The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-16 00:00:00

ELOPEMENT IN HUMBLE LIFE.

An elopement of a somewhat novel character occurred
in the rural village of Vange, some few weeks since. It
appears that two soldiers, George Belcher (better known
as " Springheel Jscit.") and Welch, paid a visit to the
above-named village, for the purpose of recruiting, and
in the course of their perambulations an honest peasant,
by the name of Wedlock, met these two disciples of Mars.
In the face of Belcher he recognised that of an old friend,
and he making himself known to "our gallant com-
rsade,"tlatehraetectig:tieithr ik,,n was speedily reciprocated; the re-
uit was ad invited home by the unsus-
pecting son of toil to partake of the best. fare his cot
would aff ,rd. Belcher immediately consented, and they
wended their way towards the humble domicile; hut,
alas! for poor Wedlock, in doing this he took a step
which was to be the precursor of a most unlooked-for
affair. The soldier having done ample justice to the
food which had been pueb, fore him, retired for a while,
but called at the house again, and during this visit, his
personal charms, combined with his pleasing smiles and
lascinatieg looks, took such an effect upon the suscep-
tible heart of Mrs. Wedlock, that she vowed she would,
in spite of the restraint which wedlock imposed upon her,
return with the gay Lothario when he should bid adieu
to this suburban spot. The time arrived when Belcher
had to leave the village, and the '•gude housewife," n
her husband was non eat. (having first taken possession
of the money which was in the house), took leave of ab-
sence. and, with the object of her admiration, marched
en route to this town. On Friday week the disconso
late husband having ascertained the whereabouts of his
faithless wife, plodded to the Traveller's Friend, in
Moulaham, where he found her in the company of him
to whom he had acted so to iendly a part. Mr. Wedlock
promised her that if she would return with him he would
forget and forgive all, but the woman declared that the
man in colours had the most attractions, and she de-
clined her husband's offer. On Friday last he again
came and endeavoured to persuade her to return, but she
still refused. It would almost appear that some mania
had, for t, e once, seized the fairer portion of the inhabi-
tants of Vange, for a young damsel was so intensely
smitten with Be lcher's comrade ( Welch) that she resolved
to forsake home and its comforts and follow the enchant-
ing swain to this town, in whose company she still is.—
Essex Herald.

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM A FEAR-

FUL DEATH.

One of the most relent keel narrow escapes we ever
remember to have had to record occurred on Saturday
last at Painswick. A labourer named Charles Musty,
acre mpanied by a lad named John Powell, proceeded to
a well at the Park, about half a mile &cm the town,
fur the purpose of getting up a bucket which had fallen
to the bottom from the breaking of the rope. He wee
lowered down the well, which was about forty feet deep,
by a rope round his waist. On getting to the depth of
abut thirty feet he placed hi, feet upon a projecting
stone for the purpose of taking the necessary means to
get the bucket, when the stone gave way, tearing with
it a number of others, and immediately the walls of the
well, whica were built of large loose stones, collapsed
around him, and he was completely buried in the stones
and rubbish, a small space only being left above his
head, from several large stones lying aeross each other.
The boy above, on seeieg the well give way. immediately
ran hick to Painewick, and gave the alarm, though not
with the remotest idea of saving the poor fellow, the
whole mass of earth and stones, thirty feet in depth,
having closed above him. From sixteen to twenty men
got to work to dig through the mass of earth, it being
necessary, from the nature of the ground, to work upon
a large surface. About one o'clock on Sunday morning,
one of the two men who were at work in the well (there
not then being rem for more) was relieved, and another
went aown in his piece; but immediately afterwards,
from unmistakeable signs below, they were pulled up
again, and instantly a large quantity of the earth gave
way, and to a great extent closed up !he space the pre-
vious labours had effected. Men ',gain set to work, but
their opet aions were necessarily stow from the large
stones the y frt quently encountered, one of which
weighed five cwt., and to remove which a triangle had
to be erected; and it was about eleven o'clock on Sun-
day morning before they got down to where their tools
had been previously buried. Shortly after this another
fall took place. On getting down about sixteen feet,
those assembled had the satisfaction of kno eing the poor
fellow was alive, as he was heard to see ak in reply to
questions put to him. The whole of his body was fixed
in the earth and stones, there being only a small apace
above his head, which enabled him to breathe. The
men continued their labours without intermission, and
between five and half-past five on Sunday afternoon
the poor fellow, to the great joy of allassembled, was

WEDNESDAY EVENING,

drawn from his subterranean prison, where he had been
fixed without nourishment for thirty hours. He was
carried in a sheet to a house near, when it was found he
had sustained no material injury, his legs and wrists
only being badly cut, and parts of his body bruised.
We understand the providential escape of Musty has had
a great effect upon him, and from being a somewhat dis-
solute character he is likely now to become the very re-
verse.— Gloucester Journal.

