Star. — London, England, 1826-03-03 00:00:00

deemed necessity Onni,li indkviduai s wlth deal way oferample,f6r crimes which othersexiiliied . b. severe penalty. The Duke. of Manchester had the same principfi; * aiming, in the exigency moment, at striking a'salutary terror into the slaves,— With reference to Hanover, the evidence of Otirberlind was not invalidated by the subsequent impeach his character. 'His evidence was for the jury, al 'the &my was composed of white men. In the • 'Hanover, the individual was incorrigible ' and jitere three other cases of rebellion folly established. -*as clear, from what had been stated, that the power . - -eaercised in bringing these individuals to justice, was ittricily authorised by law ; and it was too much, there ' :fore, to call upon the House to express sorrow and in dignation at the result of proceedings so conducted.— Honourable Members had asserted upon several occa sions, that the panic and alarm which took hold of the minds of the planters were totally groundless.— (Hear).---He called upon those who made this 'Mein • imelertion to- attend to the apprehensions expressed :lep.planters ,npon a similar insurrection, which took place some years ago. The Honourable Member .proceeded to read a paper written to this country during - Asa insurrection in ohe of the Colonies, in which it was vatted, l that hordes of blood-thirsty —savages were 'watching the white population, mad vftth the rage trt plunder and massacre ; that they were anxious to Jdevise- the most ingenious modes of torture; that they hid down the sword in order to use the torch, or for the parpose of exercising the mercy of immediate mur- . ders• they' were sacrificing females of aft ranks to their brutal passions ; in short it described the most des perate ravages of every description." He did not quote that statement of formes times with a view to esta blish its truth, nor to prove that similar dangers, were to be apprehended in the present times, but for the parpose of shewing the extent of apprehension and dis may which indiViduals might be led to entertain during periods of public - alarm. He knew that at present, when pains were taken to humanize the negroes, when they were becoming attached to the soil, and when no importations from Africa took place, little apprehension of mch brutality need be entertained. But such appre hensions having been felt on former occasions, might in a great degree pardon, if not justify the alarm ex pressed by the parties involved in these transactions. — But those proceedings were important in another view; they shewed the impossibility of continuing the skive system, for, as it now stood, it could not continue to be carried on. It was with this view, and because he did not feel that the House would be justified in passing a censure upon the legal proceedings of the Courts at Jamaica, that he felt called upon to move the following Amendment : " That this House sees, in the proceedings which took place on the hue trials of slaves In Jamaica, further proofs of the evils which **separably attend a state of slavery ; and feel a further conviction of the propriety of pressing the Resolutions of 1823; but that, however desirabk it might be to revise the law in this respect, they do not think it expedient or safe to impeach trials conducted ac- Verding to law, before a competent Tribunal, Juries properly im. pawned, and sworn to decide according to the evidence laid be. lore them."—The motion haviug been seconded, Mr. FOWELL BUXTON eipressed himself happy in finding that the subject of slavery still continued to be canvassed and debated in that House, although ieprobated by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite last nifi g ht, because these debates tended to extract, on each wee-Asian, concessions from the friends of slavery which isere most important arguments in favour of the eman cipation of our West Indian slaves. • He felt confident he would prove beyond doubt that neither in the case of , St. Diary's, St. John's, and St. George's, was there any attempt to rise in rebellion, Or do anything further than attempt to ascertain, which was perfectly natural, what line of conduct they were entitled to pursue accord- . ing to the instructions which bad been received from the Government at home. The evidence of Hippolite was discredited by his own young and old masters.