The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1818-04-23 00:00:00

serial one, that for the registration, harl actually 11.-en made a subject of &moors. Art effectual regis try, so as to prevent any importation, was the b4sis ()revery species of reform. Never should it be for gotten what is due to a million and a half of un protected bei tigs on the other side of the water; never should they forget the claims they had ou the justice sad Immauity of the mother country—claims ren dered the more stroug by the prominent part this country had taken in the Abolition of the Stave Trade. Ile would nut stow further take up the time of the House, but nmove— 4, That there be laid before the House copies of all laws peened in, or for any of the British Colemies, sluice die year 1/112, respelling Hie condition of the Slaves, smiths peewee tine sif She alien importation of Waves; and also respecting the tereinteut of free es of colour." The question being put— Mr. Goutenam felt most anxious to do every thing to promote the views so honourably eater. naiswil and ably advanced by the Gentleman who had wit down. He would be very happy to concur ni any thing calculated to remove the unjust pre. idadiees taken up spinet Gentlemen on the other sidle of the waiver, and which he could not help ob. servilig, the speech of the Hon. Member was rather slalculated to uphold then remove. lie felt most ready to joiii in the adoption of any measures to pre►ent the iiiipintalion of shires into the West lu shes. If any ()ppm& had been given to that in particular looked to by the Hots. Gentlemati, it was because it had beets considered better to con ciliate the lsluudr, and that a IlleillaUfe less perfect, if enacted iu the i.lruds, might be attended wills mote 'merest than one more perfect, if curried 'here. lie would give his support to the motion, hoping that the time wadi not fair distant when the necessity of all such inutious mud of new regulatious would be removed. Mr. MaaaTATT looked upon the complete pre vention of the importation of slaver as a considers ble step to the abolition of slavery its the islands ; as the Committee on the Slave Trade had said, that in all countries where slavery once flourished. and had afterwards been mitigated awl abolished, the first effictual measure was to cut off the supply of foreign slates. Ile would vote for the production of the papers, and hoped they would convince the !louse smith the country how unfounded had been the imputations cast ou the master. and proprietors. Mr. W. SMITH was rather surprised to hear of calumnious imputations, when both sides of the House 'reined disposed to cougratulate the Gentle men interested for the spirit 'hewn by them. The semi iots was carried. and the papers ordered. Mr. 11'ILBk:RFORCE Mc to move for other papers erkul;sted to 'hew the increase cud decrease of slaves in the islands. He must, however, beg leas to say one word on what had fallen from the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Goal burn). lie was fully aware of the necessity of the hr; sty good-will of the masters to make soy intros devised for ameliorating the con dition of the slaves effectual. He was therefore sorry to hear such observations. He could appeal to the House, and wished to repeat accurately what be hail before said. He had drawn a distiuction between the inlrllugeot and liberal, and those of an opposite descriptioli ; say censure be might have uttered, he had applied only to the latter. He cer tinily knew recent cases in which slaves had been imported—it was impossible to preveut it without a registry. But it was not to be supposed that he thought that only sufficient—be only natant that was neenary—without it, all other regulations would by voiu *qui insiders. He would next move— " That therefor laid before the House copies, or extracts of copies of idt accounts received from the West India Co lonies, Once the year 1007, chewing the increase or de cresst lir slavery, of the white population, and of the free peuple of colour." Mr. M. GRANT said, that Gentlemen were de cidedly mistaken in certain facts they had ills tinctly stated. He mentioned ibis to chew that ;heir sources of information were not always correct. He &surd the intputivtion cast on the Gentlemen collitrt trd with the West India Islands. From the first iiiiriiiliicti tttt there of the Abolition Act, he be lie veil very hew instances could be adduced of the to pot 'Wiwi of slaves. If such an evil existed, to any strut, it CotAti Hut have escaped the attention of the West I iitLit Proprietors. Mr. Witsitavoacc obaervrd, that neglect had certainly existed, with respect to the due 'Winton'. trittigio HE the law—and it was proper that every effort should be made to prevent altogether the aupply of slaves from without. Mr. MARKTATT observed, with respect to the I.opply 4,E foreign slaves, he could conscientiously soy, a. far as