A SLEEPY DEACON." I didn't like our minister's
sermon last Sunday," said a deacon, who had slept all ser-
mon time, to a brother deacon. "Didn't like it brother A.?
Why I saw you nodding assent to every proposition of the
parson."
ROYAL MARINES.—WOOLWICH, JULY 15.—The
whole of the Woolwich division of the Royal Marines, at
head-quarters, oft' duty, assembled in their Barrack•square,
at two o'clock r.x. yesterday, in heavy marching order, for
the inspection of Colonel Parke, C. 8., Commandant of the
division, preparatory to their annual inspection by Colonel
Jahn Owen, H Deputy Adjutant. General, which is
to take place on Friday, the 18th inst.
CITY COURT OF SEW/MS.—Yesterday a Court of
the Commissioners of Sewers for the City was held in their
Chamber in the Guildhall. Deputy Peacock presided. Mr.
Dakin, chairman of the Central Gas Consumers Company,
appeared to present a memorial from that company, praying
the sanction of the Court to the deed of amalgamation with
the City Gas Company. After some opposition, the sanction
requested was gran ed, with but two dissentients. Street
Orderlies Alderman Sidney presented a memorial from the
inhabitants of the ward of Billingsgate, against the intro-
duction of street orderlies into that ward, on the ground of
there be ng no necessity for them there. Deputy Stevens
laid before the Court a letter from his constituents, to the
same effect.—Referred to the general purposes committee.
Mr. Cochrane subsequently applied to the Court for leave to
lay before the Commissioners a statement as to the character
of the street orderlies, which, it was alleged, had been ma-
hgocd at a former meeting of the Ccurt. The application
was not entertained, and Mr. Cochrane, after a few explana-
tory remarks, retired from the court.
TRH QUARANTINE CONGREPS —Dr. Sutherland,
the Medical Inspector of the General Board of Health, his
been appointed to attend the Medical Congress to,be held
at Paris, on the subject of quarantine, by the mediCal autho-
rities of the several European Governments interested in the
question. _ _

•
The accounts from the Amsterdam and Rotterdam
produce markets reports greater firmness in the prices for
coffee and sugar. There was not much doing in other ar-
ticles, but rates, on the whole, were steadily maintained.
The Hamburgh and Antwerp advices also mention a more
favourable tendency in business, but coffee had chiefly ex-
perienced benefit from the change.

JULY 16, 1851.

