Star. — London, England, 1825-03-22 00:00:00

which were mereig sugar gardens, how much more true. must they be in the ease of the Canadas? There the whole population was freetheir industry and pro sperity was entirely their ownarotheir situation was more favourable than that of the West Indies, and in the .course of a few years tire greatest advantages would be realized. He did 'not overrate tit present population of the Canadas, when he set it down at 1,000,000. — With their fertile sofl, navigable rivers, and productive fisheries, it was impossible, if the restrictions on trade were removed and a liberal course of policy adopted, that they should not feel grateful for such treat ment, and ceasing to have any wish to connect themselves with other States, they would become the Zit re closely united with Great Britain. A single illustration of the disadvantages under which the Canadas laboured at present would satisfy the Comb - -nittee beyond the most elaborate reasoning. At this moment the great source of wealth to Nova Scotia was the Fisheries. In this they were rivalled by the United S res. Let the Committee suppose, that of two cargoes of fish, one should be taken to Halifax and the other to some port in the United States ; in such a case the mater would be equal ; but carry it a little farther— ti e American carries his cargo to the Brazils, there he exci•anges it for a cargo of cotton; this new cargo he might carry to the Baltic, and exchange it for a cargo of hemp, iron, or flax, to take home to his own country. The British ship might likewise carry her cargo to the Brazils, but she could not take in sugar to carry back to Halifax for re-exportation. He might go to Petersburgh, but he could not return home with the produce of Russia. Such was the disadvantage under which the Canadas labouted, thus the benefit of our in dustry was lost,and the carrying trade in fish much in jured. It was well known that the sugars of the Mauritius were not admitted into Great Britain,except on paying a higher rate of dirty than the other Colonies did. This duty amounted to ten shillings. Last year he had en deavoured to make the deny the same as that of the other Colonies; but it. was objected that the Mauritius bad some advantages over the West India Colonies. inquiry had been made, and he found it was not so. The cul tivation was the same in both, and the Mauritius, in stead of having any advantages, had to struggle with the disadvantage of a greater distance, and the liability to hurt icanes and violent storms. He thought, there fore, that they ought all to be on the same footing. He should do no more at present than announce the inten tion of Government of equalising the duties on the West India and Mauritius Sugars during the present Session. He would also notice another alteration.— The Canadas, though not producing sugar nor any other articles common to the Tropics, nevertheless pro duced one article, which in a limited degree came in competition with one of our own productions. This was corn, a staple commodity of Great Britain. The corn of Canada; though Ink p'rohibited, was however sub jected to such iestricticrits as amounted for the last five years to a . prohibition. The greatest quantity of corn exported from Canada during that time fell short of 50,000 quarters. Every facility ought to be afforded for increasing the export of corn to the greatest possi ble extent. At such a distance it was not easy to learn whether the English ports were open or shut, and it often happened that shipments sent out to Canada re mained for a long time without any return, depending on the fraction of a penny. In the present state of the country there could be no kind of jealousy against Ca nada. As the corn was to be carried some distance before it could be shipped, and then had to come from Quebec to England, the freight and expenses amounted to 12s. or 14s. a quarter. He thought, therefore, if a duty of ss. were imposed upon it, there would not be any danger to the British corn market. He had but one more point to submit to the Committee.— As soon as the trade with the Colonies was thrown open, those who engaged in it should be perfectly flee in their movements. The Member for Coventry (Mr. Ellice) had often called the attention of the House to the heavy fees levied on shipping in the colonial ports. This was a grievous burden, and ought to be removed. He should propose their abolition altogether,and that the Revenue Officers be paid out of the duties. The Naval Officers would be wholly useless after the change of system came to operate. He should propose to give a proper compensation to such as were freehold or a vested right, and in other cases to allow superannua *ions ; but both to he paid out of the revenues arising from the colonial trade. This would relieve the Colonies from a heavy burden, and would better enable them to enter into competition with other countries,. Such were the alterations he should suggest at present ; on Friday next it was probable that he might submit some others. He had now to thank the Committee for the kindness they had shewn, by listening to his state ments so attentively—(Hear).