HC Deb 25 June 1852 vol 122 cc1298-9
MR. ADDERLEY

said, he begged to inquire of the right hon. Secretary of State for the Colonies, if recent information from the Cape of Good Hope represented General Cathcart's policy to be that of driving the Gaikas over the Kei upon the tribes beyond, and occupying their vacated territory; and, if so, what prospects there might seem to be of any remote termination of the war?

Sir JOHN PAKINGTON

begged to state, in reply to the question of his hon. Friend, that the last despatches received from General Cathcart—the first which had been received since the arrival of the general at the seat of war—did announce to Her Majesty's Government that the general had made public in the Colony his intention to drive the Gaika tribes across the Kei, and to occupy their territory. Her Majesty's Government regarded this as one of those steps which were considered necessary by General Cathcart, with the view to bring the war to a successful and early termination, and did not consider it would in any way compromise the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the frontiers of the Cape Colony. In reference to the latter part of the question put by his hon. Friend—whether he (Sir J. Paking-ton) could hold out any hopes or remote prospect of a termination of the war, he could say that the despatches received from General Cathcart did hold out hopes to the Government that the termination of the war was not very distant.