to send pollard here it would be sent; and when h was
said, " SO4l how ungratefully France treats us," he must
say that he was not deterred by the policy of France
from believing that it was the interest of this estuary to
pursue the policy with which it had identified itself. Un-
der the recent system, it was not denied that the linen
manufacture of Ireland bad greatly thriven; and looking
back fora peri, d of 16 years. since the commercial system
had been liberalised, the exports by this country
to France had increased (he sp itie from memory) from
400.0001. to 2,000,0001. He regretted the restrictive
policy to which France clung with so much tenacity;
this country bad the greatest interest in the pursuit of
industry by that great and ingenious nation; but, if be
believed this country had an interest in petrels zing the
commercial system of France. he should anticipate that
result from adherence to a system which he knew to be
absolutely incompatible with any great extension of her
commercial and maeufacturing interests. France could
never enter the great field of competition with America
and Great Britain till she freed herself from those
sbirckles which this country had had the wisdom and the
courage to get rid of. He did not know that it was ne-
cessary for him to detain the [louse; he should abstain
from a nterieg into details, for be was not disposed to
ground his opposi ion on minute calculations. He rested
it rather on the great principle ore which he hoped the
House would take its stand. The Noble Lard had talked
ot the partial injury brought by the free trade measures
on pertmuitir classes, Ile (Mr. Labouchere) was afraid
any change in commerce, even from bad ti, good, must
always produce 'het result. But, surely, they were not
without their compensations. He had seen the other
day a document not prepared in a Government office
or brought forward by m'.n advocating any system of
political economy, or any political party, but by per-
sons engaged in works of benevolence. He referred to
the reports of those who, as district visitors, -were en-
gaged in visiting the haunts of the lower classes in this.
mighty city, reports given with reference to the condi-
tion of the industrial classes for the last two years by
medical men, clero men, and others. They all stated
that a great and manifest improvement had taken place
in the physical condition, outward appearance, moral
habits, and cleanliness of those classes, and in every par-
ticular, owing to their greater comfert; and in many in-
stances the result was traced directly to the increased
means et obtaining provisions cheep. These were objects
on which it was worth while for that House to legislate;
and if tbey were satisfied that, by their recent legisla-
tion, these objects hal been promoted, that not only the
physical state, but the moral condition and the political
contentment of the great body of the community had
been promoted, he hoped that they would pause beaare,
inconsequence ot any partial case being stated in favour
of any p.,rtien of their countrymen, they abandoned the
policy they had ad toted, and that they woul I prefer that
which ought to be the great object in all their delibera-
tiens, the general benefit of the great body of the people.
On these grounds he entreated the House to refuse its
assent to tire motion, against which he should give his
decided vote.--(Hear, h, ar.)
Mr. S MART stated, that to raise the whole ques-
tidn with reference to the case of one class was what the
Noble Lord desired to do. His own constituents had
complained, in a petition, of the injury inflicted on them
by the repeal of the corn-laws. It would nut answer
for the Government to slight the complaints of a suffere
tog class. The millers, it might be said, were the last
persons who ought to complain; they wete merely the
uranufacturers; and it was the fact that they were
complaining, and not without reason. Their request
was a modest one, namely, for inquiry whether they
could not be relieved from the consequences of le-
gislation, which had affected them in common with
others. France adhered to a system of protection, so
did the most eminent statesmen of America. A writer
in the United Sates had prognosticate d that not only
the Mayor of Stockport, who was a miller, but the
layor of Manchester, who was a cotton miller, would
come to Parliament with the same c .mplaint.--(fleer.
near.) He recemlnended the Noble Lord at the head
of the Government, and the Right Hoe. President of the
Board of Trade, to study tie Transatlantic writers, one
of whose works aptly expressed , hs obj- ct aimed at by
his Noble Friend, namely, " The Harmony of Interests,
A gricultural, Manufacturing, sine Commercial." Ministers
appeared to have had for a text-book Franklin's "Rules
tor making a Great Empire a Little Otie," and the rule
" If people make complaints, don't listen to them, and
tell them they must suffer," bad been faithfully winked
out in Lensed. From references made by Sir H.. Pete-1
to Adam Smith's description of the agricultural body,
it was to be interred be intended to make them some
compensation. He considered that they bad by their
legislation sacrifieed, for the benefit of the manufactur•
tog class, the interests of the whole agricultural popula-
tion—of all concerned in the produce of land directly
and indirectly, whether as landlords, tenants, millers,
mortgagees, or tradesmen. He warned the Manchester
cotton millers and steam loom weavers that their con-
dition might before lone be similar to that of the corn
millers. The Mayor of Stockport, who was a miller
and manufacturer, supported tree-trade measures, and
thought be would beat the world, but his anticipations
had been disappointed, he found that the French
miller beat him, and he had gone to the wall. The
American manufacturers might before long put the
Manchester mill, rs of cotton ;n the same position in
which the French corn millers had put the English corn
millers. He held in his hand a letter from Mr. Thorpe,
of Newark, an extensive miller and malster, relative to
the corn psrative merits of English and French machi-
nery. (The Hon. Gentleman read the letter, the writer
of which stated that as Lord Grey had told the House
that English millers did not know their business, and
held up the French miller. as superior to them, he (Mr.
Thorpe) could only say that it he had followed the
French system he would have figured in the Gazette
tong ago; and that French grinding, instead of being
held up as a pattern to English millers, would be a dis-
grace to them.) He (Mr. Stuart) thought, thine that it
did not become the Government to taunt this suffering
and compleireng class with want of skill, and to call
upon them to exp. nd further capital. He hoped the
House would agree eo the, motion of the Noble Lard for
he considered that by negativing it they would incur
very serious resporsibility,
Mr. C. ANSTEY said that he supported the motion,
because he believed it would tend to the advantage of
Ireland, particularly as it did not in the least interfere
with tree trade, as was thought and represented by some
Members. However, he should say that be felt it his
duty that it would be proved that there was a necessity
for such a measure for the agriculturists of Ireland, now
burthened with taxes beyond their means. He hoped
that the House would admit of a Committee, and if such
were allowed, he was prepared to show that the millers
in Ireland were suffering much. and that if Parliament
did not interfere the people must necessarily suffer.
Mr. E. B ROCHE said that he wished to adhere to
the question ot the Irish millers, without touching in
the least on free trade.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") He
was a manufacturer of wheat himself, but he denied
teat whet was a raw material, and he asked toe House
to say if he was not to have protection for what be pro-
duced? Why should the miller have protection for what
he produced? The result of special protection to the
miller would be that if they got corn into this country
free of duty, with a prohibition in respect of flour, the
miller would say, " I will only give you such is price for
your who at as I please, having at my command a large
supply or that terticie against a competion, in white] I
am guarded." The fact was that the millers of Ireland
had not applied themselves to the improvement of their
machinery so much as the French millers had done,
although since the adoption of free trade measures con-
siderable improvem- nts had been made by the millers in
respect of the machinery; and while he would oe willing
to support any motion which would bent tit Ireland, he
considered that their best security now was to fully carry
out the principles of tree 'lade; and believing that motion
was an infringement upon those principles, he would vote
againss it.
Mr. NE WDEGATE supported the motion. This
was the simplest case that it was possible to conceive.
The miller. of Irelaid were injured as well as the millers
of England, arid they, teerefore, demanded ii-quiry into
their case. Between 1845 and 1849 there was an in-
crease in the importation of wheat flour into the United
Kingdom of 242 per cent., and that certainly was suffi-
cient to show that the millers bad suffered to a great
extent. Then the imp rtation of wheat into this
country from Ireland bid fallen off to a very con-
siderable extent slime 1845, the dimunition being in
wheat, flour, and oatmeal, upwards uf one million cwt.
The plain fact of the case was, that the importation of
wheat into the United • Kingeous whale the last few
years had increased one-balf, while the importation of
wheat and wheat flour into England from Ireland had
decreased more than one-half, which was a very signifi-
cant sign of how the present system was regardedsteuding
France, from being an importing country, as
corn, was now an exporting one, and a French states-
man stated, that since 1844 five millions of acres were
brought into cultivation iu France for the express pur-
pose ot supplying the English market. The same thing
occurred in the northern pat is of Germany, and at borne
they had the millers complaining. Yet the millers were
determined to do nothiugno relieve the distress, but al-
lowed it to cure itself'. He read a letter from a miller in
Wakefield, in which it was contended that it was ig"
possible fur the English millers to compete
with the
French, in consequence of the heavy rates and taxes to
which they were subjected. In his (Mr. Newdegate's)
opinion, the Noble Lord who brought forward the mo-
tion only did his duty to his country in calling the at-
tl e
tention of the House to the distress existing among the
millers in Ireland.
Mr. WILSON contended that if any argument
e wagNeh to
fl
be drawn from the importation of intr and wheat dur-
ing the last five years, it must be in favourpro
sopfe
itteyn.
miller. From the observations made by
h
Lord, it might be interred that because France en.
joy. d protection, the people enjoyed great
Now, he contended that if the Etignsh farmer sut-
feted, the French termer ruff'red s ill more, as may be
Minister of Commerce, lately
published. The Ne ble Lord also said that the French
to grind fl .ur bend, and then
seen ,'tom the re part of the
ign countries, and
market. Nothing could be
undersell the
Engtish miller in his own
twolleb-strpowrtasit
reeve tallacious than such an arguentaobled ron,
ment. Fiance was
divided into sections, and although the miller there
was permitted to grind wheat in bond, and then ex-
port in be was obliged to import an equal quantity
from the section in which he resided. The Vale
Lord said the English and Irish miller had better
machinery than the t'
re ; but how
did it tappen that the French miller wits enabled to
grind his flour and scud it to Odessa and then undsrsell
him, cud even do so in the English market? English-
m, n by their ingenuity were often erne to overcome the
dtffieulriee of climate, and to comp, to with feretguers in
all parts of the wiel I. He alluded to the Guvrentneht
mill at, Deettord, which was, be believed, the must per-
fect in the kingdom, and in which a new improvement
was lately made, by which a great saving of time,
labour, and money was effected. He knew a gentleman
who had a mill in Reading, where be ground flour on the
old system, whereas, in London, where he had another

