§ The DUKE of RICHMOND rose to present a Petition from Anthony Alexander O'Reilly, late a Colonel in Her Majesty's Service, and since a settler in the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, complaining of having suffered severe loss at the hands of the Kafirs, and praying for relief. The noble Duke knew nothing at all personally of the individual whose name was attached to it; but that gentleman had sent him a certificate of his having served as an officer in the British Army for fifty-two years, during which time it would appear, from general and private orders, that he had merited and gained the esteem of his commanding officers and fellow soldiers. This gentleman was, a few years ago, prevailed upon by the inducements which were held out by the late Government, and after fifty-two years' service in the Army, to dispose of his commission for the purpose of settling at the Cape of Good Hope. He accordingly took a farm there, and was going on remarkably well. He had a great quantity of stock, was possessed of the best implements of husbandry, and was in all respects a thriving farmer, when the Kafir war broke out—one of those "little wars" which had always proved so detrimental to this country, and which would have been settled immediately had they sent out 7,000, or 8,000 British Infantry at the beginning. The consequence was that the Kafirs made an inroad upon this gentleman's farm, seized his cattle and horses, the Hottentot levies deserted him, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he and his son escaped with their lives. By that inroad of the savages he was totally and 1205 entirely ruined; and now, after fifty-two years spent in the service of his country, the only way in which this gentleman was at present enabled to get a bit of bread to put in his mouth was by going to labour in the fields. Now, he (the Duke of Richmond) contended that this was a case of very great hardship. He contended also, that the Government ought not to recommend officers in the Army, or any other persons, to go out as settlers to the Colonies, unless they intended to protect them there against the inroads of savage tribes. And, moreover, he would say to old officers, if they would take his advice, "Stick to the Army, and don't go out as settlers," for nineteen out of twenty, after they became settlers, deeply regretted having left a service in which, at least, they had enjoyed a well-merited reputation. The case he had mentioned was, he repeated, one of very great hardship, and left a considerable amount of responsibility on the Government which encouraged such settlements. He did not know whether the Government at home could be of any service to the petitioner; still he did think that it was a case of very crying hardship, and one that, at all events, justified him in having occupied their Lordships' time and attention for a few moments.
The EARL of DESARTthanked the noble Duke for the notice he had given of his intention to present the petition, and assured him, that neither Her Majesty's Government nor he (the Earl of Desart) felt less commiseration than did his noble Friend himself for this gentleman's case. The facts of the case were these. This gentleman had served fifty-two years in the Army, but in 1848 he sold out, and availing himself of certain indulgences which were given by the Government, invested the proceeds of the sale of his commission, 4,000l., in the purchase of land at the Cape of Good Hope; but at the end of the year 1851 an inroad of Kafirs took place upon his farm, and owing to the treachery of his servants he had difficulty in escaping with his life, his premises were destroyed, as the noble Duke bad stated, and he had since been compelled to work in the fields. He granted that it was a case which demanded the warmest commiseration; at the same time, however, it must be remembered that when this gentleman sold his commission, he assumed the character and placed himself exactly in the position of any other colonist at the Cape. Under these circumstances it was 1206 impossible that the Government could give compensation for losses so sustained. Their doing so now would involve the necessity of making compensation in every similar case which might arise.
§ Petition read and ordered to lie on the table.