
Colonia-office, then - the Imperial Government would
be responsible for the management and the
expense of any war in which the colony might
be involved. Then, again, troops might he required
in a colony in order to preserve internal peace and
tranquillity. Now, if those troops were necessary for
the purpose of suppressing riots and insurrections, it was
evident that the riots and insurrections must be the re-
sult of bad government, and fur the consequences of that
bad government he would hold the governing body re-
sponsible. li, therefore, the colonists had the manage-
ment of their affairs placed in their own hands, he
would compel them to pay the cost of troops employed
in such a service; and if, on the o her hand, they did
not enjoy self-government, he thought the mother
country ought to bear the charge. In the case of the
war in Canada, this country, which, misgovern-
ment of the authorities by whichit way bythe
represented, had
been responsible for that war, had been compelled to
pay its expenses; and that very circumstance had con-
vinced us of the policy of extending self-government to
Canada far the future. He confidently believed that
the occurrence of a new Kafir war, and the expenses to
which it would give rise, would open our eyes to the
wisdom of pursuing a similar policy at the Cape of
Good Hope. He contended, therefore, first, that no
troops ought to be maintained at the expense of
the United Kingdom in a colony properly so called
institutions,
either it had obtained representative
either for a war with savage tribes on its frontier,
or for the preservation of internal peace and secu-
rity; secondly, that if the Imperial Government were
ten-
gaged in a war with a foreign Power, the expense of the
if for defrayed
troops placed to defend the colony ought to
e that be
by the Imperial Government; and, la
cer-
tain Imperial purposes it was deemed expedient to gar-
rison certain military stations, the expense of those gar-
ripens ought to be defrayed by the Imperial Govern-
ment. He would next pass to a review of our different
colonies, and endeavour to ascertain how far reductions
might be effected in the expenditure in each particular
instance. He would begin with the North American
colonies. In the year 1824-35 a Committee of that
House had recommended that the utmost economy should
be adopted in every branch of our military expenditure.
At that period, however, the number of our troops in
the North American colonies had amounted to only
5,362 men, maintained at an annual expense to this
country of 387,000/. Since that period a very great in-
crease had been made in the military force in these
colonies, with a cerrespondiug ivcre.ze hi Eno effective '
military expenditure of the United Kingdom, on account
of them. In 1846-7 the military force in these colonies
had amounted to 9,743 men, and the effective open.

diture on account of them had been 645,213/. There'
fore, in 1846-7 the military force in these colonies
exceeded by 4,374 men the force which had been CO
sidered sufficient in 1835, and that excess bad cost
this country about 300,000/. Last year the military
force in thete colonies had been about the same as it had,
been in 1846.7. He understood that it was somewbo
less this year. Why had the military force in the colo-
nies been augmented? It had been first augmented in
consequence of the rebellion in Canada. That rebellion
had been occasioned by Colonial-office misgovernment'
and the people of this country had been very justly flue •
2,000,0001. for it. The result of that rebellion WO
been that the North American colonies had obtained re'
sponsible government, and in fact at the present me"
ment they possessed the almost uncontrolled manage:
ment of their local affairs, and enjoyed in some resrc,_':
a greater amount of self•governrcent than the neigh
bouring states of the American Union. He must 51
that he thought Lord Grey deserved great credit for his
wise and judicious conduct with regard to these colonic,
especially for his determination to surrender to the
Legislature of Canada the power of dealing with the
clergy reserves. It was said that it was necessitrY
to maintain troops in the North American colonies
for the purpose of preventing annexation. He "41'
tended that there was no danger of annesatt°ll
unless the majority of the colonies were favourable to
it, and if such were their desire it would be folly to set
tempt to prevent it by force, which could have no oth
effect than to prolong a bitter and disastrous contest.
