HC Deb 15 March 1852 vol 119 cc1038-9
MR. ADDERLEY

begged to ask the right hon. Secretary for the Colonies whether any instructions would be sent by the mail going out to the Cape of Good Hope on Tuesday, the 16th, to General Cathcart, to suspend or alter the instructions given him by Earl Grey to lay down a scheme of future policy for this country to undertake as to the defence of the frontier of that colony? As the Bosphorus had arrived since be had given notice of this question, perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would state, in his reply, whether he had received petitions from the Cape to Her Majesty, praying that the Queen would refuse her Royal assent to the ordinances passed by the Legislative Council of that Colony by way of delaying the application of the constitution.

SIR JOHN PAKINGTON

I have not thought it my duty so immediately to send instructions to General Cathcart either to suspend or to alter the instructions sent by Earl Grey, to which my hon. Friend has adverted. But I can assure him that the present condition of the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, and the future government of the colony, will be the subject of the earliest and most anxious consideration on the part of the Government. In answer to the latter part of my hon. Friend's question, I have to state that a petition has arrived by the last mail from the municipality of Cape Town, complaining of delay on the part of the Legislative Council of the Cape in passing the constitutional ordinances, and of their devoting their time to passing ordinances of another and less pressing nature. And I have thought it my duty to send out despatches to the Legislative Council advising the necessity of considering the constitutional ordinances as soon as possible, and suggesting that they should reserve questions of legislation of a less urgent nature for the consideration of a future Parliament.

SIR DE LACY EVANS

said, that the recent intelligence from the Cape led to a hope that the war was at an end. If so, would the Government give an opportunity to the House to discuss the future territorial boundary of the colony?

SIR JOHN PAKINGTON

said, there was a difficulty in answering what scarcely amounted to a question. When, however, the hon. and gallant Member spoke of the Kaffir war as being concluded, he thought it right to state that the despatches just received, although very gratifying, did not go to the extent described by the hon. and gallant Gentleman. The recent intelligence did not go further than this, that we had achieved a great and gratifying success, and there was reason to hope that at no distant day the war would be brought to an end.

Subject dropped.