420 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 boai'd, 

 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 instance, 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- 