his inquiry went, that very few, if dily violations of the Abolition Act had taken place. Mr. Meows said, that, after a very active in quiry, with respect to the law for the Abolition of the Slave Trivia., the supposed charge of importing alates contrary to that law, was negatived. The was then agreed to. Me. Wit.nsavoact: twat moved for-- " Au Account of the Numbers of all the above Classes, aaJ, as far as the same cau be given, t►r thalweg in Ike la lus • primers jou of Males and Females no the above pupa lath. " CroCLOVIN expressed his williuguess to gr,i.t uir itiluasiation required. Wokl. Ogrrell 10. Mr. IVii.ft ER FORE ken moved for--. " Copies ur esirArts of all Arts passed in the West Ines Islands, in furihrisure of the objects of the Address of this House, to his Rolal Hishufts the Prince Revue, on the 'fhb of Jour, lilll--prayitric that his Rujal Highness would li e 'flossed tio reconsintard, it, the strongest misuser, to the aulleirrilbto is the &Kenna Wands, to take the roust I fltelual mra.urrs Gar improving the comforts and harpi st, N of the stare itoptilatiuu."--Agreed • • Air. WILIMFURCE tioollv moved for— " C. pies of all executive and judicial proceedines, load is ilw sail colonies, connected with, or in furtherance of, II obi., as of tb. said Address. Also copies or extracts of all rui s 'vomit env 41i1 11.. said subject, which Ilulf be c. ll ' Ismdctruncut to the public service." said, undoubtedly judicial proceedings' sometimes tit:cursed, which it might lie necessary to transmit to this country. But, as they were mast, in griirrial, sent house, it was lit• the (ora the Hun. Member might want, without a reference was made to the pa"icola► coloows in which they had taken place. Mr. Wit.auasoacE hoped, flint at least such Inn e r s as could Isr furisisised, would be laid before :he Moose iiienic , hatelv• Mr. GuuLav lot ulowfved, that those papers re• 4, trig to only our side of. the iptestion—and it would ataietl) be lair iv produce shnntisients id I *Melt cast imputations on iodiinlualr r wildismt si multaneously laying before the House whatever they might have originally urged iu their defence. If there were any particular document which be was desirous of inspecting. it would be better to make a *per ific motion for it. than. by a general nrutiori, to call for a variety of papers. Alter a few words from Mr. lltoww and Mr. Witazaroace, the mutiou was agreed to. be attended with rhingerods consequences." That this was the almost univeteal opinion in Doiiii nice, the stetruiesit he bid merle placedheyotid a doubt. There existed In Votninice, as well a s i n *p ule oth er of the West India Islands, abet was called • pa Me chair—rastrowd to which Alyea were obliged to perform the hardest labour'. It was supposed that by law a master hiel I right if he pleased to send his slave to this public chain, to be employed. as a convict, if his conduct Were displeissiag, in the most severe and laborious dudes. lie understood that the coinlition of some of those usilitippy creatures, gills, fur iiistailee, of tender years, was so deplorable, that the Colouial Govern ment weer diapo4ed to extend to them the Hopi mercy. This difficulty, however, was opposed to the fislfilsueut of that intention. It was said, that though the Governor, as representative of the Crown, might pardon person condemned to punish meet For their crime,, yet he had no right to inter fere where the toaster, for an offence, of which he alone was the judge, Chore to consign his slave to the public chain. On this subject,. the Governor required Lila opinion of the At torney-General of the island—and he, in his written opinion, stated, that the Governor had 110 authority in such cameo. Thus persons con demned by this domestic tribUnal, without judicial inquiry, might remain subject to this horrible op. premium all their lives, unless their masters thought proper to pardon them. While St. Uoniiiigo was under the old French Goverument, the same system prevailed, and the greatest abuses were practised under it. lii 1780, the French Governor pub lished a specific reguletion on the subject. That regulation set forth—" That the Governor bring iuforined that several farmers, to avoid paying the expense of curing their iiegroes of diseases, sent them to the public gaols, amid hail them affixed to the public chain, be forbad the gaolers of the prisons to admit any slave, until he had bete examiued by the King's surgeon." The author of a well-known work on the West Indies hes given a most correct and a most afflicting account of the sufferings of those poor wretches who are attached to the public chain. " The origin." said he, "of the chain is this : —Run.aways, and negroes fJund wandering, who canuot give an account of them selves, sometimes from their inability to weak Eng lish, are taken up and placed in the workhouse, where the treatment is so bad, that slaver are often sent theme, by their masters and mistresses, as a place of punishment. 