—The Right Honour able Gentleman then► moved the Resolution, that it was expedient to amend the several Acts of the 3d and 4th George IV. relating to the trade of his Majesty's Colo nies in America, the West Jodie*, and other parts of the world, and also to extend to them the provisions of the warehousing laws. Mr. C. 11. ELLIS said, that as he was connected with the West Indies, the Committee would excuse him for trespassing ou their notice. He was ready to do justice to the liberal principles of his Right Honourable Friend. He regretted, however, to hear of the Go vernment's intention respecting the Mauritius. The Petition from the Mauritius ought to be laid on the table. It contained a remonstrance against being placed on the same footing with the West India Islands. With respect to the other restrictions, they had long pressed hardly on the West Indies. Still it must not be forgotten, that they were imposed in times very dif ferent from the present. His hope was, that the open ing now afforded would induce foreign nations to send their produce to British ports, and that our colonial produce would find its way into the home market with out the heavy expense which had hitherto been the sub ject of complaint. His Right Honourable Friend's pro. Jeer, liberal as it was, must depend on reciprocity. bum e countries mi g h t not h ave a di spos ition to give up their respective regulations, and the measure of his Right Hon. Friend would be thwarted. He was unwil ling to dwell on the details, and anxious to avoid any ungracious opposition. His Right Honourable Friend wisely Wished to open the colonies to all the world. The geographical situation of our colonies made them a mosticenvenient entrepot fur the products of other countries ; his hope was, that British mer thants, engaged in,varioas pursuits, would settle in the colonies, and thereby promote the general interest of commerce. Examples of Industry would benefit the colonies, and promote the total abolition of the Slave Trade. He gave the measure his suppot t. Mr. A. BAItING said, tl4e views opened this night could not fail of being beneficial to all. To the colonies the system would be a great benefit. As it respected the North American Colonies, the system might he tailed the Emancipation of those Colonies. It was im possible to extend more liberal policy to those . colonies than that piopotei by his Right Honourable Friend. — Looking at it as a whole, he was sure the mote it was looked at the more it would appear satisfactory. With 'respect to the imeortation of Eastlndia sugar, he did not attach much importance to that question. Although a friend to political economy and free trade, he skorld be sorry to reduce the protecting price of corn. The Agricultural Interest of this country might to be pro tected. He thought, however, the trade in corn from Canada ought to have a fair experiment. The Hon. Member wished to know whether there had been a juncrion between Upper and Lower Canada? A Bill to throw the two Canadas together was suggested last Session, and as it would be productive of commercial advantages, it would be_ de sirable to carry such a measure into effect. The corn trade with Canada, might, without doe caution, be the means of bringing the grain of the United States into the British market, a cireamstance injurious to the British agriculturist. The Hon. Member gave his most strenuous support to the Resolution. Sir F. AURDeTT expressed his approbation at the lights of commerce which had that night broke in upon them. The Hon. Baronet had not comprehended all that had fallen from the Right Hon. Gentleman, in his details; but as far as he could recollect the object, he was ready to admit it was matter of gratification, and his hope was that the Right Hon. Gentleman would net stop short, but give the colonial proprietors the free advantage of their labour in the colonies. In his opi nion they ought to carry on their manufactures, and work their produce in the way they thought best. Every one knew that one of the great causes of complaint in the West Indian Colonies, was not being allowed to bring home sugar in any but a raw state. His hope was, the Right Hon. Gentleman would give them the privilege of refining sugar. With regard to the impor tation of corn front Canada, he was desirous of sa}ing a few words. The Honourable Baronet expressed his hope that the agriculturists of England would not op pose free trade in corn, and that they would feel that they had nothing to gain by the monopoly in that ar ticle. When the subject came under discussion, his hope was, that the Right Honourable Gentleman would take into cosisideration not only the question of free trade with Canada, but every other country. Without that priuciple WAS admitted, it would be impossible