mill, he worked on a new and im proved principle, simie
lar to that in use in France, and was able to obtain two
or three shillings a quarter more I or the flour in Landon
than in Reading.—(Hear.) Thetie facts are worthy of
being known. The N‘.ble Lord re tare to a rule in France
with regard to erindiag bard wbieat in bond, and that
only Bolt wheat was allowed; bi)t in that the Noble
Lord was mistaken. for the hard wheat was the best for
grinding. The charge for meterage, which the Noble
Lord stated to be a disadvantage to the English manu-
facturer, was peculiar to the city of London, sod.
did not apply to other outports. It was impossible to
say that the Buglieh miller was placed under any disad-
vantage as coaipared with the French miller. It was
also to be observed that the improvement in the con-
struction of mills was being adopted in this country.
Besides, the duty on coal imposed in France, pve the
Eoglish miller au advantage. There was no doubt that
there was in Ireland a diminution in the cultivation of
wheat, arid that the In sh millers, depending on their own
produce, were placed at a disadvantage as compared with
those in London and Liverpool, in being obliged to im-
port corn from abroad.
Colonel I)UNNE had no great sympathy with millers,
for they had been violent free-trader 2, still there was
cause of joy at their repentance. Tge argument in fe-
•our of free trade was the increase of the comforts of
the people, but that was not the case in Ireland. With
regard to the millers, they inivo,"ted stones from France,
upon which they paid a duty tat 10 per cent. He con-
tended that the millers should be protected, and be
wits sure, if the Committee was granted, it would be
shown that free trade was the mill of Ireland.
Lord NAAS replied. He observed that all the thee'
retical and h)pothetical tratem, nts made by the Hon.
Member for Westbury would not countervail the feet
that the millers of this country and of Ireland were in *
state of great distress.—(Hear, hear.) With respect to
the Blackfrtars-bridge mill, to whit) reference had so
often been made, he bad been over it, and conversed with
the gentleman who constructed it, and his answer weer
that that mill was commenced before the law of 1846
was passed; that it was commenced at a time when the
millers thought their trade was likely to increase, and
be a profitable one, and when matters were in a different
position from what they were now.—(Hear,, hear.) Al
to the new invention to which the Hon. Member for
Westbury had referred, he begged to say that the pe
tentee had failed to convince the best millers in Eagland
that it would be of any value to them, and that they were
not likely to adopt it.—(Near, hear.)
Mr. 51ACGREGOR rose amid loud cries of "
Di-
vide," arid " On, oh." The Hon. Gentleman made se
veral ineffectual attempts to address the House,
was received with calls of `'No, no;" Oh, eh!"
and " Divide;" amid which the Ron. Gentleman ex'
claimed that he would move the adjournment of the
House.
Mr. HUME hoped his Hon. Friend would not presS
his motion.
A division then took place upon Lord Naas'a motion,
when the numbers were—
For the motion... ... 93
Against it 128
Majority against the motion —35
Mr. BANKES gave notice of the terms of a resolution
for to-morrow, relative to the St. Albee's election wit'
nesses who have withdrawn from the United Kingdom.
Mr. G. A. HAMILTON moved for a " return of the-
number of cases of cattle and sheep stealing reported by.
the constabulary in the counties of Westmeath and Roe
common respectively during each of the three last '
years, ending the Ist day of June, 1851; of the number
of persons committed for trial or bailed for seek
offences; of the number of such persons convicted; O'
their sentences, and a stein- meet of the nam. s and cases
in which such sentences have been commuted, or pardons
granted, up to the present time; whether in each CIO
the commutation or pardon was recommended by the
judge, and the nature and date of such commutation or
pardon."
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER and Sir W.
SOMERVILLE opposed the motion, on the ground of the
inedivenieoce and injustice that m'ght arise.
Mr. O'FLAHERIY thought some such return wee
called for, as an impression prevailed in Ireland tbSS
sheep stealing offenders had been allowed to come back
after being transported.
Lord J. RUSSELL could not agree to the motion as
it now stood, b cause, unless there was some case of verf
grave delinquency on the part of the Irish authorities,
it would n.d, be proper for that House to take the prero- •
gative of the Crown into its hands. He would reveal'
mend the Hon. Gentleman, therefore, to withdraw the
motion, and bring it forward, on a future day, in a lees
objectionable shape.
Mr. DISRAELI should be sorry to support any no-
tion that would affect the prerogative of the Crown, bat
he could see nothing in the motion that would have that
tendency. IF, however, the last sentence of the moti,4l.
were omitted, viz., that relating to the commutation being
recommended by the judge, &c., be thought there could
be no possible objection to it on the part of the Govern.'
ment.
Lord J. RUSSELL was quite willing to agree to the
mutton with that alteration.

