CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

(CAPE COLONY.)

Constitution and Government.

THE form of government of the colony of the Cape of Good Hope was originally established by Order in Council of the 11th of March, 1853. By Act 28 Vict. cap. 5, and Colonial Act III. of 1865, which provided for the incorporation of British Kaffraria with the colony, various changes were made, and further changes of an important nature by the Constitution Ordinance Amendment Act,' passed by the colonial legislature in 1872, providing for the introduction of the system of executive administration commonly called Responsible Government.' The Constitution formed under these various Acts vests the executive in the Governor and an Executive Council, composed of certain office-holders appointed by the Crown. The legislative power rests with a Legislative Council of 22 members elected for seven years, presided over ex officio by the Chief Justice; and a House of Assembly of 74 members, elected for five years, representing the country districts and towns of the colony; but on September 1, Act No. 30 of 1887 took effect, giving the Transkeian Territories' representation in the Eastern Electoral Province in the Legislative Council, and two members in the House of Assembly. By a law passed in 1882, speeches may be made both in English and in Dutch in the Cape Parliament. The qualification for members of the Council is possession of immovable property of 2,000l., or movable property worth 4,000l. Members of both Houses are elected by the same voters, who are qualified by occupation of house property of the value of 501., or receipt of a salary of 501., or wages of 251. with board and lodging. The number of registered electors in 1886 was 88,525. A new registration is now in progress, but the provisions of Act No. 14 of 1887 provide better provision for proper and complete registration and for the exclusion of unqualified persons.

Governor of the Cape of Good Hope.-Right Hon. Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, G.C.M.G., born 1824; served in the 87th Fusiliers; member of the Irish Poor Law Board, 1846-53; President of Montserrat, 1854-55; Lieutenant-Governor of St. Christopher, 1855-59; Governor of Hong Kong, 1859–64; Governor of Ceylon, 1864-71; Governor of New South Wales, 1872-78; Governor of New Zealand, 1879-80. Appointed Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, December 1880.

The Governor is, by virtue of his office, commander-in-chief of

the forces within the colony. He has a salary of 5,000l. as Governor, besides 1,000l. as 'Her Majesty's High Commissioner.'

The administration is carried on, under the Governor, by a ministry of five members, namely, the Treasurer of the Colony, who is the Prime Minister, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works, and the Secretary for Native Affairs.

The highest Court of Judicature in the colony is the Supreme Court, which consists of a Chief Justice and eight puisne judges. The judges of the Supreme Court hold sessions in Cape Town, and Circuit Courts in the Western Districts; the judges assigned to the Eastern Districts Court hold sessions in Grahamstown and Circuit Courts in the Eastern Districts; and the judges assigned to the High Courts hold sessions at Kimberley.

There are numerous seats of magistracy and further periodical courts held by magistrates at outlying villages, as well as Courts of Special Justices of the Peace. Under certain conditions appeal nay be made to the Queen in Council. The Roman-Dutch law forms the great bulk of the law of the colony, modified by Colonial statute law.

Religion and Education.

The bulk of the population of the colony, white and coloured, at the last census, belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church, the Episcopalian coming next in number, though most other bodies are represented. There is no State Church, but a certain sum is appropriated annually for 'religious worship' (8,7637. in 1887-88) to the Dutch Reformed, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic churches; in 1875 an Act was passed for the gradual withdrawal of this grant.

Cape Colony has a university, incorporated 1873, and granted a Royal Charter in 1877. It is an examining body, empowered to grant degrees, but with no attached teaching institutions. There are four colleges aided by Government grants under the Higher Education Act, each with full staff of professors and lecturers in the departments of classics, mathematics, and physical sciences. Number of students, 180 matriculation; 70 B.A.; 1 M.A.; 15 for survey and other professional work; total 266. In the 1,123 aided schools in 1886,* the enrolment was 77,500, with a daily attendance averaging 41,524.

Education is not compulsory. Of the European population in 1875, 34.13 of males and 33.28 of females could neither read nor write. The number of scholars of European or white races attending school during the year 1884-85 was approximately 27,256, and of African or coloured races 48,456. Of every 100 European children of school-going age, it is estimated that 70 are on the roll of some school.

Revenue and Expenditure.

The revenue of the colony is derived, one-third from Customs, and one-third from railways, which produced, on the average of the five years from 1882 to 1886, over a million pounds sterling per annum. Comparatively little is derived from rent or sales of public lands, although vast districts are waiting to be cultivated. One-third of the expenditure is for the public debt, and one-fifth for railways. The income and expenditure of the colony, the former including loans, the latter including expenditure under Act of Parliament, were as follows during each of the five years from 1882 to 1886 (ending June 30):—

The unaudited revenue (excluding loans) for the year 1886-87 was 3,158,8317.; estimated expenditure (under votes) for 1887-88 i3 put down at 3,194,7667., and the revenue at 3,186,0007.