But there was no immediate danger of such an event le
long as the wise and prudent policy of Earl Grey
pursued. Again, the necessity of a military force
insisted on to guard against the possibility of a sadden
tbe
attack from the United States. But what was
amount of the regular military force maintained by the,
United Statue? Last year he believed 10,000 troops
alone were maintained to protect the whole of the Op
terrace ies of that power, extending from the St. l'ate
rence to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Atlantic le
the Pacific. But under a wise and prudent policy the
colonists themselves would willingly and cheerfully re'
list such an aggression were it attempted, It was
times said that Quebec and Halifax were important re
tery posts, and therefore required to be well garrisonrt
Admitting this, he thought that 3,500 might suffice !e0
the North American colonies, by which a reducti°r.
might be effected to the amount of 400,000/. seed
He now came to the West Indies, where WO
sixteen colonies, for the protection of which 6,261 troop
01
were employed in 1846-7, at a cost of 496,01),
a year to this country, an amount equal to nywni
sixths of our exports to them, and to six-seventh':
their local revenue. For what were these troops r-
quired? He could understand their necessity deriegt
the existence of slavery; but the same argument did iv
exist now. If the force was preserved for the purreese
of preserving peace and tranquillity, according to the
argument which he had used, these were strictly lees'.
objects, and ought to be defrayed by the local gorel,
meats, for most of them possessed representative il
tudoes. But were there any Imperial purposes fit
which troops might be required in the West Indies? 0,
was argued, with respect to the West Indies as with: Lc
gard to the North American colonies, that a military
force was required to guard against sudden' aggress,°,"l,
from the United States; but to this his reply would bet"
same as with reference to the latter colonies—namely' r
that there would be no danger, unless the inhabitant",d,b
sired separation; and if they did so, it would be foe";.0
to resist them by force of arms. Even supposing it lee•es,
politic to adopt such a course, as most of these o°lo,
were islands, the best mode of defending them would be at
naval force; and as no reduction had been made ill tbinil
force, there was no fear of aggression against those et',
nies from any quarter. But it was said that Barbal"l4
was an important naval station, and that there were e5„,-
important stations in Jamaica, and that Imperial troerin
ought, therefore, to be maintained there for purpose": wt
Imperial policy. But even here he thought ass°3t7)
might, be effected of 250,000/. a-year. He now calmer°e 0
the Australian colonies, from which he excepted vf„t
Diemen's Land, which was still a convict colony, and
„3,
which England was, consequently, bound to pay. ItiSbe
out attempting to form an estimate as to what should tjt
the expense incurred for troops in that colony he luig
observe, that in determining that question two fig
ought to be borne in mind—first, that we bad just gi'm
it representative institutions—and secondly, that !be
vast majority of its inhabitants were opposed to
transportation of convicts to their shores, which th.... 7
would probably resist as soon as they had the means'ol
—(Hear, hear.) In 1846 and 1847 the number
troops in Australia was 2,236 ; since then the greater
04
part had been withdrawn, and he was exceedingly lgi,t.
to find that the Government had intimated their det-toe
mination that no troops should be kept in these c°'o
ides at the xpense of the mother country, except Mel'
' which might be required for a guard in P'-'
bourne and Sydney. In a dispatch with refs
rence to New Zealand, Lord Grey observed that.
the earlier days of British colonisation the coier):•
were left to depend, in a far greater degree than st pros
sent, upon their own exertions. The inhabitants of the
present United States were left with exceedingly lit
assistance from the mother country to defend thenise,lo
against the numerous warlike tribes of Indians by ri, nio
they were surrounded. That was precisely whe'the
wished to see established. He should like to see
030
colonies dependent on their own exertions, at the °of '
time giving them representative institutions. 11° het
came to New Zealand, and he was sorry to observe hies
unfortunately the greater portion of the troop '
had been withdrawn from New South Wales had
,„%et
been transferred to that colony. In 1846-7 the nom 0d
was 1,629, at a cost of 85,0001., which had been inore""r
in 1848 to 2,948 men, at a cost of 150.0001. a year,' 6
elusive of 20,0001. or 30.000/. voted for the civil
poses of chose Guiontes, an amount contia"..bly 9%pcuolt
trig our exports there, and three or four times as in i°
as their local revenue. The House would be able;00
judge how preposterous was the number when lie Abe
formed them that in tne northern island, where 011" 0
troops were stationed, the number of adult Buren,
males not soldiers amounted only to 3.157 men, ele,enge
ing the number of troops by only 209 men; and, in ',;(3cl
in New Ulster the number of military in 1848 'O,
amounted to 1,798 men, and exceeded by 298 men therm
her of adult European males not military. Fur what PIO
pose were those troops required? For wars wit113,%-e
natives? He would reserve the observations whiob,,
had to make with regard to war with natives sal be
arrived at the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, snafu,
only express his conviction that with free
lust? dr
thins the troops might be withdrawn from New Zeta-be .