Mr. HAMILTON consented, and the motion, 011
amended, was agreed to.
The orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at a Q laver to One o'clock.

HOUSE OF LORDS, July 15.
The 1,41 D CHANCELLOR Look his seat upon the Wool'
sack at Five (Aiwa.
GUNPOWDER STOWAGE (LIVERPOOL) BILL.
Earl GRANVILLE moved that this Bill be referred.
to a Selcet Committee.

Lord REDESDALE presented a petition from the
proprietors of property on the banks of the Morsel,
praying to be heard by counsel against the Bill.
The motion was agreed to.
PETITIONS.
The Earl of ST. GERMANS, in presenting several
petition against the Ecclesiastical Titles Assumption
Bill, took tccusi-n to recommend to the attention of the
Government a p4mphlet, written by Mr. Eneas Mao"
donnell, on this subj. ct. The Noble Earl also presented
s-vtral petitions praying for the preservation of the
Crystal Palace.
Lord WODEUOUSE presented petitions from the
Cape of Good Hope in favour of a constitutional go'
verLmet,t.

ST. ALBANS BRIBERY BILL.
Lord BEAUMONT postponed the motion for Os
Committee on this Bill.
THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The Earl ot DERBY rose to move, according to 60'
Lice, that the papers laid before this House durt.ti%
the present and the last session of Parßa'
ment relating to the settlement of a COGstitutioa
for the Cape of Good Dope should be referred to a
Select Committee. He had bEard with great regret
that it was the ins mien ot her Msjesty's Governrueot
to oppose this motion. He could assure them that
he brought for ward this motion in no spirit
either of personal or of party hostility to the G ,Tern:
went. He had no wish to add to the embarrassments of
the Noble Earl opposite at the head of
the Colonial office ; his object was rather to
relieve those embarrassments, and to endeavour to Witt-
gate the force of those elements of, be was afraid he must
call it, disaffection at present existing in that colony.
The colony was what was commonly malt d a Crown
colony. It had been acquired by couqu-st, and its east,'"
miens were els, lly granted by the Crown, but the
Crown, having once wanted those institutions, turd filet
the power of wehdrawilig them. (Hear, hear.)
Many of their Lord,bips, perhaps, were cf°'
aware of the E xact history of the colony, and there'
fore ho should have to go at some lensth into the
history of the different proposals which had been made
fur coteerring arepreseutaiive Government on thecolotif•
( [he Noble Earl then shortly related the history of
the colony in 1842.) In the year 1842, when he
held the office of Colonial Secretarh a petition had been
presented to him from the colony on the subject
ot c inferring representative institutions on the colony.
H e had, in reply to that petition, written a dispatch,
in which he pointed out the difficulties which aced
in the way of complying with the requests of that.
Petition, and 'stating his desire to have an answer
from the petitioners on the subject. This was in April,
1842, and no answer bad been returned to it up to she
autumn of 1846. At that time the Noble Earl
opposite assumed office, and he sent out a dispatch
to Sir Henry Pottineer, directing his attention to that .
dispatch of 1842 s Lb
which
i no answer had been re-
turned, and stattng that t was the desire of he!
Ilsjesty's Government to confer representative instr
tutions on the colony. In 1848 Sir Henry Pottinser
sir Harry Smith,
successor, answered the dispatch by
forwarding to the
.Noble Earl a dispatch, which set forth
the views of those is authority on the subject of confer'
ring representative governm.nt on the colony. 0
now called the attention of the Noble Earl to his miser
prehension of the views which be (the Esrl of Derby)
bad taken on., that subject. In the commencement of the
year 1848 Sir It. Smith, who had then succeeded to the
government of the Cape of Good Hope, answered the
dispatch of Esrl Grey in 1846 by forwarding to him the
views of his official advisers on the course suggested 14
that Noble Berl, Sir H. Smith had laid that dispatch
before Mr. Porter, the Atturuey-Genertil of the colonfr
vith a view of eliciting his opision how representative
institutions could be best. introduced into it. His opinion, •
with the questions of Earl Grey, was also submitted to.
Mr. Montague, the secritery to the Colonial Gover•
nor, to the colonial treasurer, to the collector of custorn9l
to the chief justice, and to the two puisne judges. The
question whether representative institutions ought to be
introduced into the colony was scarcely submitted to
those intelligent public officers—the question appeared
to be limited to the mode of introducing them. Ur'
Mcietagi.e
"It appears to me, therefore, that I shall best serve
his Excedet cy by abstaining from all theoretic or air
strict discussion on ger.oral principles of the good or
evil likely to result from tl e establishment of a represen-
ts ive form of government in this or any other depea'
di ncy, and by endeavouring, to the best of my ability, to
furnish him with such inf 'reflation on the points referred
to, as will enable him to term some Estimate of the eV
tent and character 01 the dalisuities which had occurred
to Lord Ssailley, and to which Earl Grey so pointedly
refers."

