§ MR. W. H. JAMESasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, If his attention has been called to the remarks made by Mr. Justice Fitzpatrick, after a 170 lengthened Circuit in the northern and western parts of Cape Colony, to the Grand Jury at the Criminal Sessions at Cape Town, reported in the "Cape Argus " of May 6th, when, after congratulating them upon the lightness of the calendar, the learned Judge is reported to have observed—
There appeared to be indications through the country of mutual bad feeling, and uncomfortable sensations between the coloured races by whom we are surrounded and the white population. The magistrates have reported to me that the tone of the natives has become uncomfortably morose, half insolent, and defiant, and certainly the tone of the white population has altered not, in my opinion, for the better. There appeared to me to be a sense of antagonism, a feeling that, right or "wrong, the time has come for putting down the blacks I felt this all through the Circuit, that, from a sense of danger, or from a sense of wrong, or some other causes, there is a feeling amongst the white population which is not in accordance with the principles which have guided them heretofore. It is anything but agreeable to find such a state of things prevailing—in fact the white population seem to have found their dark-coloured neighbours guilty of a skin not a colour like their own;and, whether these observations are correctly reported; and, if so, will he take steps to obtain from the magistrates the reports of the matters to which the learned Judge refered, and other information to corroborate his statements?
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHI have seen the newspaper report referred to by the hon. Member. I do not know whether it is a correct report of the learned Judge's charge; but there are other parts of it which, to some extent, modify the effect of the quotation which the hon. Member has made. The Judge does not say that the reports in question were received from the magistrates in all parts of his Circuit, but only in various places; he distinctly states the feeling referred to not to be one of declared hostility. He says that he is sure the principles which have guided heretofore the white cultivated people of the country will guide them in future; and that he thinks it his duty to notice the matter because he believes its being noticed will tend to correct it. I share that hope so far as my own feeling is concerned; and with regard to the particular Question which the hon. Member has asked me, I scarcely think there would be much good in obtaining these particular reports of the magistrates, as full information on the state of feeling 171 between the White and Native population in the Cape Colony, sent to me in the ordinary way, has been, and will continue to be, included in the Papers presented to Parliament.