— The case of Cormorvis evidence, detailing the plot and the incantation of the Black Magician, and the ap pointment of a King, was altogether a most infamous fabrication anti full of equivocations. Those of Mack's, another witness against the slaves, were still more startling. Hence there would be no doubt, that as these inconsistencies were revealed on the mere examination in chief, that these two witnesses were most grossly perjured. Such was the case of the pretended attempt to raise an insurrection in the parish of St. George.— As to the case of Montego bay, she Duke of Man chester had put it on public record that he believed there was no - sort of combination amongst the slaves for treasonable or dangerous purposes. As.to the me ditated revolt at St. Diary's, be must contend there were many fatal objections to the evidence in that case. The first was, that the evidence was admit. ted on the trial without administering an oath.— The next objection was that abundant prevarication amongst the witnesses had ,taken place. The latter was too clearly discoverable to be now dottlated. The unhappy, men however were executed, and to q increase their enormity, as it would appear none of these wretches, Colonel Cox says, made any confession in their last moments except one. Now he would distinctly deny that there was any confession at all made by that poor cieatare. The whole reminded him strongly of the Popiih Riot, when the evidences, Titus Oates and &dice ; at first, as Hume observed, could give but little information; but as soon as they began to find that they were well paid for intelligence, they appeared 11120g0 than ordinarily over eager to furnish materials to inculpate others.—..(Hear)—This system of bounteous reward had produced the same effect in the case of these poor negroes as in that of the Popish Plot, more Particularly in the case of the woman, whose evidence ,had been mode the means of most extensive inculpatiortagainst those unhappy tree tures. Feeling ever warmly on the subject of slavery, he must have been dead to all sense of injustice if he bad Clot this evening expressed himself in the most un qualified terms of abhortepce at this departure from tbe priocipie of criminal law, and the praetice ap prdi nary Ned proceedings, where the hen of men were 1t Ili*. it should meet cordially, support, for these reasons, the modonof 's ileneviable and Learned Friend. The ATIF4:)RNEY-GENER AL said, on point of feeling he was strongly opposed to the difference. of she system which prevailed in the West Indies with respect to the treatinCtu of the persons who might be the sub jects of the Am!. Me .could not see any cause for 'Snaking a difference in itiase, form, AT circsatitaiscom of legal proceedings" which'did not apply to the evidence of a black in the case of , a fellow-black, as well as to the case ut a whi e. Bot the system would ultimately come to such as issue as that a slave pat on his trial should Rave the samebenefit as a white. At the present period the distinction was excessively grievous. For if ' a shire man was tia.be tried for any crime be would be informed of the natare — oTihithisige preferred against slut that was a benefit not possessed by the black.' incapable forming any idea the obligation which such a state imposed 'on them. But mark the inconsistency. When a slave is to be tried, the same witness whose oath was refused in the case of a white man, is now accepted on his bare word. He did not mean to impute blame to those who acted according to the system which prevailed, but he ob , Wected to the system itself as bad. In the case of Charles arl, who was the witness—the boy William, who was not sworn, because he was incompetent to know the nature of an oath, yet he was admitted to take away the• life of his fellow slave. Was it not unfair that the black and the white should thus have a different measure of justice when the law of Jamaica was founded on the same principles as the English code ? It was said by the boy that was examined, chat his father had told him different matters which he detailed. Thk was allowed to be the law with respect to whites, but different in regard to blacks. As to the evidence of the son against the father, though he reprobated the principle, yet he was aware that the system was acted on in this country. He knew a case where not only a son, but a daughter al,o, gave evi dence against the father. It was also stated, that in another instance which occurred at the Jamaica trials, the evidence of a wife was admitted against the hus band. He agreed that, on