Translation:

Appeared before Commissioners of the Worshipful Court of Justice at the Cape of Good Hope, the said James Hooper, who answered to the undermentioned Questions as is stated over against the same.

Extract of the second Examination of the Prisoner James Hooper.

Articles for the second Examination made and Presented to Commissioners of the Worshipful Court of Justice at the Cape of Good Hope, by William Stephanus van Ryneveld, His Majesty's Fiscal, in order to hear James Hooper upon the Same.

Mrs. Batt. This person, an English Woman of an irreproachable Character and Conduct, and respectable demeanour, came to the Cape of Good Hope in the family and Service of the deputy Commissary General. After some time She was address'd by Mr. Henry Batt, a reputable English Tradesman, who offer'd her Marriage. His Proposals were accepted, and communicated by her to her Mistress, to whom she, at the same time, express'd her Readiness to procure for her another servant before She should quit her Service. This Offer her Mistress rejected, insisting most unreasonably that she should forego the present Opportunity of an advantageous Settlement, and continue in the dependant and Servile Situation she then occupied in her family! This demand,

VIII.

F

of Course was not complied with! The Parties, after conforming to all the Colonial Regulations relative to Marriage, were legally united by License from the Governor. But only a few days after she was forcibly taken away from her Husband, and confined in the Common Prison, And in the same Room with another Woman who was committed for the Murder of her Child! Mrs. Batt was Soon after forcibly conveyed on board of a Ship, and without any form of trial was banished from the Colony. She proceeded to England, and tho' upon stating the Hardships of her Case to Government, she has been allow'd to return to her Husband, the Injustice and Cruelty of such treatment to a British Subject convicted of no Offence, by the Dutch Magistracy of a ceded Colony, (tho' sanctioned by a British Governor,) ought not to be allow'd to pass unmarked by the Animadversion and Indignation of the British Government and Nation, jealous for the Maintenance of the just Rights of their Subjects and Countrymen in every Quarter

of the Globe!

LAURENCE HALLORAN, D.D., Chaplain.

[Enclosure 8 in the above.]

Case No. 3.

Francis Henry Staedel is the son of a Gentleman Who was formerly an eminent Banker at Amsterdam. The Revolution in his Country produced one equally distressing in the fortunes of his family, and this young Man went to the Cape of Good Hope as a Volunteer in the Dutch Artillery. Disliking a Military Life, and having received a liberal Education, he became Tutor in a Gentleman's family, in which Situation he continued, deservedly esteemed and respected, upwards of five Years. He then engaged himself with me as an Amanuensis and Teacher of the Dutch, French, and German Languages in my Establishment.

In his former Capacity he was directed by me, on the tenth day of August, 1810, to transcribe a letter address'd to Mr. Van Blokland, the Secretary to the Court of Justice. He did so; and I sign'd, directed, and forwarded the said Letter! In it I have denominated the Conduct of the Court of Justice in my Regard "Arbitrary Conduct." The Handwriting of the Letter was recognized to be that of my Amanuensis, Mr. Staedel! In Consequence, a Prosecution was commenced against him by the fiscal Truter,

for having been guilty of writing a Libel, in copying those two Words, with Claim for a Year's Imprisonment and Costs of Suit!!! He vainly remonstrated that he was merely a Copyist, that he understood not the English Language, "that he had not the most distant Intention to offend their Worships; " And he offered the humblest Apologies for his involuntary Trespass! All those pleas availed nothing! He was most iniquitously and illegally, under the mock forms of Justice, sentenced to three Months Imprisonment, and Costs of Suit!!!

[The whole of this extraordinary and scandalous Process is in my Possession to be laid before the British Government and public so soon as I may be able to pass it, with the proceedings in my own Case, thro' the Press.]

Against this Sentence Mr. Staedel appeal'd by humble Memorial to His Excellency the Governor; but received no Answer! He next address'd a most sensible and pathetic letter to His Excellency, which remained equally unnoticed! Ultimately he ventured to go to the Government House, and to solicit an interview with Lord Caledon; but his Lordship refused to see him! And within an Hour after his Visit He was apprehended and conveyed to Prison, agreeably to his Sentence, by Mr. Fiscal Truter's Officers, and by express Order of the Governor, " for Staedel's presumption in importuning a personal Conference!"

