The Sun. — London, England, 1824-04-15 00:00:00

FOREIGN INT ELLIG ENCE. FRENCH PAPERS- From.the I.'toUe of Monday.) MADRID, A vitt 2.—Thr• Decrre of Amnesty again - deierred., in srite of 11 hat was lately de cited in the Council of 'Alittisters; on the other, hand, one hos been sent to the Council of Cas tillo. which has for its object to regulate defini lively the forms to he followed for the epuration (investigatiou of CLaraittery of official persons -who, being in place beitire Marc - b, 18'20, pre served their places under qte Constitutional Go- Nernment, or obtained others. A Junia, corn- Vo‘ed of „persons of high rank, will make the in quiries in this capital, and the towns under its jurisdiction ; in the provinces, the Authorities, -lvith an Ecclesiastic, will 'perform the task. The procedttre will be founded on.secret informatiOn ollected by . the Judges. ( From the Journal des Dards.). MADRrn,.MARCII 27.—The tranquillity which Lis been hitherto maintained in most of_the pro vinces bai just been interrupted is the cities of Cordova, Valencia, and Seville. At Cordova the Exaltados had formed the ,project of assassinating all the persons known for their attachment to the Constitutional system, .and the 19th of this &omit, the feast of St. Joseph, wns Chosen for this horrible massacre.— This plot succeeded tut in part ; about ten per sons only suffored from the murderous steel. A request has been made to the French Com outander4n4Thief to send a garrison to Cordova, t-vvitich' his Excellency appears to have taken into ,consideration. Things . ha-ve not -been rurried'quite so far in The Exaßados tave coptented them solves -with iinprisoning a number of persons dis -lingrii3hed by their riches and rank in society. The-snort utiiicting disorder prevails at Seville. '•Certaht„persons, not content with the excesses which they commit by day, renew them during the night, so• that continual alarms prevail. A -score of persons, detained in prison fur political cpittions, have lost their lives there. The day •before yesterday the King and the . Royal Family left the capital. The Court will lie absent many months . ; it will visit A ranjeuz, -Toledo, La Grange, the Escurial, and the waters 44f Sacedon. ,Gen. Count Bourmont will attend it, and-almost all the -French •troops will quit the ,capital to follow its peregrination, as also the •Narious departments of Administration. Ouvrard's establishment will return to France. Aleawres "have been taken at Aranjuez forthe approaching residence of the Court. All persons whose opi nions are suspected are obliged to depart, and no foreigner can remain there beyond-24 hours with out superior official authority. m ti oil 31. ORDER O THE DAY of HIS EXCELLENCY THE CAt- TAIN-GENERAS CARBASBAL. " Frerotthe date of yesterday, the Spanish garrison of this pare is charged with tite duty of it. Precision is the first duty , of the soldier, since, from the exact performance of orders, re sults the honour of him who gives them, and the consideration , of /dm who obeys them. The harmony of a family makes it respected. We are observed from various: quarters; let us fulfil our duty,-and despise speeches, which will not be worth repeat ing when they are uttered without foundation- Let every one -attend to his respective personal duties, aad I will answer fur -the result. Yiadrid, March 31 CA Il BASA I. . APRIL I. Ins .(14y the Afferent pests of the capital, which were occupied since yesterday by the .tipanish troops, were re placed in . the occupation of the troops of France. There arrived,yesterday at Madrid from Balafoz, strong de lachmonts of the 15th of the line, and many waggons. FRENCH Fui4Ds.—P.Anrs, APRIL 12.—Fire per Clmtl:. opened at 101.75. ; tlosed at 102. 15. for money ; Bank Shares, 1190. ; 1,900. ; Spanish 16, 17, 16a ; Neapolitan, in ducats, 96; in francs, 100, 50.—(Coors ihrthentitier.) After the xehange, at five O'Clock, the Renter were at 103. , 25. 30. for the account. BAYONNE, APRIL 6. Our accounts from Madrid of the Ist say, that news had ' been received there from Catalonia of a serious affair at Puy eerda, between the French and the Spanish Royalists, who would not give upl the place ; a good number-werelilled and a great many wounded. At Cadiz, the .Spanish.gunners have received orders to quit (he place. By a Decree.of the 2d, dated Aranjuez, his Ma . j e Aty has created a Junta to examine into the validity of the claims of the Spanish subjects in:France. To this Junta an other is added, which may be considered as a Court of Appeal for those who think their interest has been injured. Its - deci sions are to be final. His Majesty has appointed Santos La dron, Governor of Pampeluna, but Colonel Vicendiez Sarabria . and Licut.