the occasion adverted to, a female had been examined, but not the wife; for his Hon. Friend opposite must be well aware that the psactice of the place was, that parties cohabiting lived together as man and wife. If she was a wife, he con demned the principle of admitting her evidence; but if she merely cohabited, her evidence would be taken even in England. He did not state those matters in approval of the system, but he thought that the House had not sufficient grounds to charge those persons who had acted under it, chit they did not believe the existence of the conspiracy. From the letter written to Col. Cox, and his answer, it was clear that he and his correspondents were of an opinion in the affirmative. Some imputations had been made to the prejudice of Col. Cox, but that Meer was well known to many Members of the House; he had been eddcated In England, and yet, with all the prejudices that such an education might be supposed to convey, he believed the conspiracy to have existed. In the debate which occurred on the Question in the Le. gishtive Assembly of Jamaica, Mr. Reynolds, whose feelings and sentiments were known to be in favour of the slave population, yet admitted that misfortune compelled them to institute unpleasent proceedings. In the trials of those at St. Mary, St. George, sod St. James, out of the 54 tried only 23 were convicted and the rest were transported. No person could doubt that they were fairly Vied. Dubious witnesses were not allowed until sorrolsorawl.— The persons who acted in conformity with the prevalent system, however bad, should not be condemned to make an excuse for those who slept at their posts in that House. He should therefore agree in the amendment of his Hon. Friend. Dr. LUSHINGTON said, if the arguments of his Honourable and Learned Friend, who had just sat down, were good for any thing, they mist go to this extent, that if individuals interested in the adminis tration of the law, only observe the forms of law in any country, however revoking to justice and hu manity that law might be (!liar ' ), the House of Com mons of Great Britain had no right to inquire into . the way in which that law was administered. (hear). His argument also was—that there was great difficulty in that House coming to a fair decision upon the ques tion, on account of the distance. Now, if these arguments •were to be held valid, no matter what crying injustice' might be committed—no matter how much innocent blood might be shed, that House was still to be pre tluded from interfering.. He, on the contrary, thought it was the imperative duty of Parliament to see that justice was duly administered in its distant possessions. Here, if an apprentice was ill-used, if abuses were dia. eovered in a gaol, some Member was always ready to bring it under the notice of Parliament. But unfor titnately for the colonies, the grossest abuses took place, and were too frequently passed over without notice. In the case now before the House, ten or twelve persons had been executed upon evidence which, ai far as it appeared, was altogether insufficient. The Honourable and Learned Gentleman here - commented„ with much severity, on the conduct of the Duke of Manchester, and on the evidence on which the persons executed in • Jamaica had been convicted of conspiracy. It Iced lieen said that no bribes had been administered, that no one had been rewarded for their evidence. He would in answer to this refer to the report.of a Com mittee of the House of Assembly, by which it appeared that 3171. had been granted to the • Parish of St. Mary, in order to pay the expenses attendant - upon the menu• mission of certain slaves who were rewarded by freedom for the services they bad rendered, and the information they had ilea). This was the pure and unspotted ad. ministration of justiceof which they had heard. This practice tended to pollute the source of justice—it otered temptation_ to a slave to accuse his fellow slave, and that temptation was the greatest boon that could be bestowed upon a man—his eirn freedom. He did not deny the propriety of admitti a g. accons pikes to be King's evidence la cer i tain cases in . England ; bPt.in Jamaica , to admit slave accoapnlireo we King's evidence, where the 'universal prejudice against stave 'evidence was so strong that the House Of Assembly. would not Consent to render it admissible in any case affecting the slightest interest of a white man, certainly appeared to be monstrous. It was the