The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-20 00:00:00

Mouse wonli not permit aspertiOns to be thrown on the
character of the petitioner by the petition alluded to, nor
puffer evidence to be heard in support of it, without giving
the petitioner, the opportunity of producing evidence at the
bar against the petition and its charges.
The petition was read and ordered to be printed.
LORD CHARLES SOMERSET.

Mr. BARLNG said,
,lie rose to present a petition most
respectably signed by persons at the Cape of Good Hope.
The petitioners prayed the House for protection and relief
against the mal-administration of the Government of that
Colony. As a petition upon the same subject had already
been presented to the House, it was not his design to oc-
cupy the time and attention of Honourable Members. At
the same time he must be permitted to say, that from the
little he had seen of the petition and of the Report of the
C nnmissioners of Inquiry, it was quite evident, indeed it
we uld be absurd to a degree of indecency in Ministers to
deny, that the Colonists had made out a very strong case
for the consideration of the Government at home. He
hoped that Ministers would pay a proper degree of atten-
tion to the complaints he alluded to. All descriptions of
persons in the Colony cordially concurred in complaining
of the .arbitrary Government that had been exercised over
them. Whether those complaints were well founded, or
whether articles in the Press giving publicity to them,
might or might not be printed with safety at the Cape,
were questions into which he would not at present enter,
but he wished to say that the Colony was of considerable
extent, and that the inhabitants had been prevented from
holding any public Meeting upon their local circumstances,
by having a Government of the most despotic vigilance
exercised over them by Lord Charles Somerset. Having
no power to meet, the Colonists had naturally resorted to
the press; but the moment anything appeared in print,
expressing respectful objections to the Government of the
Colony, the most arbitrary measures followed, and the
paper in which the article appeared was totally suppressed
by the rescript of the Governor.—(Hear.)—Whatever
Gentlemen might think respecting the degree of the liberty
of the press which could be suffered to exist in the Colony
—and upon this subject he was aware that much difference
of opinion did exist—the opinions of no man could go to
the extent of thinking that any Colony should remain under
such a state as that imposed upon the Cape of Good Hope
by Lord Charles Somerset. The petition he presented
came from the most respectable of the inhabitants—from
persons who were totally incapable of supporting their
case by stating anything unfounded against the Nobleman
who had so singularly administered the Government of the
Colony. The petitioners were desirous of separating their
case from that of Mr. Burnet, and of all other complainants.
They proceeded upon public principles, divested of any per-
sonal motives against Lord Somerset. The petitioners
stated, that facts existed sufficient to excite the attention of
Government, and, indeed, of this it was impossible to doubt.
The sudden and arbitrary suppression of the only News-
paper in the Colony, followed by the most tyrannical mea-
sures against the proprietor ; the refusal of Lord Charles
Somerset to allow any description of literary society, public
library, or museum, although desired to do so by sixty of
the most respectable inhabitants, comprising the Chief Jus-
e4ce, Judges, and Advocates, was not only in itself bad beyond
all precedent, but diametrically opposite to that system of
laws which the people justly considered their birth-right.
This objection of the Governor to permit the formation of
a literary society—such an excessive jealousy on the part of
Goverment, so absurd a refusal of a reasonable and highly
laudable request, were indicative of the consciousness of a
anal-administration of the Government, and were proceed-
ings which Ministers could never sanction. He felt con-
vinced that great alterations must take place in the Colony.
The petition set forth the most deplorable state of the
Colony under the Government of Lord Charles Somerset,
and prayed the House to adopt such measures as might re-
lieve the coloniatsfrom the evils under which they suffered.
Mr. HUME said, that he would avail himself of the
present opportunity to correct what the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman opposite (Mr. Wilmot Horton) had mistated to the
House, respecting Mr. Greig not having been banished by
Lord Charles Somerset, when his Lordship had seised
upon his types and suppressed his Paper. He (Mr.
Hume) had declared Mr. Greig to have been banished,
upon the authority of that gentleman himself, and of
his brother, as well as upon the authority of a Procla-
mation of Lord Somerset's, which he (Mr. Hume) held
in his hand. , Ile thought it right that the House should
not be led sway by the mistatement of the Right Hon.
Gentleman. He (Mr. Hume) had asserted that the Go-
vernor's banishment of Mr. Greig deserved the serious at-
tention of thelkonse. The banishment had been contra-
dicted by the Right Ikons Gentleman opposite. The facts
were. as follow :—Lord Charles Somerset had issued a Pro-
clamation,dated 10th May, 1824, in which he declared
that Mr. Greig had violated his privilege to reside in the
Colony; and, therefore, directed that he should leave it in
one month, and that he should be arrested, or seized upon,
to secure that object, in a fortnight. His Lordship further
directed that his printing-press should be seized, his types
sealed up, and that nobody should have the use of theta.