-Colonel Miguel Lopez, accused of having refused to recognize the Regency, are tobe tried by a Court Martial, of which Quesada is to be President. A great-many missions are going . to take place to all parts of Spain. The departure of the IFrencn troops has given rise to the most extraordinary re pqrts, such as, that the French were going to take the King to France, and that alluded to by a. journal some time.ago, Which said, diet an August Personage, who bad never been at any Congress, was to :Item(' that which would soon tell," place. A great number of the inhabitants of Madrid -intend to fol _law the troops to the places of their cantonments. It seems that by new orders the French arc to remain at Madrid till the litlt. It was said ‘that.this delay-had been grunted at the earliest sAicitation of Mr. Ouvrard, who haviag capital and much paper, was taken by surprise. It is impossible to form an °pi. Mott on this event; all is obscurity, even to .the most clear sighted -; it is certain that front the unsteady course of affitirs, and the multiplicity of orders, which contr;dict each other, it ,ahould seem that there is a want of chiefs, or that there are several who do not agree together. Itis affirmed that the French Ambassador is igmorant of the causes of all these' changes, and .consequently that he has no hand in them. General Carbasal's address to the Spanish - troops, informing them that they were henceforth to form the Riti;ison.of Madrid, was made public at the same time with t notlier to the French troops, informing them that they were to remain. This news spread like lightning through the capital, -and diffused general joy. Thus the hopes of certain persons have been destroyed. Alarm-has been taken .at the consequences of an event too lightly decided upon. It is rffirmed that it is at the formal desire of King Ferdinand, that French troops remain at Madrid. The garrison is composed of the 23d and 28th of the line, the 9th of chasseurs, and some artillery. This is sufficient to maintain tranquillity. The ;ades du corps go to do duty about the King's person. Gen. .Bourniont e who is almost always with his Majesty, will occupy the. apartments, of Don Carlos. On the Ist of April, in con.. lequence of the counter order, the Spanish posts were relieved dry the French. 'TILE BRAZILS. An Edict of the 7th of February commands all persons who have arrived from Europe, or any of the provinces cf the Em pire, since the Ist of January, to appear at the Police Office within three days, and give an - account of their names, ages, InitiVe country, professions, &c. This order extends to all persons who shall arrive in future.; and those who neglect to comply with it are to be proceeded against as suspicious - tharacters. 16.—Many Officers of the National and Imperial army anti continuing to serve with commissions signed by the King of Portugal, they are ordered t►i deliver them up, and receive gratuitously commissions signed by the Emperor, on pain of Wig dismissed the service and banished front the empire.— The French Consul-General, Conde de (fiestas, has address ed a note to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, stating that the King of France, being informed that many families of distinc tion in Brazil intended to send their sons to l'aris to finish their education, his Majesty had ordered htm to afford the parents all possible assistance, not only in procuring a passage for the i foulig people even in-French ships of war, but also in . facili tatsfig the means of correspondensc. The Minister is ordered by his Majesty to signify to the Consul how 'much he is grati :bed by the wise and generous proceeding of his Most Christian ,Aftilesty. PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, - ',trim, 14. Mr. BILOGDEN and others from the €ommons brought up the Innkeepers' Allowance Bill, the Insolvent Debtors' Amendment Bill, the Irish County Treasurers' Bill, and several Private Bills, which were read a first time. The Iri , ll Proctors' Costs Bill was read a second time.