misfortune of the state of slavery, Abet it placed the masters in ; state in which .theynaturably were led to the apprehension that they could opt afro i rd to be just. Where there was) .90,000 flee meth and 60,000 slaves, there the physical power was in the hands of the slaves ; therefore the proprietecs feared to apply to them those principles which huma nity would be thought to acquire id the casco( a white. The Honciarible and Learned Gentleman produoed severalinstanees to Prove *it* tendency of slavery was to brutalize the dispositions' :tithe stave masters; and toneltuled by caning upon the Haute to keep ki door always open to the claims of humanity. Tte AQLICITOR : GANgRAL said, that if the Hon. anilLearnia Geodifnao bad 'purely proposed a resolu tion with a view .to the introdgction of a better swim future—.he should not base °Netted to it, but the :roposition went to criminate the Juries, the Magi*. crates, and the Governoi, in whose conduct he could ' ' got see • anyipst grounds of reprOaci? us it was not to be judgl actord i ng t o t hel k w .o Alagland. The f l air question was, ba# at been acco rding to the law of JEinsaica. ..* * .l l noF grapy-redto, 'sax that it hp did not wish the icr.° ; w pt t),;14,13ita,t0 be assimilated to the law of Englafd be as ttot piepared!to say_ chat he would object :to else. sittiaciaa of the Orris being equalized with * *lt. qi 01; white map re. Furth( they were then discussing as accursed.pro - ceedings.— EThe Sot.tcyron-GUaftat. said that he believed he had dot Used that expresiion with relati , n to the partiCular proceedings of Jamateal—The Hon. and Learned Gentleman had called the system accursed because it produced such laws as those in which the proceedings were defended. He thought his language justified the construction he had put upon it. The Hun. Member proceeded then to comment upon the transactions at Jamaica, which he did not impute to individual charac ter; but to the inherent vices of the colonial _syste m. That system produced prejudices so strong, that jos lice was not likely to be rendered to the slave. He could not understand what was meant by technical distinctions. Was it a technical distinction to se 4ect or admit hea rs ay e v ide n c e at t hi r d ha n d, w h en lit affected the lives of human beings? The Ho nourable Gentleman. then commented on the indiipo sition 'hewn by the Legislature of Itmaica to amend the laws as regarded the evidence of slaves, and their objection to suffer the British Parliament to legislate for them. Public opinion, however, !night have some in fluence, and he therefore called upon the House at once, as the organ and the guide of public opinion, to mark its sense of the injustice which had been_committed.— Under all the circumstances he thought they were botpid to go further than merely to imptite mistakc to tease who conducted the proceedings. It had been saidthey were not to abolish slavery at once because the Chris tian Religion had done away slavery gradually; but were they to suppose two or three hundred years were to be taken to abolish a modern system of slavery. The doctrine appeared to bias to be absurd* The amendmentiMid away the public opinion, which they ought to express against public ad ministration when marked by irregularity end misconduct. Sir ROBERT ' WILSON thought the t lonou:able and Learned Member who brought. the subject before the House was intitled to the thanks of the country.— The Attorney-General had called on them not to pa3s a vote of censure en the persons concerned in the judi capie cfrkuisprudence of Jamaica. That was the very thing he thought the House ought to do. He consi. Clered all the parties guilty of nothing less than a legal murder. Nothing could be worse than such a system. , In 1882, James Simpson was tried for chaining down a female slave, twelve years of.age, and twice violating, her person. At the trial an exception was taken to thel prosecution, on the ground that she was not a human being, but a chattel; and, secondly, that being a slave, her evidence could not be taken. The point was sub mitted to the Twelve Judges of England, who decided that under the existiug laws or the Oakley they could sot decide against the objection, but the Judges and Gcmegintant, to thglr honour, sent out a remonstrance against the miller in which the law was administered. Mr. GOULBURN said that there were persons con-' nected with the colonies who did not support the mode in. which these