The Express. — 1848-02-26 (London, England)

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.  By an arrival from the Cape of Good Hope, at Cork, we have Graham's Town journals to the 18th Deeember.  Sir Harry Smith had arrived at Graham's Town. In his progress from Algoa Bay, hie excellency met Sir H. Pottinger, en route to the coast, at Sidbury, when a lengthened conference took place on the state of public affairs. The accounts from Kaffirland are not important. They state, however, that Pato had offered to surrender, and give 3,000 head of cattle, together with all his arms, provided his liberty was guaranteed. The belief was that be would surrender unconditionally as soon as he had information of Sir H. Smith's arrival on the frontier. Colonel Somerset was between the Kye and the Buffalo, apparently watching the movements of the Kaffirs in the territory occupied by Umbala, where a large drove of Pato's cattle had taken shelter from the pursuit of our troops,— and respecting which no satisfactory infonnatioa had been obtained from Umbala. although occupyir country on the tenure of adhesion to the British cause. His conduct of late had been well calculated to awaken suspicion, and would, no doubt, have the immediate attention of the new governor, who knows him well. Colonel Somerset's operations across the Kye had been, upon the whole, very satisfactory. 'rho troops were said to be in the enjoyment of good health and in high spirits, though tired of threading the kloofs and climbing the precipices which mark the features of the country bordering the Kye. It was not supposed that any movement of importance would be made until the arrival in Kaffirland of Sir Harry Smith. In the meantime a good many petty depredations and aggressions by the Kaffirs are reported. Letters and papers from Natal, up to the 3rd December, state that great excitement prevailed, arising from some apparently hostile movement of %Goias under Panda. 'rhe Boers at Klip River had formed themselves into a laager for mutual defence —and a public meeting of the inhabitants had been rally d at Pietermariritzherg, to take the subject under considi ration. A detachment of mounted military had been ordered towards the scene of apparent danger.  In the House of LORDS, yesterday, the Earl of 11.‘n!mules., in a speech condemnatory of free trade, moved for the appointment of a select committee on the navigation laws. Earl GREY would not oppose the motion, though he might not consider a committee necessary, yet it could do no harm, as the more inforeiation their brdshios bad before them the better they would be enabled to deal with any measure that government might submit to parliament on the subject to which the motion referred. In the Ilouse of Commotis the questions put to and answered by the government were relative to the late murders at Canton, the rate-paying clauses of the Reform Bill, the Irish loan, foreign tariffs, and the present state of affairs in France.—On the question of going into committee of supply, Mr. HUME moved as an amendment, " that it is expedient that the expenditure of the country should be redueed, not only to render an inerew.e in taxation in this session unnecessary, but that the expenditure should be furl her reduced as speedily as pissible, to admit of a reclue*ion of the present large amount of taxatltin." A somewhat protracted debate ensued upon the general expenditure of the country, and that of the army and navy in particular. at the termination of which the house divided, when tie original question for going into commltee was carried by a majority of 98, the numbr-ra being 137 to 59. The house having gone into committee, the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER proposed a vote of 1,100,000 f. to defray the expense of the Kaffir war, Mr. HUME moving that the Chairman report progress. After a debate the committee divided, when the vote was carried by a majority of 191, the numbers, 232 to 61.—Mr.'1Vstin then moved a vote of 245,410/. I9s. 7d. for the navy excess in 1848-7, which was agreed to.—The Landed Property (Ireland) Bill was read a second time.—Mr. ARLEY proposed the printing of a petition relative to the land tax, which being opposed, on the ground that the petitioner Fought to print his views on that sub. jevt at the expense of the public, a division took', place, when 40 members not being present the house stood adjourned.