a little profit for the moment, without regard to the future; and by such proceedings this valuable, and in His Majesty's dominions unrivalled article of commerce, is upon the point of being sacrificed. The Colony from these causes has already lost the demand from South America; and unless Government interpose its powers, the bright prospects opened by the capture of the Isles of France and Batavia will be equally closed, and the Settlement will have to lament, for ever, her blindness and perseverance in a false course. It is an undoubted fact, and it should make the pride as well as the wealth of the inhabitants, that this Colony can produce as excellent wine of various sorts as perhaps any country in the world. If therefore the cultivator and merchant be but true to their permanent interests, and will abandon the petty profit of the moment to the infinitely greater advantage of futurity, equally within their power, what the Colony has suffered in the depreciation and disesteem of its wines may be repaired, and confidence and reputation being restored, every avenue to its exportation will be reopened and enlarged. Having thus demanded, in authority, from the Settlement a serious and lively attention to their own interests, I hereby promise the most constant support and patronage on the part of Government, and that no means of assistance shall be left unattempted to improve the cultivation, and every encouragement given to honest industry and adventure to establish the success of the Cape commerce in this her great and native superiority. In the course of this year premiums and rewards will be given by Government for the production of the best wines. As soon as this important subject shall have received due consideration, the necessary Regulations will be established and declared, and an office of Taster of Wines be instituted to ascertain the quality of wines for exportation. In the mean time all persons wishing to export wine can alone have permission by making special application to Government, and a temporary order will be given for its inspection and approval. And that no one may plead ignorance hereof, this shall be published and affixed as usual. Given under my hand and seal at the Cape of Good Hope, this 19th day of December 1811. J. F. CRADOCK. (Signed) [Office Copy.] Letter from the EARL OF LIVERPOOL to SIR JOHN CRADOCK. DOWNING STREET, 20th December 1811. SIR,-Herewith I transmit to you the copy of a Communication which has been addressed to Mr. Halloran by my direction in reply to a letter from that Person. By it you will perceive that his request to be allowed to return to the Cape has been refused, but that his Application for a passage to England for his Wife and family has been complied with. I am therefore to desire that you take the necessary measures for securing their conveyance to this Country so soon as an opportunity shall offer. I have &c. Letter from the EARL OF LIVERPOOL to SIR JOHN CRADOCK. DOWNING STREET, 20th December 1811. SIR,-I herewith transmit a Copy of the Report of the Law officers of the Crown, dated the 18th Inst., on the validity of certain Marriages solemnized at the Cape by a Person styling himself Dr. Halloran, and I am to desire that should it appear to you necessary to make the same public within the Settlement in order to remove any doubts that may exist and to quiet the minds of the Inhabitants thereon, that you will accordingly give to this opinion the publicity required for that purpose. I have &c. Letter from the EARL OF LIVERPOOL to SIR JOHN CRADOCK. DOWNING STREET, 20th December 1811. SIR, I have received your several Dispatches from No. 1 to No. 7 inclusive. A Copy of your Dispatch No. 6 has been transmitted to the Lords of the Committee of Council for Trade, and I have directed their particular attention to that part of it in which you recommend the imposition of a small Duty upon the importation of British Merchandize. A Copy of No. 7 has been sent to the Treasury for the consideration of their Lordships, and I shall take the earliest opportunity of forwarding to you the answer which I may receive to the references so made. His Majesty's Government have learnt with much regret that the repeated aggressions of the wandering kraals of the Caffres have imposed upon you the necessity of adopting more vigorous measures for their prevention than your immediate Predecessors have adopted. It appears to be of great importance that some distinct and acknowledged Boundary should be drawn between the Territories of His Majesty and those belonging to the Caffre Tribes and that the passage of that Boundary by Individuals of either side without due authority should subject the Offenders to severe Punishment. It were much to be wished that an arrangement for this purpose could have been amicably concluded, and I trust that every attempt to effect it by conciliation will have failed before compulsion is resorted to. It must be quite