426 
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 
up, for the accommodation of the troops and hospitals for the sick, all 
handsome and well situated. I regret to say that as much cannot be 
said for the town prison, nor for the buildings appropriated to the 
police department, custom-house, and harbour-master’s department: 
all these bear the marks of what Cape Town was, and stand in strong 
contrast to the modern improvements. 
Formerly the municipal government of Cape Town consisted of a 
president, four members, the town treasurer, and a secretary. The 
president was elected for two years, and was succeeded by the senior 
member of the board. This board was dissolved, apparently for no 
sufficient reason, for every one was satisfied with its usefulness in 
controlling the various duties appertaining to a corporate body. 
The town is now divided into twelve districts, and each district into 
four wards, over each of which there is a commissioner, and four 
ward-masters, chosen by the people. The first form the upper board, 
and the last the lower, and each have a chairman and deputy chair¬ 
man, who, among other duties, act as appraisers of property, on which 
the taxes are assessed equal to three-quarter pence in the pound. By 
the statistical tables published, it appears that the valuation of property 
of Cape Town reaches the sum of one million six hundred and thirty- 
six thousand pounds. 
The municipal regulations now seem to be excellent, and are more 
or less under military control. The police has been organized on the 
plan of the police of London, and its efficiency is highly spoken of. 
From all the information I could gather, crime has very much de¬ 
creased in both the Cape district and colony. The statistics of crime 
show but few cases. The quarterly sitting of the grand jury took place 
during our visit, and there were but six presentments, viz., one for 
culpable homicide, two assaults with intent to harm, one robbery, one 
theft, or receiving stolen goods, and one fraudulent insolvency; and 
this within a district containing fifty thousand inhabitants. 
There are great complaints about the administration of the laws of 
the colony; the English system now prevails so far as to allow counsel 
to the criminal. The trial by jury is established; seven of the twelve 
must be present, and it requires a majority of these only to convict; if 
more than seven are present, and the jury are divided equally, the 
prisoner is acquitted. The Dutch criminal code formerly in force has 
been modified by the English, so far as respects some punishments; 
torture, for ^stance, has been done away with. The crimes of murder, 
high treason, counterfeiting, and rape, are punished with death; thefts 
of large amount, assault, robbery, and the like, are punished by trans- 