free trade could be carried on with other countries. If they agreed to take the produce of other countries without restriction they would act upon a tree principle. His hope was they would go to that extent, and that there would be no such thing as prohibitory taxes, with the exception of those necessary for the protection of our manufac tures at home. If they followed that system, the country would increase in prosperity far beyond any former example. Mr. BRIGHT gave his complete assent to the pro. position. He was an advocate for free trade, but in order to have free trade they must have no duties. The Right Hon. Gen tleman had mentioned some restriction to be imposed on the impor tation of rum and sugar, which be did not clearly understand, and therefore he expressed a hope that the Right Hon. Gentleman would explain what he meant. Mr. HUSKISSON said, he was happy to give the explanation which the lion. Gentleman asked for. What he said was this :—He proposed, in the list of pro%ibited articles, to include rum, molasses, sugar, and cocoa, coming from foreign colonies—(Hear, hear). Tile Hon. Gentleman would see that the protection of our own colonies required such prohihition. It was impossible to say Havannah sugars should come into the market as British sugars. On the subject of trade with Canada, there was no danger of corn coming from the Uni.ed States through Canada. The most jealous of our agriculturists had nothing to fear on tnat point. With regard to what had been said on the subject of reciprocity, we certainly could not receive the benefit of tree trade, unless other States and Colonies gave us the same benefits we offered them, and it was not in- tended to give those Colonies the benefit of the present art angement, which slid net give us the same advan tages. He could state to the Committee that Denmark was not one of the Powers that would oppose our commercial arrangements. Mr. HUME wished to know whether, in the arrange meats to take place, anything was to be done with re spect to St. Domingo ? Peace and quietness had been established, and the Hon. Member thought we ought to have some one there in the character of Consul, or Commercial Agent. In case of free trade with Canada, his hope was that the Timber Tax would be taken off. Dr. LUSHING I'ON admitted that very great ad vantages were likely to arise from the proposed al range meat, but why the Wallkill' were to be put on a footing with the West Indies, and the East Indies excluded, he could not tell. Those who supported the interest of the East India sugar trade were told they wished to distress the West India planters, but that was not so. They were only desirous of protecting one species of property as well as the other. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman considered the West India Colonies entitled to the boost held out to them, but his hope was, they would be grateful for it, and no longer oppose the British Parlia ment and the laws made for them. Mr. GORDON supported the general conduct of the West India Proprietors, and supported the measure. Mr. GRANT protested against the misrepresentation of his Hon. and Learned Friend, with respect to the proprietors in the West India Colonies. The Planters had shewn a disposition to obey the laws. The West India Proprietors were not all absentees. Their object was not, as the Hon. and Learned Gentleman stated, to raise as much produce as they could, at the expense of the negroes. As a West India Proprietor, he could not avoid protesting against that statement. He could not agree with the Honourable Member for Taunton, who appeared to think the introduction of East India sugar was of little importance. If the East India sugar WAS suffered to inundate the market, the. West India Proprietors would not be able to enter into competition. Mr. EVANS protested against giving a preference to the pro• duction of slave labour over that of free labour. Sir J. W aorrEs LET said a few words in support of the proposition. The Resolution was then agreed to, the House resumed, and the report was ordered to be received tn.ntorrow. POLICE MAGISTRATES. The House wait into a Committee so the,Police Mr. Secretary PEEL said he wished to call the atten tion of the House to Police Magistrates, who, under the Police Act, had very extensive powers, and he was con vinced the House would not consider a small addition to their salary unreasonable. He held in his hand a document shewing the amount of salaries paid to the Magistrates of Police Offices, and a paper describing the inc.ease of business since the first institution (.1 Police Offices. The buiness had been continually in creasing with the population, but it was on other grounds that Le plopos-d ai addition to their salary. The first, had a salary limited to 4401. They had some time after 16001. per annum. In the first instance, individuals were selected for the office who were quite unfit to discharge the duty. He found among twelve Magistrates