Another said, " That the period had arrived when are'
Presentative government could be safely t xt‘ncitd to the
Cape of Good Hop." Another said, That a repre-
sou'ative government was a I), Id * xpt riment, hut it could
not he wt 11 avowed." Whst ha wished to point out to
the consitirration f their Lorttshtp was this—that these
guildt men did not give the it °prat n as to the propriety
of introducing repr, scotative Institutions into the colony,
hut as to the plait of introducing them which would be
the satest and the west practicable. Two v/ ry able
grrntlemen fad serious mtsgivitto on that point. Mr.
Porn r, who %us a ert at advocate for free institutions,
clork d his opinions with there. Wu; d.:—
" I have venture d to ii rm a representative assembly St
the Cape ' an experimeut;' his Excellency, who kneel
the colony %hi the people well, will /Witt I think, 130111idi1

nillers,
re was

in fa-
brts of

With
'ra,nCE'r
Fe Con'
ipd be
uld be

e then'
a Bon.
be feat
;re in•
pea 10
Ind 10
!.d with

ar ,user
0 1846
3en lbe
and
ifferent
-AI
)er for
the pe
:agland
ey were

r a Di-
ade
,e, bat
1, oh!
an ev
of the

Dt pros

MOtiOtir

solution
ion wit'
ingdolue
n of the
Irted by
ad ROSI
ee
number
)r such,
cted; O'
ud cases
pardons
.ch esso
by th•
won or

Sir W
of the

am was
ld that
me back

otion
of yen/
laorities.
prero•
moor
[raw the
inn less

any MO°
wo, bat
are that
e motiol
on being
re could
Govern-

se to the

ion,*~'

and Lb°

A Wool'

) BILL.
referred

!rom the
Morsel',

severs'
iumptio°
n of the
.as Mao'
Teseutea
of the

'rorn the
mal go'

for tbo

,it serve
or str
;ood or
.p resew
deper
ility, to.
roterred
the ex-
ccurred
dutedli

en a re'
I to the
repre'
it could
out to
at these
.oprietY
colony,
)uld be
ry able
t. Mr.