at least from New Munster, and the colonists wor,ote
sully capable of defending themselves, and would '„0
care to keep peace with the natives. Lastly, he vrewpfe
consider the military cost of our South African Poesp-0.,
,ions. The Committee of 1834 on colonial military (ice
penditure had approved of a reduction of about 2,00
men, and cost in 1832 about 100,000/. Since then th('
a n .
had been a large increase beta in the military force 0J
expenditure for that colony, chiefly in consequelie.,,eids
Kafir wars. In 1835 there had been a Kafir war, ^6,/
a military expenditure of about 240,000/. In 1135:0
there had been another Kafir war; we had had 6,40
regular troops in the colony, and expended on !oe
685,0001., a sum amounting to 265. in the pound
th to
na
our exports to that colony in 1849, and equal to 0s
times its local revenue. The last Kafir war 05;10
2,000,000/. The present Kafir war seemed to be le
more formidable than the last, and, thereforerked
likely to cost a still larger sum of money. He eYiePte
to call the most serious attention of the Hoasebea
the subject of the present Kafir war, for it illustrs,',,
and confirmed all the positions which he bad eased
veered to maintain; and its outbreak had been ottedee
the chief reasons which had induced him to gives °„"se.
of the resolution which he should propose to the
There were three important questions with regard °led ,
First, who would have to pay for it? Secondly, svhe'tbet
to it, and who was to blame for it? and, thirdly, °of
steps should be taken to relieve this country as epee s.O?
as possible from any expense on account of similar Ohio
With regard to the first question—if the principles we"-to
he had laid down were correct, we were not entitle"‘,oo
throw the whole burden of the present Kafir war Up
the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, but were b0013`4,
bear a very considerable portion of it, because the il3'e.
bitant of the Cape of Good Hope did not possess rePro
sentative institutions, but were governed directly bY.bee
Colonial-office, and the relations with the Kafir trl had been conducted by Sir H. Smith, and very stranglo
too. Secondly, we were not entitled to throw the riii°if
043
expense of this war upon the colony of the Cape of 0044
Hope, because it had broken out in British Kafre,%o
which was no part or portion of the colony of 'at
Cape of Good Hope, but a separate province govesreept
by Sir Harry Smith, under a commission separate 11."04
that under which he was governor of the Cape of GI 1,1
Hope. He then asked what had been the cause to
that war, and who was to blame for it? The P5,,,,e„,e
mismanagement.it
Kafirs,
tsa,
oe rt
thateri
ht seeshmmlo
bt
ett
eahrbvsf, reearaayrkti
describedobt
lately presented to the House clearly proved one or ','"ef
hie
things—either that Sir H. Smith was very ignorank.l-10
e ie
pr eliceed ecnotnesdo
consoled
state eeedn odf
beenotf h thee
dispatches
producede eli ngs bo
yf d
sveesrseidont,o Hsiorn.llM. coineningeloncweimngenitanogftiwi
K" athfrearival.l Lordof Gtrraelleci• ofafill3ortiol
his attempt to transport convicts to the Cape of
Hope by the gratifying intelligence that eeverytP-01
progressed most satisfactorily on the eastern frontiero
this colony; that the Kafir police was most useful;
that
ese
frontier depredations were almost unknown; tha,
„ the
are overcoming withcrtsft"—(A laugh)—and that le!
Kafirs were contented and happy under the British lithe
Lord Grey was delighted at that intelligence, to"enes
Noble Lord declared that he had no doubt of the wis'ite.