one Major in the Amy, three Clergymen, and one Gh4ow trader; they were all unfit for the office. These.was no system rf education for a Police Magistrate, but the Right Hono..raitle Gentleman, and Lord Sidniouth, his predecessor, had considered persons of the legal profes sion most eligible, and in that view they promoted no one to she si tuition without he had been a Barrister of three years standing. That was 'found the hest class of persons to fill the situation; bat in order to give ffect to the choke of such persons, he asked whether' 6001. a year was enough? Was it enough to induce a man to give up his practice? The salary for the individual was too small. The House certainly would wit object to em power the Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment, to allow each Police Magistrate in London 800/. He might be told there were individuals ready to take the office for 6001. The Right Honourable Secretary did not doubt persons were to be found to take it for that sum, but there was no reason why they should select for that important duty men who had• ndt been able to succeed at the Bar. Police Magistrates were called upon to administer the law in complicated cases. Tire number of Acts of Parliament which had passed of late years, greatly increased their duty. Cases under the Building - Act often occupied the Magistrates two days. It was impossible, without legal knowledge, to do justice between the parties. He should propose to make their salary 8001. in lieu of 6001. In this country there was more parsimony in the administration of jus tice than any other. It appeared the worst species of economy to refuse a proper salary to persons for the proper discharge of their duty. In the choice of the Magistrates, they ought not to take the refuse of the Bar. Of the thirty Police Magistrates receiving 6001. a year, four only were not Barristers. The Right Ho nourable Secretary concluded, by moving that each of the Police Magistrates of the Metropolis should be allowed £BOO a-year. Sir JOHN SEBRIGHT supported the Resolution. He was convinced nothing could be more injurious than an attempt to get the duty of Police Magistrates done on cheaper terms. He thought it imprtant that they should be enabled by salary to support that situation in life which had due effect upon the Public. He was old enough to remember the trading Magistrates of Westminster, and in the opinion of the Public, they were contemptible indeed. He should have supported the resolution had it given a greater increase. Mr. HOBHOUSE did not wish to give the Ministers of the Crown more patronage by allowing them the power of making Barristers Police Magistrates. He did not oppose the increase of salary on account of the money, but he thought Government had enough in fluence over Barristers. There were 820 Barristers, and he understood that 400 places might be given by Government to Barristers. If he was right, he might ask what became of the independence of the Bar? Was the money to be given to the Magistrates at the will of a Secretary of State, and taken away at pleasure ? He recollected that the Head of the Police was once put aside against the feeling of the Country, and if the. Ma gistrates' salaries were to depend on a Secretary of State, what would become of the independence of Justice? Mr. Secretary PEEL did not mean anything of that kind. There would be an increase to all the Police Ma 'gistrates of 2001. a•year. All the Magistrates would receive the same sum. When the Honourable Member spoke of influence over the Bar, no such thing was in contemplation. If influence was wanted they would not seek it at the Bar, but from the country, among persons who had no legal education. It would be bet ter, as a matter of patronage, to have persons from the Bar. They selected Barristers only on account of their le gal knowledge. Mr. HUME said, that the question he wished to ask was, how the thirty Magistrates in London were to be disposed of, and what was to be the time of their at tendance? Because he had heard complaints that suffi cient attendance was not given. He thought that the number of Magistrates might be reduced when the salaries were increased. _ _ _ Mr. Secretary PEEL said that he proposed no addi tion to the number of Magistrates, but that their duties would allow of no reduction. In the year 1792, Lon don was divided into nine Districts, and no addition had since been made by the Police E-tablishments, notwith standing the increase of population. One Office, the Thames Police, had been added ; but with that ex ception, no alteration had been made for 30 years. He could assure the Honourable Member that the re laxation from business on the part of Magistrates, was very small. The law required that two Magistrates 'should sit for the administration of justice, and that, he believed, was a most salutary regulation. But it required that three should be attached to each Office to dispatch the business under such a rule. He understood