unnecessary for me to point out the impolicy of a systematic War with the Caffre Nation, or the little benefit that could possibly be derived from it by the most complete success, and I am convinced that the general Interests of the Settlement would be better promoted by taking measures of precaution against the Marauders and repelling their Intrusions when made than by resorting to general and offensive hostilities. I mean by this observation rather to put you in possession of the sentiments of His Majesty's Government on this point than to imply that the Instructions which you have given to Colonel Graham are not perfectly proper, or that circumstances did not require the detachment of the regular Troops. It will be material however that you should distinctly ascertain that the aggressions by the Caffres are not measures of retaliation, and that they are not justified in some measure by the conduct of the Dutch Settlers who reside contiguous to their Territories. The Proclamation issued by Lord Macartney at a former period sets forth that the wretched Natives are compelled to have recourse to robbing and various other irregularities in order to support life, in consequence of the injury which their peaceful Possessions sustained from the inhabitants of the more distant part of the Settlement, who reduced them to misery and want. I trust that such disgraceful proceedings have long since been effectually checked, but on this subject I must refer you to the Dispatch which I had occasion to write to you. Even should the Dutch Settlers have shown no disposition to molest them, I trust that in the execution of your orders the utmost humanity will be shown to the misguided natives which is consistent with the Security of Property and the tranquillity of the Settlement, though I confess to you that the spirit in which the following extract from one of the letters you have transmitted leaves every ground for apprehension: "In the event of the attempt to take Sjambi prisoner failing we hope that confidence will be reposed in us to enable us to act as circumstances may seem to require, and we take this opportunity of assuring Your Excellency that no more Caffres shall be shot than will be found absolutely requisite to the attainment of the desired end of exterminating them from the Zuurveld and driving them into their own country, &c., &c." I trust that no such confidence as is required in this Letter has been reposed, and that you will direct your utmost attention to prevent any acts of unnecessary rigour on the part of the agents who are employed. I have &c. Permission for Mr. Leisching to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope. [Copy.] Letter from the Deputy Colonial Secretary to the President and Directors of the Lombard Bank. SECRETARY'S OFFICE, December 27th 1811. GENTLEMEN,-I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to acquaint you that he is pleased to authorize you to discount bills at three months date, drawn by any individual or merchant, for a sum not exceeding Rds. 5000; to discount promissory notes payable within three months, and not exceeding Rds. 5000, drawn by any individual or merchant; to discount registered bonds to the extent of one half their value, provided the same does not exceed Rds. 5000; and in case individuals be desirous of obtaining a larger sum than Rds. 5000 on their bills, notes, &c., the same to be subject to His Excellency's approbation; a monthly report of these transactions to be delivered for His Excellency's inspection. I have &c. Letter from SIR JOHN CRADOCK to the EARL OF LIVERPOOL. GOVERNMENT HOUSE, CAPE TOWN, MY LORD, I have the honor to submit to Your Lordship a paper received within these few days, and which seems to require particular consideration. At the moment of its delivery I in no shape committed Government or myself, and barely expressed that I would transmit the Memorial to England. I was informed also at the time that the same address had been confidentially submitted to my predecessor, Lord Caledon, immediately previous to his departure, and that His Lordship had promised to lay it before His Majesty's Ministers. The persons who presented it to me were Messrs. Bergh and Van Blokland, the one President of the Court of Insolvent Estates and the other Secretary of the Court of Justice, and whose father at this moment resides in Amsterdam. It is necessary to state that both these gentlemen bore the character of at least a disinclination to the British Government, and had at the period of the last capture strenuously opposed the surrender to the British Troops. They seemed, in the short conversation that took place, quite aware that the knowledge of these circumstances might make an unfavourable impression, and therefore without reserve avowed that as long as Holland remained a nation they could not feel contentment under any other Government, but situated as that country now is, being a part of France, |