trials had bees conducted; but when he looked at the proceedings, he did AM look at them for . the purpose ef crinalnating men settb reefed CU' a situation different from any in this corm" wlio acted under fear, and under the erect of prejudice 'which had long existed. He looked at it with a view to a remedy which might relieve the negroes, ameliorate their condition, and make them fit for emancipation. He should vote for the amendment because it looked tb those objects. Like the Member for Norseich, he wished to express public opinion with respect to the proceedings of the colonies. Could any man, after reading the amendment of his Right Hon. Friend, doubt that the public opinion had been expressed ? Would not the colonists see that all parties blamed their froceedingi ? If then the amend merit conveyed public opinion, wtry should he vote for the orlihial resolution? It called en them to decide, without due caution. and to pronounce on opinion on judicial proceedinp,camled on with die established Colonipi forms. If they wished public opinion to be unanimous, they would concur in the amenditient.— He was anxious it might be agreed to for the purpose of promodug the cause they were all toady to support. Mr. BROIJOHAM said he entirely differed from the Right Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down, in the view taken of the question. if he could believe the amendment would convey to the Legislature and Judi cature of the Colonies the opinion of that House, that the whole of their system was wrong and wanted reform, he should not prefer it to the Resolution of his Hon.. and Learned Friend, yet much of the repugnance he felt to it would be removed; but it was because the amendment got rid of the questien.—because those in • defensible proceedings were sought to be screened, he should vote against it. His Learned Friend (the At torney General) did not deny the impropriety of the proceedings, and the Solicitor General had said, Goo forbid that he should defend these proceedings. They were called upon to think as much as they considered proper ..on the subject, bat were not to ,pass a vote, because it would impute blame on those whom they all admitted to be worthy of censure. His Learned Friend had complained of the vagne"minmer in which the negroes hied been put on - their trial. The Attorney firee --4 •-•-•. • - b - -- !-- 7 --- • i - .- I%U. IftoOgh iilegal with respect to whites, t was legal in the West Indies as applied to the lacks.— His ' Learned Friergl .admitted that justice had been violated by the JatraAica law. He had however a little doubt upon the law of Jamaica, bad 11l it As. The trials in . St. George's and Hanover parishes were More regularly tried than the negroes in Sr. Mary's : parish. He might, without any want of charity, en •tertain a belief. that there was less regularity in the St. Mary's trials than in the other parishes. The im patience of Colonel Cox, who stated that a number of executions we're necessary befoxe . the Christmas holidays led to irregularity. Ctittpling dpi. Coes',expressions with his documents, he found that in one tropical sun, eight men were tried, upon a charge no one could under. stand, and upon evidence no ode could believe. Those eight unfortunate men *Me Wed arid cOnOicted, because it was necessary to satisfl46 t o):Airttriati. by having a number of executions befq-se tbeUlaristmis holidays.— Were these proceedings to helttatified and passekiver by Parliament? He knew ho a the House felt on the question. The Governor, with his dicers about him--with his legal advisers about him, Would itot-give 'breathing time ) but sat immediately an order to execute the ma beforetbe Christmas bolidayor Be did not fa* to apply Iterater eeleveliene to the Kformener and °then, than theiF situatiottiostifte4. He considered laps sentences unjust, but the only charige =the account was, that SwF d.d nut poem's sufleient llithnem Willow' of daagef: 2. ail,ritereasee time the ex - *realest ettbaelhiese wee :liaise* -II the Horse to express an opinion that might preveoba seatracce, and an.. solace wee that filmes Was trquiced et Ilse exercise of au thority, • / - • upon gentleman's. pens sbewiog. .. Hon. Member for Nottingham can have kidded itself to its full consent, thoughit has enjoyed the *dean tage of his advocacy, for it comprehends, in one sweeping expression of sorrow and indignation, attd one genergly applied complaint of violated ,liiittee,„rted , perverted law, trials, the details of which mt. so oppoSite and distinct. that a great part of the Hog. , and Learned Gentlemep's speech was occupied . in diSithinating and attempting to distinguish, them e( „l i g, or.dg the more effectually to aggravate the taocasons,..natere of the affair at St. Mary's,' the Lea s tnedGentleinan gave the House an eccouot of the trials it .4 6ll s . l iillifies of Sr , . George and H a p o irei t e o. f . 