§ MR. LIDDELLsaid, he wished to put a question to the noble Lord at the head of the Government, of which he had not had an opportunity of giving him notice, but which he hoped he would pardon him for putting, considering the personal interest he took in the matter. He alluded to the sinister rumours which had appeared in the morning journals respecting the state of affairs at the Cape of Good Hope; and he wished to ask whether the noble Lord considered those rumours correct, and whether any orders had been given to reinforce the military stations on the frontiers, which he could say, from personal knowledge, were very slenderly provided with troops.
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONCertainly, Sir, my right hon. Friend the Colonial Secretary received yesterday some accounts which led to the apprehension that disturbances might occur on the frontiers, such as the hon. Gentleman has alluded to. I do not understand that there was any actual outbreak, and such steps had been taken as would guard against the possibility of the recurrence of anything unpleasant. I do not understand that the accounts contain any reports of actual occurrences, but simply that there had been indications of disturbances between the Dutch settlers and the natives, and there was an apprehension that those disturbances might extend to the English settlers.