Cape Of Good Hope.
The Times, 1824-08-02T00:00:00

By the following article in the Soulth Africatn Commercial Ad- vertiger of the 6th of May, it appears that the cxample set by the Indian t3overnment,of subjecting the press to a rigid censorship,has been followed by the authorities at the Cape:- " Wednesday morning, I o'clock. " His Alajest's Fisal having assumed the censorship of the South African Commercial Advertiser, by an official order sent to the printing-office by a messenger, late in the evening before vubli- cation, demanding proof sheets of the paper for next day (this day), and prohibiting its being struck off' til we had received further di- rections thereon'-we find it our duty as British subjects, under these circumstances, to discontinue the publication of the said paper for the present in this colony, until we have applied for redress and direction to his Excellency the Govcrnor, and the British Govern- ment. " Our numnerous sabscribers will, we trust, require no farther ex. planation at present of this distressing interruption. They, and the rest of the world, shall be speedily put in possession of a full state- rment of all the facts; one of which is a demand from the FiscIl of two securities, on or before Friday next, to become bound under a penalty of 10,000 rix-dollars, that nothing offensive shall appear in any future number-such as extracts from the experienced work of the civil servant, a work published in this colony, this year, by W. W. Bird, Esq. Comptroller of Customs, and Assessor of the Court of Appeals. " tce will only mention farther at present, that not a wordt of this our last number has been written or altered in consequence of the above-mentioned transactions, excepting this notice." We have been fayoured with the following account of kr. G reig's proceedings in the colony where the journal abore-mention- ed was established, andl of some curious facts connected with its suppression :-When Mr. Greig arrived at the colony in I823, lie found the state of the prems most degrading; not a siagle article al- lowed toemanatefrom any but the 3evemnient press. Thc inhabitants, knowing it was Mlr. Greig's object to establish an independent jour- nial, entTeated him to cemnience, and promised him support. He presented a memorial to the Governor, and had two audiences, at which his Excellency tried to persuade him to relinquish his inten- tion. This not having any efFect, he finally refused his sanction. MAr. Greig commenced the South African Conmnercial Advertiser early 3n Jannary, 1824. The paper succeeded beyond expectation, and w.s patronized by both Dutch an(d English. Eighteen numbers were published, and gave great satisfaction to the inhabitants of Cape Town ant those of the different districts in the fnterior. This ris- ing success and fame gave great offence to- the Government party ; and we are authorized in stating, that various attempts were made to entrap the ctlitor into the publication of libellous matter concerning the Government and public and private individuals. The most noto- rious of these attempts was one from 3Graham's Town, relating a story of a riot at that town on thie arrival of the commissioners, in v,hich the Rev. Alir. Geary, &c., wvere said to have figured. This was seen througlh, and rejected. The Ceape Gazette published the account, which has been traced to an individual, against whom an action has been commenced by the Rev. Mr. Geatry, to prevent the publication of which trial the journal has been suppressed. The editor commenced publishing the law reports, which excited the highest interest ; and it was known that very much good must ensue from them, as the secrecy of these trials for twenty years past has de- prived the courts of law there of the confidenceof the colonists. The Governor sent, on the 6tl of May, to require the editor would engage not to publish the trial above referred to. This thle editor refused to do. On the eve of the next publication, the Governor sent for proofsheets of the paper, also requtired a bond to be given to the aZouxt of 10,000 dollars, not to publish any article previous to its being inspect- ed, and an engagement not to publish the aforementioned trial: all this being refused, a sentence ofbanishmentwassigned by the Go- ver for the editor to leave the Cape in a month. A garbled state- inent was published in the CaapmGazOtt, on which the editor circu- lated a notice that he would immediatelY publish a true statement of facts in answer to it ; but the Governor instantly had the placards torr down ; officers were sent to the printing-office, and sealcd up the presses, and finally knocked up the paper. All this was done on a Sunday! without any trial, or even a hearing of any kind. These events have caused a great sensation at the Cape; the inhabitants are indignant at the Governor's conduct, and proposed a subscription to defray the expense of a prosecution of the Governor. The editor intended returning to England, to lay a statement before the Go- vernment herc. CAPE OF GOOD IHOPE.