the hours of attendance to be from ten in the morning till eight at night. To give the Hon. Member an idea of the duties of Police Magistrates, he would only state, that at one Office, Union-hall, three Magistrates had to admi nister justice to a population of 247,000 people; and in the month of July,l SU, the cases of assault only at that Office amounted to 176. After a few words from Mr. W. SUM, the Resolution was agreed to, and the House resumed. The other Orders were disposed of, and the House adjourned at this o'CLocu. TRIAL OF THE GOVERNOR OF KENTUCXTS SON, FOR MURDER. FROM AN AMERICAN PAPER. ♦ letter from Lexington, professing to give an ac count of this interesting affair, lately appeared in Snow den's Advocate, stating, that in order to intimidate the Jury who tried him, " a piece of paper was by some means or another conveyed to the Jury-room, on which I was written a threat in these words- 4 If the Jury did not bring in a verdict against the prisoner, Is lac B. Desha, they should be hung in effigy and burnt. " In consequence of this the verdict has been set aside, and a new trial granted-r — The following letter, detailing the circumstances of this atrocious murder, as they came out on the trial, was taken from the same publication, and written in consequence of the appearance of that : " The late Francis Baker, Esq. was a Gentleman of learning and talents, fr9m New Jersey, and was edu cated as a lawyer, under the late Attorney-General Woodruff, and removed to Natchez about nine years ago, where he became the proprietor and conductor of a public journal. "In September last, he set out on a journey to his native State, on horseback, and had necessarily to pass through the State of Kentucky. An attack of fever on the road compelled him to remain some days at Lex ington, to recover sufficient strength to pursue his journey. In this enfeebled state he left Lexington on the Ist of November, and rode to a place called the Blue Licks, where he lodged. The next morning he rode to Doggett's Tavern, where he fell in with Isaac B. Desha, the son of the Governor of Kentucky, and breaklasteJ in company with him, and a large party of Desha's acquaintances. In this vicinity resided the murderer, his father, and father-in-law. _ •• The deceased was an entire stranger here, but. he knew that Captain Hickley, with whom he had become acquainted at Natchez, lived in this neighbourhood,. and feeling still too weak to continue his lout ney,. he inquired the way to his house, with the intention of remaining the►e a day or two. Desha professed to be well Acquainted with Captain Bickley ; said that be lived off the main road ; that he was going to ride that way himself, and offered to she* him the house. This fatal offer was accepted, and after breakfast they rode off together from Doggett's, each On horseback ' in the presence of a number of persons wSo witnessed their departure; Desha with nothing about him but a horsewhip, heavily loaded with lead, and drea;ed in: a round-about jacket, with nn-coat or overt-coat.— In two or three hours afterwards, or between ten and eleven o'clock, Desha was seen in possession of the horse, saddle-bags, and pocket book of the deceased, under the following circumstances. Oa a bye•rnad, or bridle path, gloomy and retired, the country motintait►... ons and covered with wood, leading from the til,un road to Desha's, lives a man of the name of Ball, about two miles from Desha's. To this man's house the hone of the deceased ran up, and one of his sons got on him and rode off in search of the owner. He hai n pros ceeded far before lie met Desha on the path very much agitated, his hands and clothes stained with bl , •od, an 1 carrying a pair of saddle-bags on his at m. Which here afterwards found in the woods with the ends cut open, and proved to be the same with which the deceased left Doggett's, and the' same that Desha was seen to carry on his arm. Desha claimed the mare (it w •Is . a white mare of a remarkable appearance the deceased rode) as his property, and said he had just bought her of a man who owed him,-and could not pay the money ;' get on her, and took the boy up behind him, and rode off. In a few minutes afterwards Desire's horse ran up to the same house, without a bridle, and another son of Ball's put on a bridle and rode off in pursuit of D.sha, whom he knew to be the owner. He had not gone far when he met Desha and his brother on the mare; a pocket-book was in Desha's pantaloons pocket, which one of the boys had a good opportunity of observing, for it dropped out of his pocket, and he dismounted, and handed it up to him. The pocket-book was afterwards found in the woods,cut to pieces, and in evidence it ap peared to be the same with which the deceased left Dog gett's, and the same that was seen in Desha's pocket. When Desha left Doggett's he had neither saddlebags nor pocket-book; it would have been observed if he had, for he was clad in a roundabout jacket, with shallow