Me also had in his possession a letter, dated 23,1 May,
signed by the Fiscal, which informed Mr. Greig that he
(the Fiscal) had seen an advertisement of the disposal of
his Triating apparatus, and as Mr. Greig could, there-
fore, use it no longer, he might remain in the Colony if he
plc;, And that Lord Charles Somerset would withdraw
his edict of banishment. So far it appeared that Mr. Greig
might :,are rennained, but his printing press had been seized
'extd his trade ruieed, and it was, therefore, absolutely ne-
cessary for him to return to Europe, to seek redress
for the outrage which the Governor had committed. He
(Mr. Hume) had moved for papers containing all the in-
formation with reference to this stoppage of the Press, this
spoliation of property, and which would show the grounds
on which the subject had been originally brought forward.
In the mean time he had only to say, that if Hon. Mem-
bers would have reference to the Reports in their posses-
sion (few to whet they must have with reference to the
treatment of that colony), they would find numerous abuses
of power, and grounds of dissatisfaction in the inhabitants.
It was complained of Lord Charles Somerset, that lie in-
curred a public debt, levied taxes, interfered with judg-
ements, and removed individuals from the Colony without
trial, and in a manner unknown to persons accustomed to
the British Laws. It was only astonishing where this
+lnnen could have acquired his notions of &averment,
and of public conduct. He (Mr. Hume) thought it im-
peratively nenessary, that the House should institute in-
quiries into the subject with as little delay as possible, in
order that so fine a Colony might be rescued from the evil
effects which bad Government bad had upon every interest
connected with it, and in order that British capital might
have a chance of being successfully directed to that quarter.
Me would submit to the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. W.
Horton) whether he would produce certain papers previous
to the inquire into the subject. There would not be time
in the present Session to go into the inquiry, but hr hoped
that measures weuld be taken during the intern!, which
-would convince the country that the conduct of Lord C.
Somerset was deprecated by Government. •
Mme WILMOT HORTON said, that the Papers al-
ready laa before the House were sufficient to enable Mem-
bers to Bete rrniao how far the charges against Lord Charles
Somerset were founded. He thought it unjust to lay upon
his Lordship the sole responsibility of all arbitrary mea-
sures, when they might have been participated in by other
nuthorities.—(A laugh.)—He was aware of the disincli-
nation of the House to pay attention to such subjects, but
it was of importance that Hon. Members should be atten-
tive to them, suffideptly to impress upon the minds of the
colonists a confie4enee Cent their interests were duly consi-
dered within tlae'wells of Parliament. The Government
was already in possession of rneey variety of informa-
tion which would enable thnm td 1;pon their discretion
in the introduction of those praztical itnpronments which
would essentially meet the object which the lion. Mem-
ber for Montrose had in view. His Noble Feiend, the
Secretary of State for the Colonial Department (Lord
Goderich), had authorised him to say, that but for the
meant:eft which the late Secretary of State (Lord Bathurst)
had carried into effect, it would not at the present mo-
ment have been practicable to introduce the improvements
to which he (Mr. W. Horton) had just alluded. In 1822,
directions had been issued to introduce the English lan-
guage into all the public proceedings of the Colony, after
a lapse of fiver years, is order that its adoption might be
contemporaneous with the assimilation of the laws and
institutions of the CnlonY with those of England. The
hate Governor of the Cape had delayed the introduction of
this measure, from a conviction that it would be inconve-
nient to the existing state of the colony. Compleints had
been made against Lord Charles Somerset with respect to
the alteration of the carrency, and erroneous and unjust
observations had been meek upon the late Secretary of
State
upon the subject. The en
- —ensure of altering the cur-
was debtor and creditor-aceount, for which neither
vency
the local Government of the Ca
Pe, nor the Secretary of
State for the Colonial Department, was responsible. It
Was settled by the general Government. re
-he settling the
shilling and sixpence was a transaction
six dollar at one
independent of Lord Charles Somer set.
Mr. W. SMITH thought the Government at hems in
possession of much more informat;on than they chose
it was "act
upon. The Right Hon. Gentleman had very
hard indeed, to make the Colonial Governor' (Lord Charles
Somerset) liable or answerable for the evils of his Admi-
nistration ; if he (Mr. Smith) were not very much mis-
informed, it would be equally hard to make the indivi-
duals of the Government at the Cape answerable for the