of Sir Harry's arrangements and of their beneficial re%oo,
Thus relying on the statement of the Colonials° 00
they had begun this session under the happy d°11„90.0
that British Kafraria was a sort of terrestrial paraunot
that our eastern frontier was safe—and, above all, ifore
our pockets were sate from Kafir inroads, and there Out
that we might enjoy a squabble amongst ourselves awoo,
the disposal of a surplus revenue. Alas! all was faith
changed. Tile wise arrangements of Sir Harry P,70 0
were upset, the frontier system of Lord Grey vi, :ere
failure, the sanguine anticipations of the Noble EarVbee
disappointed, the Elysium of British Kafraria liar„,tete
come a Tartarus, our pockets were in the act of 5-the
picked, our surplus revenue was disposed of, and ods
Colonial-office—no longer exulting, but at its wit B,pjj it
—came crying to Parliament for a Committee, to to to
what to do. What were the causes which had le'sed
this sad change? lie thought they might be classes
under three heads—first, encroachments by EUrce'eel
on the land of the Kafirs; secondly, the frontier 010 e,
of Sir Harry Smith, approved of by the Colonials° or
and which consisted in a perpetual and irritating intemteg
rence with the affairs of the Kafirs, and in an tioe,et-tieir
attempt to subvert the influence and authority 0'
et'l'G. Thirdly. the complete ignorance of 6'r • i
. r
LO tieene, and the cuesequent ignorance of the • to
office, of the feelings of the Kafirs with respect
all
Sir Larry and his proceedings.almost
Now, first, bt Ise
disputes between Europeans and astir° gibed wig

tt aced directly or indirectly to encreachmente by Euro-
Pearls on the lauds of the natives. Those et:crotch-
Inenta drove away the game of the hunter tribes, and
curtailed the pastures of the pastoral races. Thus d
pe-
rived of their means of subsistence, the native races
aces Must either starve or encroach upon the lands of other
tribes and war with them, or they must rob and attack
their European foes. The timid, the week, and the
gentle races lay down and died; the fiere and energetic
resisted.
; Among the savages few excelled the Kafirs
in vigour courage, and audacity ; and they had often
declared that they preferred death by our swords an
bullets to death by starvation. Now, we had exiended
°‘l! empire in South Africa, not slowly, not gradually,
as oar .
,teireehat;ed slate—
repheation had increased, and the natives hed.cte-
by our liquors, disease, and civiliz
but Sir Harry Smith had, within the last five
gars, extended that empire by huge, gigantic, and
extraeae.
,aent strides. To explain Sir Harry Smith's
treGtedZitlihgee he must ask permission to describe, in a few
form and character of our South African
empire. South Africa was an elevated table land—it
Projected from the equator towards the southern poie in
sok
nStb"ape of a huge promontory, bathed by the Atlantic,
"ern,
oceans and Indian Oceans; from the shores of thosto e
the and
h mounted up by flights of mountain steps
sod the table laud of the interior. Betwee flea mountaies
tt. the Southero and Indian Oceans thern e was a narrow
"terlP of fertile land. There, in former times, bed d.velt
Tttotetribes of the Hottentots'. Just two centuries ago the
tentots had been assailed simultaaeousa w y by to most
formidable foes, From the north-east cane the Kafirs,
1310olro race, probably with a large mixture of Arab
hthaeclr Increasing nurnhere, or a want of pasture for
cattle, or the attack of hostile and kindred tribes,
tropic e°ll3pelled them to abandon their homes under the
orri, and, like the Hun and Scendinavien swan ms of
' to teek swarms,ut ew lands whereon to subsist.
greatof these called the Amakotae, under their
for chief 'rep', wrested from the Hottentots the terra,
Y 'Yin
knowbetween the Kei and Keiskatnma rivers, now
time ti,"Y the name of British Kafraria. About the sane
" the year 1650, the Dutch had landed at the
was extreMity of Africa, where Cepe Town
aid
kove situated. Tee Hetteutots, assailed en the one
bad bee 1.3' the Dutch, and on the other side by the Kafirs,
eeen exterminated or enslaved. Finally, Kefirs end
thtleteh' lIEI/Incing from opposite directions. Lad tact in
littelaroyateo
of Albany; then a petty warfere had en-
seouti eheilar to the border warfare of Etignuid and
1):a". The Kafir, like the Scot, lied deemed it an
toitreible act to steal cattle from his foe, and the
The Dutch'lke the Enelish, hat! not been slow to retaliate.
e_zuzatblenotat errs, encamped in military villages, had
only to deteed themselves, but, us their
lattfibere had inmensed, they had gradually pushed the
the rs back. In 1806, we had taken final possession of
with Cate €f. Good Hope, and soon began to interfere.
%tit( tee herder system of the Dutch, and to establish
rear)! Posts on the frontiers, with garrisions of
er treaps.