mbiy St
OU

;111:ekrIn'tnisapplied. It is an experiment,
a but avery sanguine man can cone
tow, verb silly or a and one which
11 late without anxiety."
liote,etontague, in whose praise he was sure that the
4e Secretary would willingly concur (" Hear, hear,"
',ln Earl Grey), said
I consist retrain from expressing my doubts as to the
st Ilhood of eliciting good government for some time,
Noah
tzt from the exercise of representative institutions."
a 0 Parties to whom the Governor applied expressed
.04h.
.8 Rs to the success of the xperiment which the
able Earl had advised them toot ake; and all of them
view
ba°Yed their talent and their research in eedeavours
ne°et a mode in which that experiment could be
The d out with the moot safety and the least danger.
sti members of the Council were unanimous that there
col Ale only be one representative body for the whole
Tr/eY, and that that body should sit at Cape Town.
"1' were unanimous that the constitution consist of
'Goernor 0 Legislative Council, and a House of As-
the y. although' one member seemed to doubt whether
colony was sufficiently numerous to provide meAm
selll for the Legislative Council and the House of 5.40
.40 .With the exception of one Member, they were
1e unanimous that the Legislative Council should not_
an elective bdy-, but appointed by the Crown, and
formed of officiel and non-official members, and that the
teamed of the office should be fur lite. The Chief Jus-
ti of the colony was of opinion that the elective prin.
VlelPie ought to be iutroduced into the Legislative Cotten;
' and that the tenure of the office should not be f
iRa but during pleasure. He would not enter inpzi the
eat ions of the franchise, the qualification,
'betters
to the Noble
Beer on which a report had been made and similar
ee etnrY opposite, and which were included inanordi-
ii:tee with the means of carrying out a representative',re.
411/. On receiving the dispatch including this
'tart, th *b. e Noble Secretary wrote another. dispatch, in
,e he expressed himself in the following m .
toe to
of opinion that the views of yourself and the y a
Piet
Wtio. `our advisers, as to the form of the conga-
-Ig, u_ to be established, namely. a representative asseni-
e‘apri:l. legislative council,app Hinted by the Crown,
of th ki in the main,
be adopted, but many of the details
nitre Plan submitted in these papers may probably re-
Modific.
Oltnediat 4 I°n* this occurred the misapprehension of
et ete -e.y upon
teall4""e Earl of Derby's) meaning of which he had al-
did eoniplained. The Noble Earl, it would appear,
not take uon himself the responsibilit which he
1474 to have taken as Secretary of State for the Colo•
tea'reed as a Minister and adviser of the Crown; but be
le red the views of Sir H. Smith and his advisers to a
te!Y able and very competent body, but one to which no
wo(ibsibility attached, and which in spite of the names
lemeteb graced it remained at this day an anomalous and
a-I'4l,lllone bod
male bee
Y• Ia the year 1842 the petitioners
!Nth e Cape had asked him to lay tbeir petition bed-
e Committee of the Council for Plantations an
"t e; but he hal refused to delegate the decision upon
bod
moults Y whatsoever. The Noble Earl in -
°"id.....1 °a the dispatch which. t•stn
he had then written,
fil:tua 841 Sir George Napier transmitted a petition
Councilte, inhabitants of Cape Town to the Queen
;ethin
witej, for the establishment of an elective as-
Prayingcouncil. The form of government thus pro-
of st.taPPeared to Lord Stanley, who was then Secretary
ittive-'e, altogether at variance with the ordinary legis-
k,cliteestena of British possessions, and he consequently
eel advising her Majesty to refer the petition to the
Y ekeincie"
e 0,1. would infer from that petition that his (the
have r herby's) objection arose cut of the form and
fader of the petition. Nov, if the Noble Secretary
legeeaPied out the words of his (the Earl of Derby's) dia-
eep:_e correctly, he would not have fallen into the mis-
of irentatiun which he had committed. His (the Earl
/*ll.3br) words were these:-
1k ref aye not thought it my duty to advise the Queen
der er to the Privy Council the petition addressed to
eel
setaiesty ie Council, as I am aware of no reason why
free, 11ett departure should be made in the present cute
et the established system on which the Executive Go-
e,lbFrit of this kingdom and of the British colonies is
tefele4nistered. The established system" to which he
the eett in that paragraph was the responsibility of
liobieeeretary of. Seete for the colonies. Now the
thelti,,,sel, in his dispatch, had altered the phrase
hrits'executive Government of this kingdom," into the
eessi_e2 I,', ordinary legislative system of British pos.
te„e'ne s and by that alteration had completely
tiZA d the effect of his opinion. He was con-
i'6;Tl that this misrepresentation was not intentional ;
t:;l.%Couid not retrain from expressing his wonder
te.7_tb Noble Earl bad fallen into so very grave an
./,',n_as to the intentions of his predecessor in office.
ttim_R,Noble Earl had then isken course which he (the
torrl.?t Derby) had refused Lott ake in 1842. He re-
Thit°,e,the matter to the Committee of Privy Council.
uoromittee made a report on the proposed wa-
ftg' Gods
Good a representative Legislature in the Cape
L'allsoftt„,r,Pa, and that report was subsequently
would 1 "Y the Noble Earl to that colony. He tha different trouble their Lordships by going through
live Co Pinions opinions of the Members of the Legisla-
enter"
.tn" on that report. Suffice it to say, that they
titutiot: (To upon their own responbility on a con-
tever beeen",:ralY novel in its character, and which had
d
entployeekr atemPlated by the able gentleman who.. ba
112 tans to di mach talent and research to the devising of
'cora 80„;,mande any danger which might ascrue
eilwas "'a/ Noted a -change. The Legislative Coun-
to be I:l°,t to be nominated by the Crown, but was
teeed I°l3° into which the elective principle not only en-
ho
al but predominated entirely ; and a novel scheme
were 80 Proposed by which the votes in such elections