1 have seen nearly 100 of them fisted to the same chaiu, employed iu the removal of rub bish, and other revere labour. The chain is fined round the leader, and is carried round the bodies of those who follow him. Between each individual a sufficient space is left to enable him to walk without treading on the heels of the person who precedes him. As soon as the chain is fixed, the workhouse doors are thrown open, and those poor creatures are driven out, by a negro, and sometimes by a white driver. They set out at a brisk walk, nearly • trot. For some time, the dread of the whip makes them keep the chain strait, and free from curve—but ‘• Nahum expellee farce tames =gee reeerret t` they begin, at length, to lag—the weaker is thrown down by the stronger—and the driver Ands it frequently impossible to preserve any thing like regularity amongst them." The Learned Gentle mall was anxious that the facts he bad stated should be brought decidedly before the House—for what purpose, it was not for him, at the present moment, to say. He knew not what remedy could be applied to such evils—but he felt that some re medy, and a speedy one, ought to be devised. De could not couceive any arrangement that would be effectual which depended on persons whole property was intimately connected with the islands. The only remedy likely to produce the desired effect was that suggested by Mr. Burke, its the plait published in his poeiliumous wor ks. He re commended, that the Attorney-General in each of the islands, should be obliged to inspect the con dition of slaves—that it should be made an men tial part of his duty to iuterpose in their behalf. Such a plan as this, by which it would become the duty of the Attorney-General to exit aaa it ie .into the situation of slaves, would take away from his in terference that odioas character which was slow ascribed to it. It was objected, against any inter ference with the internal situation or the colonies, that the British Legislature bad no power, accord ing to the spirit of the Constitution, to make laws for their regulation. Bat it had already been dune. In messy instances, the British Legislature had framed laws for the West Indies. But, lie conceived, it was a perfect mockery to advert to the British Constitution, when arguing on such a subject. To talk of persona not being bound by laws, which were not framed by themselves or their representatives--to introduce such pinciples for the purpose of applying these to the state of society ist the West Indies—was completely falla cious. If they did speak of the British Constitu tion, they must take the whole of it—they must admit, that, under it, all men stood alike in the eye of the law. The moment a slave put his foot so the English shore, he became free. Could there then be a snore unfortunate topic, for those who, speaking of the Constitution of this country, knew it was opposed to slavery of every kind ? If they possessed the British Constitution in the West Indies, it would have the effect of destroy ing the whole frame of society there—fur slavery was incompatible with it. The laws passed in Do minica, nu long time since, for the purpose of en cuuragiug the suanutnisaiou of slaves, had not been attended to. A slave bore Oil the INIUIIII was obliged to pay IW. 10s. for his manumission—and those not born on it were obliged to pay 354 A titan of colour, th ough a freeman of another Wage!, be came, law, a slave, if lie did not pay a tax im mediately (inlaid arrival at Dominica. The law by winch thus was enacted was passed in Jane, 1810. It stated, thud " No person of colour, cusuitig from another island or colony, is entitled to Isis freedom, unless be produce a certificate and Pay a certain tax." This was the enactment of those whu talked of the British Consti tution. A slave once landed on the British coast became a freeman—but a free man of colour, it appeared. the instant he touched the soil of DO. unitive, became a slave. By another law, any slave who came to the island, if not claimed by pia master, within • certaiu time, was "Old for the be ('edit of the public. The whole of there laws were foundcd on a principle 4/metrically opposite to OF SLAVES. Sir S. Rostist.v said, he rose to make the mo tion of which, • few evenings since, lie had given notice, in order that the House might authentically be put in possession of certain information that had come to leis knowledge, with respect to the condi. lion of slaves in the West Indies. They had often been told of efforts made by persons in the Colo toes. for the purpose of ameliorating the condition of the slave population. But of what avail were Taws, if they were not carried into effect ? He be lieved, his statement would clearly prove. that the laws which had been made in the Colonial Assets- blies, for the relief of the slaves, had not been act ed