The Imperial expenditure on account
xar these
onr, - garrisons had attracted very many
treoorsakee to the frontier. The presence of the
eller': 4, ati encouraged, facilitated, and hastened the
XaCeonments of the Europeans on the lands of the
sessionr 41)(1 on various pleas we had taken
.po!d-
eetan,a of their territory, and had claim:.
sittoa""kbY aver their chiefs. The Kafirs had red-
a:4th'; lied stolen the cattle of the colonists, and had
retaliate'Etl numerous depredations. The culoniste had
Wee d, the troops had been called out, and a Kafir
lidded
„With
exist" thetermination of each war we had
f
anothert° our territories, and thus had sowed the seeds o
the it, War. But the Kitfirs had acquired something of
kero8:"1 of their opponents, and had learnt the u-c of
war l;ean weapons, and therefore every successive Kafir
kn.., ad beconae more formidable than the preceding one,
In more troops and costing a larger sum of money.
keth'2A'tee he had already said, our military force. in.
tary att"'"tiee, amounted only to 2,000 men, and our mill-
itkePenditure to about 100,0001. In 1835 there was
amount w„er, and our military expenditure far that year
ktan to 240,0004 Iu 1846-7 there was another
beeorn,War, and the number of troops in South Africa had
Ott t—h 6,196 men, and our military expenditure, 685,0001.
aid, H 7 conclusion of that war, in 1b47, Sir H. Smith,
etbiotue sanction of the Colonial-office, added to the
sides Y of„ the Cape of Good Hope, on its north-eastern.
jet it,rie provinces of Victoria and Albert, coutatn-
vine abbe
3,600 square miles. Beyond these pro-
s° es, still to the north-cast, Sir Harry Smith added
celenttr South African dominions, but not to. the
of 1111 Y of the Cape of Good Hope, the territory
ritish Rafraria, in which the present war corn-
leered, and which contained about 3,900 square miles.
tittle, content with these acquititions, Sir H. Smith had
franca crossed the mountains which guarded the northern
oer of the Cape of Good Hope, and took possession
Cti,„_the whole tract of country between them and the
jf.'"et, fie River—an area of the size of England, contain-
tielabout 50,000 square miles of as barren a desert as
Ito; ton the face of the earth. That desert had made our
gating
flank secure against the attacks of barbarians.
g'Lng uncovered that flank, Sir H. Smith, still travel-
lb! I,orthwards, crossed the Orange River in pursuit of
ofetoTehel Boers. These Boers had fled from Colonial-
tb,„2 oPpression to Natal. There we first permit-ed
to u 4 to establish a Government—then sent our troops
toolslthdue. them, and thus added to our dominions 10,000
op:re miles, situated on an harbourless ocean, with
firs
t, '
on one side, and the equally warlike Zeolahs
tt"e
toe other side. In cons quence of our having
Isela possession of that worthless territory, the
te" fled again and crossed the mountains
the plains of the interior. Sir Harry Smith
4e
sued them, defeated them, and proclaimed the save-
4tntv of Great Britain over all the plains between the
%treat Orange River and the Vaal or Yellow River, an
titlit or about 48,000 square miles, with a froutier of 600
trig —exposed to the incursions of Zoolahs and other
the et, of the saute eeig
in as it Kafirs. Assin. some of
ft:iners fled northwards and crossed the Yellow River,
ale if we persevered in our policy of pursuing them we
kolild have to fellow them to the mountains of the
then°, and to add to our dominions all Africa south of
of the Pies, Thus Sir Harry Smith, with the senction
Colonial-office, had, since 1847, added 105,000
eitaP) miles to our South African possessions, an area
Start? equal to that of the United Kingdoms, and our
egri African empire now covered the vast space of
4,1,;;" square miles, an area eaual to the whole of the
tee4;zian empire, including Lombardy and adding Pied-
Of ;I, to it. He calculated that on the frontier
te:4 at empire there was a line of 1,000 miles
tl4`,,ed to the attacks of savages of the same blood as
der afire, and as fierce, warlike, and energetic. He
defe4.not attempt to calculate what it would. cost us to
ettictlt, 1 that frontier with regular troops in the same.
of er —_
c„ we had defended the north-eastern frontier
Ito lsentElpe of Good Hope. To defend those 200 miles
tatielf ',Pent of late years not less than 600,0001. an-
C 1.04. To show some of the consequences of the en-
,oteo4t.ing policy of Sir Harry Smith and of the Colonial-
4st h " would now refer to the blue book which had
sob'
eti delivered to them. He opened it, and the first
betjefeet he saw in it was entitled " Boundary, Disputes
ttibeelLti, butch Farmers and Tambookiee, ' a Kafir
rati, twuohad generally been on good terms with us.
the w. ° Sir Harry Smith's arrival on the frontier, in
e°loe irlter of 1847, this land was situated without the
Sir 12c, The Boers on the frontier memorialised
theft. Smith to annex it to the colony and give it to
ti 41. Asir tt• Smith granted the prayer of the memo-
teeffsuee portion of the land in question was forthwith
thlt rad out for some of the Boers, and it so happened
the land
tIc11),„so measured out belonged to a chief who
t3tolteVi Our ally in the last war. This, said Sir A.