to tilt° be taken. Option ought to have been given
eohe Governor and his Council whether such
tkitCltittition should be accepted or not ; but not
4' did the Noble Secretary for the Colonies wave his
clue °Pinion upon it, but he sent with the report a legal
isten
uite t which had all the force of law, and which
ehtforised the existence of a new Legislative Council
41,e1!liouse of Assembly, both of which were to be
to b`°e, with this exception, that. the chief justice was
e President of the Legislative Council by virtue of
Ilellat/face• He then told the governor of the colony. that
''‘ltt immediately proceed to cause the prel,minarylyea Ont .
which might be required to be performed, with
te,,,m to the preparation of the necessary ordinances. He
i -
Proceeded as f blows:—
Itle various details of the machinery of the elections,
the Adefinitioa of the franchise of the electors, both for
eteeielelerably and the Legislative Council, and many
%hi particulars which will readily occur to you, are all
by on which the necessary provisions will be made
tilsier4inanee, and not by letters patent, and as to which,
ikt -ore, you
may with a view to expenditure.
theist the matter to' be embodied in the ordinance,
prepare
tihput waiting for the arrival of the letters patentbe
tesslves, tour of course, until they reach youf the
teililt cannot be brought under the consideration o
Note4',..at,ive Council."
illhen this document arrived in the colony, it took
ICe"" by surprise. It was a new system, introduced
sitio-r who knee nothing of the country, and in oppo-
lertelll tiel tile views Of those who had the largest local in-
ei,l44f.-.re,Etier.ry'loh theAieg views
it Additional difficulties were thrown in the
into execution by the strange position
l W 33 placed at the time of its ate
ttitl•
ter In the inim, between 1846 and 1848, eirentns
of theg had occurred which procluc, d a lamentable state
-
littpge in the ebony, on which he did not mean
ti
to en•
Nei-Ant Present, further than to say that the Anti Ce-
tioehi'socia,tion had started into existence. No one
keeen Rondeme more strongly than ho did the violent
the e'raa of that association. Their violence deprived.
114 asocietion of the countenance of many. persons in
bOf tthintey, who thought that they had just ground
ld-,°elnilieint, and who would have been ready,
the :PY been leas violent, to press upon Parliament
felt and.righteoueness of their complaint. He
Tmilted at it great and grievous error had been coin
he-;,...°° that point by her Majesty's Government.
'thee -"Or On tie occasion met with a grievous punish-
he °f which the exereple would be followed not only
hie colony the Cape, but also in all our other colo-
-0401;e The spirit of resistance bad been evoked in s. just
e • 'lnd had been carried to such an extent that, after
ad reaistance on the.part of the Crown, its authority
till rejected and lowered in the colony, and. not
'lonic but threats and menaces, and even hostilities,
been •
*iv directed against the Governor on the spot,
,eleh compelled
ohsim first, and afterwards the Govern_
at home, uccumb To such an extent had the
istance been carried that. by dint of violence the Le-
teigbilative Council was dissolved. This Anti-Convict As-
otion had subsequentlyorganization
ie,,t.ne colony, which now turned kw views to other _
led to a political b.
jeers, and thus, when the dispatch from the Colonial
teTer tary. came out, calling upon the Governor
atii:ufkititeedn;tt constitution contained in the let-
heto the Legislative Council es then
he .was compelled to write back home that
/le legislative°a? no sch Council, and that for a year or more
~,:_
rabody had existed in the colony—that
tivence of money had been illegally made—that
leurt! sip
p which had been taken by the Colonial Go-
iiewla. era was null and void, and that it was only ne-
tle3 "Y which had compelled him to assume the absolute
epiP°ktista which he then wielded, and which he wielded
114,1 Deeause no one in the colony would assist or advise
tout, What course, then, did the Governor take? He
et,lll' that to 611 up the Legislative Council with the
labilnees of the Crown would be an absolute impossibi-
t4oe that, if he should succeed in filling it up, he
peptil °llly do it by taking them from one part of the
Red ali°°--It measure which would give rite to jealousy
tiny alienation between the English and Dutch populee
ills a. What, then, did the governor do? On receiving
s'amatruetions from the home Government, it was ne-
se, denary that he should reform hie Council. He referred
ktOtlestion to a body consisting, in the towns, of the
read'epalities, and, in the country, of the several district
be teunards, for the purpose of ascertaining who would
the the Most desirable persons, in the opinion of
hee(„?joinitts, to form a portion of his own Council.
interl.' eirnor stated to the Noble Lord that it was his
ael,,,t"'?tt to be guided by the lists sent in to him, and to
Ge-„,-eril:e gentlemen from those lists. The result of the
the r:s botice was, that no very large proportion of
unabitants or ratepayers tendered their services,
I..3.neceer, out !t,560 ratepayers, only 1,298 took the trou-
Pour
of these
their votes in favour of the candidates.
tisese gentlemen were returned by a large majo-
0_ but it struck the Governor that three out of the
Town, and selected were from the division of Cape
and that on, of the others (Sir A. Stockenstrom) 11•4 tilet ryeiepresent the feelings of the English population,
Goecpriln wa of the gentlemen at Cape Town. It the
returnecir had appointed the five gentlemen who had been
keniher irons the greatest number of places all five
ttirner_i 3 of the Legi,letive Council would have been re-
title 't bY 'he local influence of Cape Town. Here arose
th" otffieulty which be (tee Earl of Derby) had fore-
" in 1842
neuroerous
ithd-pvz.b.,:,y paramount irtfleence of the more
also the more wealthy division of
ape T.
eble wn, who were able to exercise a very consider-
isAter6.ttelLee over the Legislature. It was indeed tad-
-010. AttonleePtlener"4l74r, rent; OM under