4itokg-'„i r p c i, he allowed an ob s e rvat i on Cif forms and onersistiOns de licacy of proceeding; by viltich .. l;e adoiitted they were Mei-Iced and distinguished from th e outrages -perpe trated ice theciiiorse of th e trials which tOokaalace-at. St. Mary's. From this, sir, I think` it sufficiently clear, if his speech had been the preface of a motion On this subject, brigizratigg with himself, the Learned Member would have apportioned a different degree: Of, con demnation to the degree of the crime; ,end Allotted a shade of censure correspondent wieb .-, .the, lighter or more deep hue of the proceedings—(ffea e , :kw.). this would hare been . i ppiiite in order, to preserve consistency between the speech and the resolution it was intended to stoppert ; but in our case, audits the view of the traasactibn take* by the 'amended resolutinni that distinctiqn is ungecesseryl for whatever shades: of di& tereoce *my hive existed. in those trials,theprOposition we advocate, and the expression of ersocere far th e situation ef-tite negroes, it equallt true indeppliCable yrith respect to all. With respett iti,illlo4li3Ofte that pegro life hay been lost, and bootee libiod shed, and that a system of law was employed (a system which nine can deprecate more their **self) different from that generally adopted, in order tneheck ilik . l 'coerce the crime of the white man. The ground mg objets the amendment proceeds is fully admitted, ailsd"oif ex amination will be found equally applicable in'alll these proceedings,;' and the resolution is undoubtedly'corred when it draws an inference to which. all theie flets kad alike, though in different degrees—Wow'. *II. It the Learned Member's resolution did . not can ' t...l42ln: lines too little, it might have been entitled it, %Obi port ; for if, after stating that the House, havinglaig into consideration the proceedings-of 1822, 1825; 'ited 1824, deemed 'it expedient to give expression fn.:trot* terms its sorrow and regret at the nature of that* tran.- actions as authorised by the existing law, and tii reedid its opini-n of the necessity of an tniniedtate left:ire, to that proposition, no objection. could be orgelli- ' Rut, Sir, when the resolution comes to be interpolated *1 h " an expression of sorrow sat hadignatiocg at 2 flle Ali - version of o Jaw, tbs. vialatiisn.of jtiaticeiOritti ethe ki t . precipitancy wish , which w • sentence- , 'nf it ebille,' - oh. warranted by law was - carried. inte• litektiffnif,* I cannot give it my Assent. inasmuch as 'I arit . yttli* isie. par*'i.to jam the perversicin of the law contained in this proposition, while, at the store time, IMierfilly to declare the la* as one utireely.Ortat' to be perMit trd to - exist, -and which • loudly galls •foe altertstipo.— But I am not prepared To pass a condemnatory resolu tion on those individuals who, 'placed in a different situation, .have firmly discharged what to all' men pos sessed of the common feelings of* humanity must have proved a most trying and painful duty; under thepio visions of the existing law. If I were prepared tn'affix a stigma on their conduct, and call it culpable; lohbuld . bei doing what is not just, and saying What EnOtiot'be true. I repeat, flit) such a censure wouli be equAlty extravagant and untrue. Neither ant I prepared' to give an opinion compromising the judicature and Go vernment for undue precipitation is the execution 6f the sentence ; and I will tell the House why I decline becoming a party to such an accusation. That charge includes two parties ; *the Judge who premottheid sentence ; the Governor who confirms it. With-re spect to .the first, the Judge, under the existing Viet, possesses the power to order the convicts to instant execution, without reference to the . GtilferllOY; but' 'in this instance he did not; and ear/anion Jinni accordingly stayed. This is, in my •opinion; anything her a protf of precipitancy in the Judge. The inhabitants t f Jamaica wee, as the Learned Gentleman, with great candour, has admitted, under the influence of consider able alarm ; and yet, notwithstanding the existence of that well-grounded terror, and armed with the lase for immediate execution, the Judges did not evil% 'them selves of the power they possessed ; bur, on .the'tofi trary, referred the sentence for revision to the Governor. So that with respect to the charge ofprecipitat ion, f * not only not prepared to apply it to the judicature, but affirm it to be directly false and unfounded —(Hear, hear)—because, having the power they foi x bore to press the execution.