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place, and where it had been delayed a considerable time by the want of an opportunity of forwarding it. As however I am in possession of most of the necessary documents, which I had obtained for my own information, I beg to assure your Lordship that I will not lose any time in preparing to the best of my ability and transmitting to you such a Report as you have desired. I have etc.

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Letter from SIR JOHN CRADOCK to the EARL OF LIVERPOOL.

HEREFORD, 5th March 1811.

MY LORD,-I request that your Lordship will accept my sincere acknowledgments and thanks for the Favors conferred upon me in the Interview of Sunday, and that I may be permitted to express with how much zeal and devotion I shall endeavour to promote His Majesty's Service in the Government and Command of the Forces at the Cape.

Whenever your Lordship may please to honor me with any further commands, I shall be happy to obey them. I have &c.

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Letter from LORD CHETWYND to ROBERT PEEL, ESQRE.

OFFICE OF COMMITTEE OF PRIVY COUNCIL FOR TRADE,

WHITEHALL, 22nd March 1811.

SIR,-I am directed by the Lords of the Committee of Council for Trade and Plantations to transmit to you a Copy of their Lordships' Minute on the several Papers which had been received from the Earl of Caledon, and I am to desire that you will be pleased to lay the said Minute before the Earl of Liverpool for his Lordship's information. I am &c.

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[Enclosure in the above.]

AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, WHITEHALL, THE 18th of March 1811.

By the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council, appointed for the Consideration of all Matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations.

Read Letter from Robert Peel, Esqre., stating that it does not appear that the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope has transmitted to His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department any Account of the Imports and Exports into and from that Settlement.

Read Letter from the Earl of Caledon, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, to the Right Honorable Lord Viscount Castlereagh, dated 10th October 1809, with its several Inclosures, submitting (in Execution of the Duty pointed out by the Lords of this Committee) under distinct Heads, the amount and nature of each source of Revenue collected in that Settlement, with Observations thereon, and also a statement of the amount of the paper Currency now in Circulation there, and of the nature and extent of the Securities for the same.

It appears from this Dispatch that the origin of Paper money at the Cape of Good Hope was in 1782 to the amount of—

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Total amount in Circulation from further Issues to the Time of the
Surrender of the Colony.

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1,291,276

For which last sum the property of the Dutch East India Company was mortgaged as a Security.

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The Lords of the Committee will forbear to make any Observa

tion on this Statement till they express their Sentiments on the Opinion of Lord Caledon, stated in the close of his Dispatch above referred to.

LOAN OR LOMBARD BANK.

The Profit to Government on which in 1808 was

It was established in 1793 by the Dutch, who then issued Paper
Money to the amount of .

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The Loans were granted on Security of moveable as well as
immoveable property, to be repaid in two Years at an Interest
of 5 per cent, the legal Interest being 6 per cent.
General Dundas added to the capital in 1802

Total Capital

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No repayment of the Loans so advanced were made, which occasioned, of course, a Diminution of the Capital, and nearly

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Rix Dollars.

44,632

680,000

165,000

845,000

810,225

34,775

The general Rules for the management of this Bank appear to their Lordships to be very well calculated to ensure a due administration of its Affairs, but as no Attention has been paid to the Provisions in the Eleventh Rule, for restraining Loans to Two Years, they approve of the Directions given by Lord Caledon for calling them in, viz., Those due by the Inhabitants of the Cape Town, by Instalments of 10 per Cent, and of the Country, of 6 Per Cent annually; recommending at the same time a strict Enforcement of the Payment of those Instalments; the indefinite Term for which the Loans have been made having, as before observed, rendered the Institution, which was to encourage Industry and Commerce, almost useless, the only advantage derived from it at present being to Government, and to the Borrowers, by their gaining an Interest of 1 Per Cent, losing sight altogether of affording Mercantile Relief by constant Issues, which might have been effected by regular Repayments.

Duty on Publick Sales.

It appears to the Lords of the Committee that some Inconvenience has arisen from the change of the System established in 1795, by the appointment of a sole Vendue Master in 1808. Their

Lordships therefore think it fit that Lord Caledon should be called upon to state his Opinion as to the best management of the Business for Publick Interest.

Lombard Discount Bank.

This appears to be well calculated to furnish the means of assistance rendered necessary by the change of system in the Department of Sales; and the continuance or Regulation of it must depend upon what shall be finally decided respecting that Branch of Revenue.

Land Revenue.

Under an absolute cession of the Territory on a Peace, it might be fit to simplify the Tenures by which Lands are held in this Settlement, and to give the Holders in some Cases a more permanent Interest in them, referring to the Three Cases last mentioned in Lord Caledon's Dispatch, viz. the Quit Rent, the Loan Property, and the Copyhold; But Their Lordships are of Opinion that it is not desirable to make any permanent alteration at present.

If the reserved Rent on the first of these, the Quit Rents, is meant to be invariable, there is no use in the Term being limited to 15 years, except for the trifling Stamp Duty, for which a Compensation to the Public may be provided by an additional Rent; and if it is not meant to be invariable, it will operate upon the Holder as a Discouragement to Improvement at any great Expence for so short a Term.

The second, the Loan Property, so nearly resembles the Land in Perpetuity, as to the Tenure by which they are held, that it seems desirable that it should be converted into the same Tenure precisely, reserving the Rent now paid. With respect to the 3rd, the Loan or Copyhold, The Lords of the Committee are not aware from any Information they have before them, why the Tenure should not also be in Perpetuity, especially as in addition to the Uncertainty of Possession, there is in this Case the further Inconvenience that the Buildings are the Property of the Individuals, and the Land of the public; But as their Lordships are not apprized of the Objections which were made to the Measure proposed by Mr. Ryneveld,

President of the Court of Justice, they are unwilling to express a decided Opinion on the Matter.

Their Lordships indeed mean no more, by any of the Observations they have made on the subject of Land Revenue, than to direct the Attention of Lord Caledon to a Consideration of them, in order that His Lordship may suggest to Lord Liverpool what occurs to him upon them, having in his view that there can be no absolute alienation of any of the fixed and real property of the State till it shall be settled, on a peace, whether the Colony shall remain to Great Britain or not. The Object which seems desirable to be obtained in the meantime is that the Holders of the Land should have such a Tenure in it as will be likely to induce them to apply Capital and Industry to the Improvement of it, and that the Rent should be proportioned, as Lord Caledon proposes, to the Value of the Land, and not be charged indiscriminately at the same Rate invariably, whatever the quality may be.

Purchase Money for Lands.

The produce of this appears to have been small, especially in the last Year; and Their Lordships are of Opinion that it should be discontinued altogether, for the Reason alluded to under the last Head, namely, that consistently with the Law of Nations there should be no alienation of Territory during a temporary. possession by Conquest.

Transfer Duty.

On this Branch the Lords of the Committee have no observations to make.

Tythes.

These having no relation to any Dues for the Church, but being collected, according to a Tariff, on Wines, Spirits, Grain and pulse, which pass the Barrier and enter the Cape Town, Their Lordships think it may be proper to require of Lord Caledon his opinion as to the Expediency of a Compensation to the Public, if it can be obtained, from them in the event of a discontinuance; The Amount in 1808 was something more than £8,000.

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