THE CAPE RESISTANCE TO CONVICTISM.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 415, 6 April 1850, Page 3

THE CAPE RESISTANCE TO CONVICTISM.

The following additional particulars of the An'i* C miot Let gup, are given in the South Auttrahan Register of the lOin January :—: — Fiour which hud been shipped by the Governmenfor a special purpose, had to be remanded, adci even this was ellected by ibe soldiers; the boatmen, and even the Post-Captain's crew, positively relusing to have anything to do with it. The awkwardness of these uovel boatmen gave rise to much memment. The portrait of Mr Ebden (suspended in the townhalO.late chairman of the Anti-Convict Association, but who bad turned reneg^e, and sold 1-irge quantities of wheat to the Government in its dwtrens, was mys« teriously destroyed, and no pain* taken to tecure the delinquent. Amongst the people who wtre engaged, directlj or indirectly, in aiding to keep the Neptune t was one who had been an eider of the Dutch Reformed Church for many years. He was compelled to resign, as his fellow Christians who had, by their suffiaijes, elected him to it, refuied to meet him at the most solemn ordinance of christiau worship. The members of the Congregational Church, under Mr. Stfgmann'B pastoral care, acted in the same vray to their Presby% terian brethren at Wynberg, towards one of iheir number who had, by assisting to supply the convict ship, shown himself in their opinion, to be a very unfit man for church-membership. The members of the Jewish Synagogue had also expreised m their own way their opinion of those of their number who had taken part in theie wicked proceedings. These several communities, differing, as they do, on many and material points, all look upon the conduct of these men as highly sinful, and as such,— they, as religious bodies have lelt it necessary lo repudiate and to reprove such conduct. There is not any one of the various religious denominations in South Africa which would not regard it in the same light. The Government have started a new bakery near Suit River, under the charge of a man named Cornelius Mosteret, where bibcuit for the Neptune, and for H.M. Navy and Army is being baked, as no baker in Cape Town will furnish bread to these services while the Neptune remains in Simon's Bay. The wheat purchased of Mr. Ebden was destined for this bakery. Such are a few of the minor evmts which can br now called to mind. Domestic, comtneicial, an " religious, they »how a state and strength of feeling, which one would think, could scarcely be «riiundc«» •tood. Hitherto, the proceedings we have chronicled, n*TO

been of an eminently peaceable character, to fur as the Anti Convictism advocates hare been concerned. Masses, however, cannot be so generally and profonilly excited without some violent ebulition, and ac« cordingly we find that the popular indignation has found Teat in a rather questionable but still very natural ibrm. We have alluded to Mr. Narsden and the sham attack made on hisj houie, to induce thebelief that the muhitude were becoming restive under the anticonvict as'.ochtion's policy. This individual, having lent himself in this mutter to the Goveriment'e designs, ratorally incurred the displeasure of teh colonists, w.>wh, according to his own depositions, he experienced after the following fashion. A Mr. Sutberland (»nv-cnnvict advocate) had eworn at the Police Court, that hu life was in danger from the machinations of Mr. Narsden, who he alleged, had employed a number of Coolies to throw htm iuto the sea. That individual wai then bound over to keep the peace ; upon his retiring from the Police Office, however, he was booted by a mob of gome thousands, and pelted with hor«e dung and was obliged for safety to seek shelter with a Mr. King, who accompanied him to a Mr. Salmon's, where he was bdieged for the tpace of two hour*. Io the evening, twenty unarmed soldiers and ten civilians volunteered to escort him home. The proposal was accepted, but he had not advanced above twenty or thirty yards when the mob made a charge on him and bts escort with a shower of stones. On a< riving at a narrow place called Evans Biidge, Mr. Leary, a commisiariat isiuer, observed, " Soldiers ! we must charge here, and while we are engaged with the mob, Mr. Narsden had better run home." This advice \Tns acted on, but the mob overcoming all re sihtancc, be had hardly time to pet home, extinguish the ligh^, rud close the shutters they were on him assailing the house with itones, and tmashing the windows, frames, and shutters. He then ordered the people to fire on the mob, who immediately dispeised. Soon after the police arrived, and by ten o'clock everything was quiet The attempt by Sir Harry Smith to exasperate the loldiery against the civilians was promptly met by a counter document, entitled " The Soldieri Duty iv Time of Peuce." It is stated that the navy people at Simon's Bay had subscribed a pledge that they would " duck" all the Anti-Convict Association spies they found luiking in that quarter. A " government servant," while undergoing the easy shavmur operation, was suddenly abandoned by the knight of the razor, on his discovering that the party operated on was obnoxious to the pledge. Mr. Justice MenZins, for a similar reaion wai refused a pair of inexiKesnibks by his tailor. The Judge residing at Wynberg had been refused a seat on the omnibus on the sume plea. An indemnity fund had been formed, for the purpos« of securing such as might suffer pecuniary loui, from carrying out the pledge.