—( Lend Cheerial-=. Now as to the other part of the question, which mama to the Duke of Manchester, tOe House must look ttltdthe tentative of the brow - n, ataorihrs Cottattls li,t e ' that - , character, he was duly invested witttliiiiti j Oe of the high prerogative of teroperine jesirce'irlill", Mercy ; and he could nut convey a more forcible exanieirecif this for. bearance than he did on the occasion alluded tO, If thii prerogative is to be made the subject of Parliamentary inquiry, on occasions'eimilar to the present, its effect is destroyed, and hid better be taken away altogether-o--- In stating my objection to the mOticio of the lion:aisil Learned Gentleman, I can assure hills, that if )*. 44 thought fi t, previou sly to the agitation of 'the subject. to have communicated the nature of his mo tion, I would rather have suggetted such an amend ment as m wo o a u l s d y h o a te ve , e res H is o te u d se th to e mo com i e o. to a w n i u th n o a u n t i : Sir,. I Te, eat, offering the introduction of a specific than hav e 'amendment, his Majesty's Ministers, contenting them selves -With the view which they have taken of the i question, pnd what, in their opinion , should be the conduct of Parliament with regard to it, would have remained silent, had not the Honourable awl, X e rojned GentlemanN motion contained a proposikioOtt t Aself pot only untrue, but which I sincerely believe *., he )langeroos in its nature. I will not sc a t.. A ' l lli' t "the justice of the case does ,not require some' intlegreute • on the pert of Government ; ,but taking auto tonic deiation that these transactisma occurred fielder . cap- ;, oinsta nces .most peculiar mod difficult, I A lo- thi9k7 it would have satisfied the justice of the cane, death by• Aa Act 'or the tegislature had Indeed been passed at l apjlet WA** iiiilvdristuilly tad Warty of defelice ?7 — seittiiitilee in a pipit *sale isatleagiiionirwitelliaieoh•ti4oan i iby a les<hmaica 6' remedy Ibia Mitief, au4 it was• thereby, lite seatetiiikithil l intejoatleittl.iisise,44,..jamaie4.wiqu i ld . • ~ •.. .iisishi*lia*G9p..ll..: s acted on' requited that . a Judce's ordee_iihoeld be given for thq ,onsep4 th.qiit,s4p..) t f OM. WiII . IICACA .to do sa, ie. "slat .AS 71.S°11 . T4kmiwlit so wit m , Al Thsktellie cy of the ; 'ptitipose, but it teas kribWn that this alst 'Swot Oreduce , beccHlie OP cilOt..er giat lit'Weta .Ct• ' The **wale f t . , ~ -4 5 .-""!' ' ~t ~.. • . _i OaveS.—: ! ,'.' thi skated' effect. - Nbir it was stated by ;the . Act that 'and Learned •Geystleman ittin . dernisented on the iliiire :.44"*Secreeigi C 1 NN an lleniiieft.mr stip:. orberknd' iheionspiraiors should be latornied of the, per-spot 'a trials ; - observing, dm itsbase was a fault, it , neither mod.** Pik alid acqliosseace to the amended zasplusil l is: pro: hment or the time, and of the place of the alleged ionspirac.y.— the o it ei 4. 7 ,0, f u r ,b.,,,,t ild tta rfar o44 4edrillt e(vf°""4ll P °ll 4 l 1 7 wy , H' sm i za b le P c ie 4' ''" 4 (.44 ' 11401 d although But when the question of slaves' evidence was intro. r Dlr. 1 :; 1 411 6 1'1 1: H 5 0 41 . 1 1 he bid heard With great snit: ( T y i tse °9l"ic t s 7 4 " A" b is , t e at to wakb the ' """. wi i i , 0 , ~lf is . cre di t ~, a t iting, Laiteiderhirem,O.td:piii e case of duced, it was stated in the Legislative Assembly ofe faction the Honourable and Ledrned Gentletnan ayp i ly_ nd there Jamaica, that the evidence of a slave wan inadmissible, upon record for !nialOss oc so &info; JHuthe beittued the teem accursed to the of colonial slavery . ;he& It on account of the low moral character of slaves, who had system. . ~ . '.. "` gentleman's pwa showing. the drigutat psoeion:lif • the even gone further and stigmatise d - the proceedings lion. Member for liattinzhatn can hardly have loaded ie power were considered incapable of forming any idea of o ._____ ~. _„ '. __, _ .• ' 42 iiC4' ' A . 2 n ' : ...,." P. 4 !.. . . • !I ; 1 II