on. It was very possible, that, in the course of the facts he should detail to the House, some in accuracy might be pointed out; but lie hoped be would not, therefore, fall wider the censure of the Gentlemen . opposite, since he had takes, the utmost pains to make himself acquainted with the truth. If, therefore, any iutorrectuels were observable, lie could conscientiously my, that he was perfectly innocent of willingly promulgating it. He would not, on this or any other occasion, advance what the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Goulburn), de nominated iuflameamory statements. He should rather under -rate, instead of exaggerating the in formation which he bail received. There were already some papers before the House. con nected with this subject—but he was anxious that all the evidence which could be obtained should be submitted so Parliament. The documents to which he alluded he had moved for late in the lust Session. They were important, hut they did not embrace the whole question. He had so worded his motion, for the production of the other papers, as. iu his opinion, to leave no ground fur objecting to it. His motion would be " for copies and ex tracts of certain papers in the office of the Secre tary of State for the Colonial Department," leaving it, of course, to the proper officer to select such documents, or parts of documents, the pro duction of which would not injure the public ser vice. He should now proceed to a detail of the facts which induced him to submit this proposition to the House. In the spring of the year 1817, several cases came before the Grand Jury of Demi. nice, in which it appeared that great cruelty had been exercised on the persons of slaves, by their masters. One of the individuals iudicted had, it appeared, brought some of his slaves to trial, for au offence, of which, if they were convicted, they would have been subjected to • punishment of 39 lashes. The slaves were, however, acquitted— but, notwithstanding this, their master took them to the public market-place. and there caused to be inflicted on them, by his uwu will and pleasure, that punishment, which, if they had been found guilty, they would have suffered, under the law. The Attorney-General of the island preferred an indict ment against the individual for this arbitrary mud tyrannical act. It was supported by witnesses, and the Grand Jury were almost equally divided on the subject of finding the bill-10 being for it. and It against it. A second case, where a master had been guilty of cruelty to his female slave, the Attorney- General thought it necessary to bring before a Grand Jury. In this case the arm of the slave was broken. Here also the bill was thrown out. A third case of cruelty was also sent before them—but with uo better success than the two former. the Grand Jury were not, however, content with merely igitoring those bills--they presented, as a nuisance, generally, their preferring bills aguiust masters for ill-treat ment of their slaves. they did so iu these words " The Grand Jury have further to present the dangerous consequences which are now threatening to arise. from the number of indictments preferred against masters, for the unmerited punishment of their slaver, without eery evidence whatever." Now the fact was, the indictments were supported by evidence—sod, in one instance. that iu which au individual was indicted for pureirrhiog uegroes who had been legally acquitted of the offence alleged against them, the evidence was so strong, that the Grand Jury were divided in their opinion. The Attorney-General then had recourse to the power which, by law, he possessed, of Ming criminal informations--conceiving it not right to trust a (;rand Jury with accusations of this nature. The whole of the offences for which he had filed his informations were within the legal enact nieuts agreed to by the Legislature of Dominica. On that point no doubt could be entertained. Contrary to express enactments, the masters sgainst whom informations were tiled, had placed iron collars and chains on their slaves, sod had compelled them to work with those manacles on their bodies. The cases were all clearly proved—but the Defendants were, tuitwithstanding.acquitted. What, he would ask, . must the state of that country be, where, for the security of the population, it war found sever. airy to give up that which was here looked upon as the great safeguard of the people, and to have re course to criminal informations, which were always viewed with the utmost jealousy ? The Guild Jury, after these acquittals. thought proper to make Is second presentment, un the danger. sus consequences of prosecuting masters for the conduct they made use of towards their sluves—but the Court would not receive it. In thut document, the Grand Jury said, " There was ass improper interference. on the part of the Execu tive, betweeu masters and their slavcs,wl.ich crested discontent amongst the uegroes—and, if persevered in, was likely to lead to the worst consequences." Under such circumstances, to whom was it, but to the Government itself, that the slave could look for support ? 