The colony had a public debt of 21,171,8541. on January 1, 1887, besides 1,289,4391. raised for corporate bodies, but guaranteed in the general revenue. The debt dates from the year 1859, when it amounted to 101,2507. It rose to 1,178,1507. in 1869, and to 9,527,4597. in 1879. The total annual charge on the revenue for the debt in December 1886 was 1,081,0561. Nearly the whole of the loans have been spent in public works-upwards of thirteen millions sterling on railways alone. The total value of assessed property in the colony, excluding the Transkeian Territories,' in 1886 was returned at 37,035,6901.

Colonial Army.

For the defence of the colony a military force is maintainedthe Cape Mounted Riflemen, 818 officers and men. By a law

passed in 1878, every able-bodied man in the colony between 18 and 50 is subject to military service beyond, as well as within, the colonial limits. There was besides a body of 4,392 volunteers in 1886. Probable expenditure in 1887-88 on colonial defence. 132,4247. The Cape Police, which consists of 38 officers and 752 men, with 449 horses, is available for defence purposes in case of

emergency.

Area and Population.

The Cape Colony was originally founded by the Dutch, under Van Riebeek, about the year 1652. When it was taken by the English, in 1796, the colony had extended east to the Great Fish River. In 1803, at the peace of Amiens, it was given up to the Netherlands, but was again occupied by British troops in 1806. Since that time the boundary has been gradually enlarged by the annexation of surrounding districts.

The area of the Cape Colony is 213,636 square miles; this includes an area of 14,230 square miles estimated in the Transkeian Territories.'

The estimated population (in 1885) of Cape Colony proper was 919,513, and of its dependencies, Transkei, East Griqualand, and Tembuland, 332,834; total 1,252,347. The total white population is estimated at about 300,000.

The Cape Colony, excluding the Transkei, but including Walfish Bay, is divided, politically and administratively, into 67 fiscal divisions and 70 magisterial districts.

The various Transkeian territories are grouped under their Chief Magistrates as follows:-Griqualand East, comprising Noman's Land and the Gatberg, with nine subordinate magistrates; Tembuland, comprising Tembuland proper, Bomvanaland, and Emigrant Tembuland, with six magistrates; Transkei, comprising Fingoland, the Idutywa Reserve, and Gcalekaland, with six magis

trates.

The capital of the colony, Cape Town, had a population in 1875 of 33,239, and with suburbs 45,240; about 60,000 in 1886. Port Elizabeth had a population of 13,049 in 1875, 18,000 in 1886; Kimberley, 13,590 in 1875, 25,000 in 1886; Graham's Town, 6,903 in 1875; King William's Town, 5,195 in 1875.

A large proportion of the white inhabitants are of Dutch, German, and French origin, mostly descendants of the original settlers.

There is no general system of registration of births and deaths in the colony. In the Colonial Office 4,731 marriages were registered in 1886. The amount of immigration into Cape Colony is small; from 1873 to 1884 the total number of immigrants sent by the emigration agent in England was 23,337; the greatest number

being in the year 1882-4,645. In 1884 it was only 292. Government immigration was stopped in 1886.

Other South African possessions of Great Britain, directly under imperial jurisdiction, are the following: Basutoland, area 10,290 square miles, population 168,000, of whom about 400 are whites; well-watered, and one of the finest grain-producing centres in South Africa; governed by a resident commissioner, under the High Commissioner of South Africa. Bechuanaland, 180,000 square miles ; a protectorate; population 478,000. Pondoland, population 200,000; a protectorate.

Trade and Commerce.

The following table shows the value of the leading exports from the Cape in 1884, 1885, and 1886, according to the official Cape Returns:

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The total value of diamonds exported from 1867 to 1886 was 35,766,9917.

The principal imports are textile fabrics, dress, &c., 1,518,3147.; and food, drinks, &c., 936,0307. in 1886.

The values of the total imports and exports, excluding specie but including diamonds, of Cape Colony and dependencies, in each of the five years from 1882 to 1886, were as follows:

The total value of the whole exports from the colony in 1886 (including gold dust, bar, nuggets, ore, and diamonds) was 7,306,5381., and for year ending June 30, 1887, was 7,535,0371. The commercial intercourse of the colony is mainly with the United Kingdom. The value of the trade with Great Britain and