— A djourned. • HOUSE OF COMMONS. Colonel DAVIES presented a Petition from the Inhabitants of Worcester against the Bristol Town Dues Bill. COM HINAT lON LAWS. Lord STANLEY presented a Petition from the Manufac turers of Bolton, Lancashire, against the repeal of the Combi nation Laws. Mr. HUM E said, that the Committee now sitting to con sider.the effeet of the Combination Laws ought to be favoured with some of the infhtmation of which, according to this and one or two other petitions, the subject was susceptible. The Committee had been already sitting one month ; their evidence principally tended to show the necessity for the repeal of these laws, and there was very little evidence on the other side. lie hoped, therethre, that those who possessed such evidence would see the necessity of submitting it to the Committee. Mr. ST.A NI:EY said, that he had presented Petitions from several of the Manufacturers of Lancashire against the repeal of the Combination laws, as well as against the exportation of machinery. The manufacturers felt the necessity of taking such a step, from the alarming' extent 'and secrecy 'with which the combinations by which they had suffered had, been carried on ; and he could eas ily irnagme there were "tifivions reasons why the mannfacturera,were not publicly desirous to come for_ ward, as they were now called upon to do by the Honoufable Member, possibly at great personal risk ultimately to them selves. Mr. MANSFIELD said, he could not hear the assertion of the Hon. Member who spoke last, as to the masters being in. timidated by their workmen, and therefore being prevented from giving any opinion as to the Combination Laws, without much regret. Ile begged to state, that he believed no such motives prevailed, nor that any hostile feeling existed between the masters and their w orkmen in the place he had the honour to represent. On the contrary, he had heard some very re spectable masters concurring in opinion with the workmen, that the Combination Laws should be repealed, and that they led only to produce animosity between both parties interested in them. Mr. PHILIPS must say, that when. he heard of the fero cious character of these combinations in Lancashire attributed to the circumstance of the existence of the laws framed fOr put ting them down, he entirely differed from the Hon. Member Pin Mansfield). Although he might agree that those laws had not produced the beneficial effect expected flom them, still he was far from thinking they had been productive of the mis chief of creating or supporting these combinations. In look ing at the general question, it was important to remark that the actual operation of those mischievous combinations was not to protest against the reduction of wages when they were low, but when wages were high to attempt to make them still higher.. This fact was observable both in Lancashire and Glasgow, where combinations were carried on at a time when the rate of wages was particularly high. Lord STANLEY said, that in presenting this petition, he meant to give no opinion upon the combination - laws : still he thought the subject ought to be approached with prudence and caution. . _ _ Mr. G. PELHAM was anxious to hear more evidence on the subject in the Committee. The petition was laid on the table. Lord I,OW Tll R presented a petition from Mildenh all, against Negro Slavery. Mr. LA.3IIITON presented a petition from the Tanners of Darlington, agltinst the Hides and Skins Bill. .51r. Wm. DU NDAS presented a petition from several of the incorporated Trades of Edinburgh, against the Window Tax. Mr. LEADER presented a petition from Winclielsea in fa‘loir of the County Courts . Bill. Mr. SPRING RICE presented a petition from several Mer chants and Traders in Galway And the vicinity, praying for the entire Repeal 43f the Salt Duties, to which the faith of Parliament stood pledged. Mr. PEEL presented a petition from the Cotton Spinners of Belfast against the Exportation of Machinery. Mr. LEA Eli gave notice, that he would, immediately after the holydays, move for leave to bring in a Bill fbr the better examination of witnesses in the Courts of Equity at Westmin ster, and for empowering the Courts of Law and Equity at l'Ves:minster to grant commissions for taking affidavits in all parts of Scotland and Ireland. Petitions were presented against the house and window tax from the inhabitants of the followin ' . , places :---of by Mr. Ilyng ; of St. Peter's, WestCileap, by Mr. Maberly ; of Woodstock, by Mr. Langston ; of Widcombe ft near Bath, by Sir T. Lethbridge. SIERRA LEONE. Mr. GROSSET moved for a return of the exports and ports from that colony ; as also for an amount of the slaves cap tured and condemned there; and the amount of head-money paid to the captors.