11'llo else could perform that sacred duty, when his master, who ought to protect, oppressed him ? %Vito else could be called un to assist him, when the public sym pathy was poured forth, not for him. however cruel his treatment, but for Isis master, wino inflicted on him that cruelty ? There was a general concurrence of opinion in the Yet India Islands, that nothing was snore improper than to interfere between toaster and slave. It was considered highly improper su itself, and, es the Grand Jury said, " likely to fled sefti.:tiforMeil the b.. 1, o f the H.itish eongitu- bileh conduct es hod been imputed to the pnrif a Jibe Abolition Act had pasted, every accused. hail await beer, opopios., Ow the temptutiou alieuld be given to mititustemi ~,,, iittiesitl best terrier we could 'ruder the i•istintly was t o of obstacles' being thrown in its way. Fur tl gls sliew a fixed and tooted uSertion to the species of no wont could eutertitist the idea freeing all the misconduct alleged ',gaunt the mot-% now tic slaves in the West Indies, yet the time might come, eased.--( Hour.)—H e id Id, tllt'trlUlt'i abiSClll to however distant, wise , ' there would he nu Slavery the Motion before the House. there.—(//cur./—That event woad newt safely Mr. SMITH hoped touch good might he eH'eted be produced by gradu a l inonsuni.tims, by educe. , by the conception ou the pat of the Hight Ilon. lion, by impr• i wane the e o ltat t on of th e slav e s, an d 'Gentleman opposite, this evenissg. Ile was Maly encouragnio marrolget ionoepg them. The whole I to bear it admitted front 3411141 14010 Ilathatity, that spirit of the laws lie had quoted was completely the state of society as. eo nwrh 14,111. e its the lesser toutiary to this—they went to render the I then io the I"I'"- 1 1 1 " 1 "'elrl India I -1 4"1 15 . It amts state of slavery perpettiel. With respect to those 1 • ~,,, e sstisfatlime however, to hear that suanumiss 1 11 l laws, which looked so well on ;paper—which ap- bud !wets frollitated, nod a qualiff•mion Introduced peered "tire well calculated to benefit the tlave Ito- limier which the Oridesire of the th i v e ?mi g h t Ire pulation:-they not only Were tint exec uted, b u t rendered admissible in Cornet* of Law. Still it was were never intended to be cannel intl. effect. On a subjer•t wherein there existed use siene ge mt this point, the okeervation contented in a dispatch say for the vigilant interproition of the !louse from from Governor Prevmt in Marquis Cutetilen t writ- time to lime. a view to introdui e u stem of ten ht January, 1805, affinded very anew evi- Iteetualient deuce. Governor Prevost th e r e sa y s —" Th e A c t I Mr, Al. GRANT o bj e tt e d to the inetences for ,encouraging the better goie 11111 l eist of tlavet. which had bees, %sleeted to eseiliplity the teite of lately passed in Domitsica, apiwors to have been I society in the %Vett Indira, or all 11 , 111.11M0111111 Olt considered, from the day it was passed, till this the part of the ciamensts to relieve tie grirs,atires hour, us a political ineesure, to prevent the inter- i the slave poptilution:‘ He demeemed tektite; this ference of the mother country in the maintaessient ease of these little i-land*, one of which did not pro of deem" facts which he had slated were, he duce inure that 1,000, the other LIAM liegslieseis an extreme l y c l ear ill ustrat i on o f this of sugar, as illustrative of the thee of all tin). e statement. lint it should be recollected, thaf,though I islands ; whilst Jeanine', Movie rredneim:, 0p.% sr,ls those unfortunate beings were the slaves of their of 230.060 liogvheads, hall not been introduced neuters. they were also the subjects of the King. as furnishing any g rd of eti t hpl a i ii t. They woad be imuished, noire severely than could never be contetoled' to lire it lair statement others, if they violated the limit—and by those of things as they existed ) nor could totes a d e . laws they ought to be protected, as the oilier sub- fictive investigation of the subject justify such out jscts of the King were. The cusses he had mem. interference between master and &errant. In fact. Dotted were introduced not to thew the listings of from his own persona knowledge, he could deny individuals, but to poster what eat the getieral test- the accuracy of the statement of the alleged emu. timent of the entire y. House would linty of punishment. It was the practice w cases recollect that the case of Me. Iluggius had been of delinquency. and adjudged punishment, to wink noticed on • former occasion. That individual still at the escape of the uhi tincture% share, for the pur continued to he a person of great opul e nce. in- pose of atm-ding bins