Ise sfmtrotta rendered the governor prodigiously popu-
Rive up, time. The Tambookies, however, refused to
%eel, rt, the land. The Boer's threatened to compel
csieseknd bitterly complained that they had been de-
Retro (.1 the fine words of the governor. Sir A. Stok en-
-I,oinitilzrlais letter of Ist July last, addressed to the Co-
te tot etary,described these proceedings as calculated
ekid to „the Boers and Tambookies at mutual slaughter,
mese -,Onvert her Majesty's most devoted servants into
Si.""-erehraatie rebels," Unfortunately his gloomy. forebea-
r this beonni_lne to pass. The next subject of importance
N'lltl b t& was entitled " Excitement throughout Kafir-
aiteh the Prophecies of a witch doctor." Sir Harry
111'4011841 assured Lord Grey that he was pulling down
ought,()th • Sir Harry Smith was not so successful as
14) again Last autumn the belief in witchcraft sprung
title s-u'lleußafirland in consequence of the want of rain.
decoct an,rings of the Kafirs became intense, and pro-
-mesite ;—°ngst them feelings of desperation and ani-
vtaeethrards
118; for before we came amongst them,
Zsir effoe was a want of rain, the KAI-3 used to lead
;rater "a from the plains to the mountain sides, where
Wtte gene 11
g their ra yto be found, or they used, by change t_ elr pastures, to follow the rain,
~.for frequently
tt'2en there
Was WCs a drought in one part o, their territory
et- as
falling in another. In consequence, of our en-
Pstor ems, the power of the Kafirs to change their
greatly diminished, and consequently their
Stad te from drought greatly increased. He be-
o:lt in former times the Kafirs had been per-
ege pr,alled viatit certain times, to pasture their cattle within
edl%.. e° of Victoria and Albert, which wise men
ged eutrea Ground; but since Sir Harry Smith
got, illere to the colonof the Cape of Good
re thit, Provinces y.
,Iteeett Pormistion had been refused. Under the in-
stets „"" more suffering, the feelings of the Kafirs te-
-44ia;45170re (as the well. int irmed author of an into-
111a 'Elie of the Kafir wars justly observed) the same
'ee verso of the Gael towards the Saxon, as described in
.46 of Sir Walter Scott. The Kafir chief would
eta, ~,
I Tit "lite Rhoderick Mau:—
pit:Be fertile plains, that soften'd vale,
there once the birthright of the Gael.
dwells he now? .
Neat thou we will not sally forth
411C111., Spoil the spoiler as we may,
Wil`!from the robber rend his prey,
liuf4° of ten thousand herds there strays
11 One along yon river's maze,
ShasliGa,cl of ns and river heir
fL with strong hand redeem his share."—(Cheers)
chi was a belief in Kafirland that witches, and core
tetsart bg! called bewitching things,
er.raint lee,.ge and to cattle, and could prevent the falling
could cause injury too
Tttqaeitt btafirs also believed that there were certain
at 'elvettlled witch doctors, who could discover witches
atclught niete,biog things. The Kafirs attributed the
Itl'earee. 'let year to witches, and a great witch doctor
eF‘rry s British Kafraria. He pretended, like Sir
4 k tractrth, to
put down witchcraft; and, as two
e never agree, Sir Harry ordered Colonel
xtte, kv.,011 to secure this Mehemet, as he termed
;tteititin't to transport him to Robben Island. Colonel
io'ltere owever, told Sir Harry that the
tbaoteld endanger the tranquillity of the co-
-11.4414
.1'; there had been nothing mischievous or
thaother,lniaa the conduct of the witch doctor. On
the t the hand it was generally believed in the colony
Cpl the was
had attributed to the Europeans
aie!:'3 of the Rears. Sir Harry Smith and
to 4E444 'ei'lLe'n, nn Lt) eenerary, attributed the t:S..-
6,.oerthr_ hafirltnd to the efforts of Sir Harry Spuith
Itetiltur the authority of the native chiefs. That
Produced much alarm among the frontier