pockets. It also appeared in evidence, by a man resid ing at Desha's, that he never came home until evening, and then he waked round about the house with a pair of saddle bags on his arm, peeped in at the door, but went off without entering, and returned in two or three houts without the saddle-bags. He had been mai tied not quite a year to a respectable woman, Mho was so terrified at hi; manner and appearance, that she in s isted Upon going to her father's next morning, and actually left his house. " The day after the murder a glove was flund, whi h produced no alarm ; but the following thy the saddle bags were found in the woods, empty, and the ends cut open. This excited su.picions of some foul deed, and led to a further search of the woods, when he pocket book was found cut to pieces, and in a hollo v tree, r dt far distant, eight shirts, with the mat ks cut out, a vest, a handkerchief, and four pair of stockings, and l)esha's bridle tied to a tree, where his horse had slipped it.— The search was pry secured, and the spot where the murder was committed was identified from the appear ance of the ground ; but the body was not found until the Bth, six days after the deed had been committed,. when it was discovered in a gully, whe:e ;t had been draggee, about 190 yards down a bill. The skull was fractured by repeated blows of a heavy loaded whip or bludgeon, one stab in the breast, two bruises in the shoulder, and the throat cut from ear to ear— a shocking spectacle of human barbarity._ There was a deep cut on the left thumb, from which it would appear that there was an endeavour to ward off the fatal knife, and that the helpless sufferer was still conscious of his dreadful situation. The body was stripped of everything but the shirt, whi :h was mai ked " Francis Baker," with durable ink, a vest, stockings, and one glove on the right hand. The next day, the pantaloons were found, very bloody, and in the watch fob 70 dollars in United States bank notes, wrapped round a silver dollar, which had escaped the eye of the murderer; the watch gone ; and at the distance of 200 yards the coat and hat were found, the latter much broken by the blows on the head ; and at a short dis tance,Deshesloadedwhip,thebuttend sh ruffed to pieces. " The discovery of the horse of the deceased in the possession of Desha, led to his apprehension, at the house of his father-in-law, who is said to be a man of great respectability, and who, indignant at the injured honour of his family, declared that he should never enter his house again, whether he was condemned or acquitted. So satisfied was he of his guilt, that he and his terrified wife at once abandoned him to his fate.— Indeed, it is but too probable that this is not the first murder he has committed. Mr. D. a member of the bar, recently from Louisville, and now residing at Natchez, declares that Delia attempted to murder him in the same mar.ner about a year ago. They were riding together on horseback, when Desha made some excuse for falling behind. A short time afterward., he looked round, and saw Desha with a club uplifted, in the act of felling him from his horse; he clapped spurs to his horse and escaped. He was silent from uderi tial considerations; he was a Toting man, unwilling to provoke the resentment of a family so powerful and in fluential; be was about to leave Kentucky." A subsequent paper adds, that if Desha is tried and convicted a second time, his father will grant him a pardon. A. Bill was introduced into the Legislature, for changing the place of trial. Against this Bill as many Members as dared brave the displeasure of the Cove,- nor's family, protested. Mr. O'CONNELL left town last night on his return to Dublin. He intends,we believe, to be in London again after &stet. By the Jamaica packet, we have received a series of Bogota (Colombia) Papers, to the 20th of December. There appears to be a sort of controversy going on in the Colombian Journals on the subject of tie last Loan contracted in England for that Republic, the terms of which, by one side of the controversy, are thought un• favourable to the bortouing party. The best proof of the contrary, however, is, that within three months from the conclusion of the contract, the Loan fell to ir discount of twelve per cent. M. Quarrel, the Dutch Commissioner to Colombia, left Bogota on the 16th of December for Panama, from whence he was to proceed for Mexico, on a similar mission to that which had brought him to Bogota. It appears that shortly after the battle of Junin, Canterac, the Spanish Genstar, wrote a letter to RoJil„ the Governor of Callao, in which he dwells with much emphasis on the disastrous consequences of that battle to the Royal cause. This letter was intercepted by the troops of Bolivar, and af terwards published in the Truzillo Gazette. The opening of the Congress at Bogota was expected to take place on the 2d of January. A considerable portion of WO Members had attired in the capital. ~1 11 J a* ittA