ass opportunity of repairing flitence, and consideration in the island of Nevis. to some well-known person is, the sertglibuoiliorel, He was formerly brought to trial for cruelty to his to obtain a ticket us to character, or on the score own slaves—•,,d lie was lately indicted for cruelty of humane interference ) width if he obtuilied from to the slaves of 'mother. A gentleman of the name the clergyman, or a sintgistrate of the district, of Cottle, on his departure front Nevis, appointed found it earl to eremite the imPeadlag Mr. Huegine to act as his ;mortify. He went one The advasitages of this practice, in atl Wand of day to the estate of Isis principal, and ordered two 130 miles its length, was obVioulo whet, it was nut young lads, who were accused ,if having received so very remittable to obtain an interview with the a pair of stockings that were stolen--and who lout Attorney-General, who might he distant from the never hem, punitshell before—to be visited with 100 particular plucr one hundred miles or more. The lasheseach—although where any law existed on the I Hon. Gentleman opposite lied considered the ease subject in the islands, 39 Woe was the utmost of these islands as applicable to all the %Vest extent of punishment that was permitted. This he India blonds, and as it was is case in %Melt not did, of his own will, without the interposition of only the colo n ies but this country wait much inlets any Magistrate. Two female sleeve were present— rested, it would, no doubt, be given at considerable one the sister, the other a more diploma r e lation of length, and with peculiar enspbutis and einbelltsite one of the lads. They could not suppress their meat, by the reporters in the Gallery,tz-(Criei efts feelings.-and, for sin other offence, but because " tlrder ! order!")—lt was true the slave was lie they shed tears. Mr. Huggins ordered thrum to be ble to a punishment by lathes, but why iiisist upon laid down, mid on one of them were ii.flicted the term curt-whip so emphatically ? 'Slaves were twenty, All the ether thirty lashes, by his coin- liable to be trausporteil,c•infieed its the Work-house. mend. Ile was brought to trial by the senior atifl when employed in the public wttrka chained Kiag's Cillitaft•l for these acts—and he was acquit- together. He had teen them thus employed repair. ted. Such a state of thisigv ought nut to be suf- tug the roads, which was but light work, mid he had feral to exist—and he hoped the Legislature would u imugitied they had been chained together rather fur exert themeelver seriously to remedy it. The the purpose of giving them air —(A laugh )—vvitti. Learned Gentleman then read the opinion of the out danger of ruffling; away, rather thau its a mode Attorney-Genera of the ;sista of Monaca, in au- of puttishuseitt. mod what was mere tensarkable, • ewer to the query of the Governor, " Whether he he had frequently known them to entreat they had it right to emancipate slaves sent to the public might receive the punishment of thirty-nine tribe., chum by their foamier* ?" 'flue answer was, " Thut rather than be exposed to cotilinerueist duping one slaves condemned by their masters to work its chains night in the stocks. oil the public works, could not be set free by the Mr. A. BROWN was surprised to find the great Executive Power." lu conclusion the Learned talents of Hon. and Leurned Gentlemun should Gentleman moved— have been employed to give a colour to those pr o . That an humble Address he presented to the Prince eeedings in these colonies, which they in their um. Regent, praying that he will he pleased to give direction* ture did not possess, tied which had unfairly heels that there he kid hrfore this Hnutte, Copie s o r Extracts of stated to be a wimple or the administration of all Dispatches, Letter% and Puller% in the Office of the justice throughout all the West bolts colonies. Secretary of State fur die Hume Department, relative to the came of Jean' Baptiste Louis Blilincait, Alexand er Betty, Ise case alluded to had been on e o f t h e f t , cons anti John Curry, against whoa Bills of Intlietn3ent were pre- mined by one slave, and secreting of the goods feared by the Asturney-General of Dominica—together with stolen by two others. The Indictment, had been the presentment of the Grand Jary of the said Wand, of found by the Grand Jury, and filially they were 4th of rebruary,lBl7, and Hoy subsequeut preseutment, re- sentenced to et ceive a hundred lashes, in come , - sperting any es itchy exercised au Slaves in the said Island metier of the cntifesaiun of the fla i r, an d fi n di ng in the month of February, 1817. Also any Document re time property on his accomplices. S o li g htly h a d seeding the right of Masters in the said Maud to consign their Slaves to bard labour in chains—and she power the these uegrees estimated the punishment, that two Governor may have, by virtue Of Me Royal