Is this Oppression? Is this Despotism? Is this Despotism? Let the feelings of Englishmen answer the question; And let the manly and independent Spirit of a free Nation indignantly resent, in the Representation of their Sovereign, so shameful and unfeeling an Abuse of his delegated Power!

At the moment of his Imprisonment, Mr. Staedel was on the point of being married, and forming an Establishment. And, when I quitted the Cape, (being forced on board Ship, without Permission even to see my dear family), it was no trifling Aggravation of my own Sufferings to see this unfortunate Young Man languishing in Prison, ruined in his prospects, and exposed on my Account, (without shadow of Offence on his own part,) to Calamities, which I could only lament, without being able to redress them!

LAURENCE HALLORAN, D.D., Chaplain.

[Enclosure 9 in the above.]

Case No. 4.

Mr. George Bennett, Merchant. The case of this Gentleman, which I am legally empowered to lay before His Majesty's Ministers, and, if necessary, before the Court of King's Bench, will be best explained by the following Affidavit.

This 26th day of January, 1811, at Cape town, Cape of Good Hope, Came before me, J. A. Truter, Esqre., His Majesty's Fiscal, Mr. George Bennett, British Merchant, residing in Cape town, aforesaid, And voluntarily made Oath,

"That on Monday, the 5th day of November, 1810, He, this deponent, was joined in Marriage with Miss Catherine Stretch, according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England, by the Reverend Doctor Halloran, Chaplain to His Majesty's Forces at that time, and still, self-suspended from his Appointment, until His Majesty's pleasure on the Cause of such self suspension shall be officially signified.

"That this Deponent had previously complied with all the Colonial Regulations relating to Marriage, and had obtained His Excellency the Governor's written License to be married by any British Clergyman Attached to His Majesty's Forces, in this Colony.

"And this Deponent, in common with the other British Inhabitants, considering the Reverend Doctor Halloran to be so attached, (as having for three Years invariably and solely discharged all Clerical duties for the British Inhabitants in Cape town) applied to Him to perform the Ceremony, which he did perform accordingly, in the presence of several Witnesses, as will appear more fully by the Doctor's Certificate!

"That the public Notification of this Deponent's said Marriage was inserted, according to Usage, in the Cape Gazette of the 17th November 1810, by Authority of Government, (as appears by a Note from Mr. George Ross, Superintendant of the Government Press, to the Reverend Doctor Halloran) with Orders, however, to omit the Doctor's Name as the Clergyman who performed the Marriage Ceremony!

"And that this Deponent's said Marriage was subsequently contradicted (and still remains so contradicted) on the Cape

Gazette of the 24th November, 1810, by Order of Mr. Deputy Secretary Bird, (as stated in Writing by the said Mr. George Ross) to the serious Reproach and Injury, in the public Estimation, of the Parties living together as Man and Wife, and to the unmerited defamation of their moral Character and their Reputation in Society!!!

And, to the truth of the above I, the said Deponent, do solemnly make Oath."

So help me God!

GEORGE BENNETT.

N.B. His Majesty's Fiscal refused to certify the above Oath, as tending to question the Conduct, and impeach an Act, of the Colonial Government.

And the two Advocates, Buyskes and Neethling, applied to by me to institute an Action before the Court of Justice against the Printer, for a defamatory Libel, refused also to do so, for fear of offending Government; as the Printer had acted agreeably to his orders from Mr. Deputy Secretary Bird!

So help me God!

GEORGE BENNETT.

To the truth of the above statement I sacredly depose.

LAURENCE HALLORAN, D.D., Chaplain.

[Enclosure 10 in the above.]

Case No. 5.

Mr. Tredoux. This man was a Notary in Capetown. On a certain Occasion, at a Dutch play, General Grey, the Commander of the British Forces, entering the Theatre, the Band of an English Regiment, which had been permitted to attend the Evening for the Entertainment of the Audience, immediately struck up the tune of "God save the King!" When this Tredoux instantly interfering, stopped the Band, informing the Leader of it "that the tune was offensive to the Dutch!" For this insult he received orders from the Governor "to quit the Colony!" His Compliance with this Order was deferr'd from time to time, under various pretences, of settling his Affairs, &c., &c., for more than two Years,