Prerogative, to of them went, a couple of nights after, to :a negro rescue them from such situation." masquerade, where they figured in the clieracteis of Mr. GOULOURN said, it could ndb be expected Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellingtose The by Gentlemen • ected with the West India conviction did not, or could not, subject Alr, Hug island*, that lie stood there to defend any cases gins, the agent its the afar, to a charge oh severity. which, Hon. slentbers might advance against The *wort', too, who had been punished, were pu tlsern—but he hoped Gentlemen would lie particu- wished not for uttering cries or tears of broom, but Why careful to guard their minds from the nu- cries or tears of obstinacy---(Hour, mad a latigh,)— pressiun which statements of this nature were cal- wills a view to prevent the execution of Ilse ten carted to snake, before they were thoroughly ex- truce on the offenders. It *humid also be recollect minified and examined. Ile would appeal to all ell, Mr. Huggins had been tried, end the esti:ounce those acquainted with th e We s t I n di e v, whether of the Attorney-Geueral of Dominica vait•ited to there was 'tot, in the larger islands, a mauifest conduc't the prostentiots, notwithslatiding which he (hill . ..mice, not with reference to legal enactments bad been sequined. relative to slaves, but with respect to the general Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH—After the notoriety feeling towards the slave populetion, from that which this Huggins laud obtained in ihnt which prevailed in those of a soimaller compass. Its fur barbarity and maltreatment of slaves, it Was idle the liege Wands, the itnprovetneuts in agriculture to say that Mr. Cottle, the proprietor of the estate, had rendered the labour of Aire slaves much had not been excessively to blame its amen% ouch lighter than it formerly was. In the island of a supervisor over his slaves. A t _esitionisiel all to Jamaica, it was well known, that slaves ac- Iluggins's character, from inch a proprietor, coned quirefl considerable property. Na ll y cases had only terve to prove they were both retaken alike in occurred, where slaves, having ainitssed money by the common guilt. If the lion. Member had to their industry, purchased their freedom. An Hon. little sympathy for the feeling.* of the womeit also Member (Mr.. Barham) stated that . lie b.-d himself witnessed the barbarous punishment of those youths, purchased property from an individual, who had ac- as to denominate their tears, not tears of sorrow host quired it in a state of elaverj—aisd uo man, he be- tear . o f ob s t . •y, hr would refuted hint, ha.l they hewed, was better acquainted with the %Vest Indies b ee n even yells of horror at the atrocity of the thou lie was. The Hun. 'Wernher then proceeded to transaction of the melancholy sentiment of the advert to the Grand J u ry pr, sentm eti t s , winds the illustrious ' Roman historian), who lied, uu a similar Learned Mover hod noticed. He stated that, its fact, occasion, been quoted by Mr. Pitt-. but one presentment bad litre made. The beyond was Gemitus guidon popish rejected by the Beech, mid never became • record " Ronwitii fit clasiso . pwim&' of the Court. The manner in which the latter at- Unhappy, indeed, must be the situation of a colony tempt was received by th e Co ur t, p rove d that those where such conduct could lie tolerated as might who presided there (funny of them Members of the resider the quotation a fit comment mi their con. House of .Assembly), felt au anxiety' to thew, that dition; but when the defepce of such atioeitets characters outlined the natbre tied fsettstes of a they were by no means f o vourarle to the former Prevellttocul. As to the smitten itself, lie begged to pailegvric• in a British House of C 1111 l mon*. thee, observe, that. when cases of this kind were tratiatuit- i n d ee d , h e mast say i t asoreit rue the ted from the colonies, nothing but the todictruesits state of public feeling in this country. But against the parties, she evid e nce given in support no man could hear of the conduct of the of thesis. and the result. way petit home. No re cord of the evidence for the accused was forwarded Grand Jary of the island, in pretenting as It am.. sauce the indictments of the Attorney-Generul to this country. Aud it was quite clear that they sgainst masters who had ill-treated their slaves, could nut coma to any correct deoi sP" on s uch owls without re fl ecting how little such seen knew of the unless they had the whole of th e facts before them. best p r i n ciples of the Beitith Constitution-. 11' itle respect to the remainder of the Hon. Gristle- Nulti negabimme, multi veinleettus vet differeasus, trustee remarks, he could assure him lie lead as little a Justioarn aut retrain." ditposition as ally war in that Haute to vitidiate in roaming such an ins aestl the Jury had violated 71 41 I