—Motion granted. • - Mr. SIABERI4Y postponed his motion relative to the as sessed taxes till the sth of May. HUME presented a petition from the Boot and Shoe makcrs of Inverness against the Combination Laws.—Referred to the Committee on artisans; Mr. CU RTEIS presented a petition, respecting the wool du ties, from the wool-growers in the neighbourhood of Hadley. The sOLICITOR-GENERAL presented a petition from certain persons in the Palace-court, praying that some vompen sation may be given to them in case the County Courts' Bill should pass into a law. -Sir T. ACL ND presented petitions from the towns of Kings bridge, Biddeford, and Illfracombe, in the .county of Devon ; and Mr. P. PI CE a petition from AberystWith, praying for the gradual abolition of negro slavery. -Mr. LUSHINGTON gove•notice, that he should to-morrow move that the House, on its rising, do adjourn to the 3d May. HIDES AND SKINS. Mr. LUSIIINGi6SIn - ;;;:aTorleave to bring in a Bill to repeal the several Acts imposing tines for damages arising in flaying of hides and skins. lie stated, that his reason for bring ing in this Bill was, that the Acts which he sought to repeal were unnecessary, vexatious, unjust, and also expensive. M r..IAM ES seconded the motion. 11r. G. I'll:IMAM said a few words that were totally inau dible in the gallery. Mr. MABERIN was averse to the measure of the Hon. Gentleman, because it was partial - anduot general in its opera tion. It took away many inconveniences, which at present •dis tewil the country dealers, but left the London dealers entirely without relief'. - fie admitted that the existing laws wanted considerable alteration, but hefore that alteration was made, he conceived that an inquiry ought to take place before a Corn- Mr. IHISKISSON said, he concurred in all the general principles which his Hon. Friend (Air. Lushington) had laid down as to the irnpolicy of interfering with the internal con cerns of any trade or manufacture. He believed, however,that the Acts which his lion. Friend wished to repeal were not in troduced to the House as public, but as private Acts, and there fore could not be dealt with as if they had been of the former de scription. He suggested, in order to prevent a protracted dis cussion on a subject which was not easily intelligible to the House, that the best course would be to refer the Acts to a Committee up stairs, - when the Bill arrived at a proper stage for that purpose. Knowing that the rumour of the intended repeal of those laws had created a considerable sensation throughout the country, lie was apprehensive, if the course he pointed out were not adopted, that a large portion of valuable time would be lost in discussing the question on the presenta tion of various petitions, which, he had no doubt, would be for warded to the House. _ Mr. LUSIIINGTON said, his object was to avoid, as much as possible, giving the House any trouble that could be pre vented. Ile belieyed that the bill ,o which his Right lion. Friend alluded was brought in as a public, not as. a private measure. It was, however, referred to a Select Committee; but no evidence was taken before that Committee. His opinion was, that the case was so perfectly clear, that it did not require the production otevidence. He could see no reason why evi dence should be adduced as to the propriety of repealing the act, when none was brought forward to show the propriety of the measure when it was enacted. _ _ • _ General GASCOYNE opposed the motion. Gentlemen complained that it was very hard to call on - the butcher to pay a penalty, if he iujured a hide in removing it from the carcase. Now he conceived nothing could be more just than that •the person who committed the error should be the sufferer. lie denied that the Hon. Gentleman had adduced any sufficient reason for the repeal of those laws. When the 39th and 40th of Geo. 111. was brought in, an inquiry was instituted up stairs ; anti it was but fair, before the proposed repeal was car ried into effect, that a'similar inquiry should be instituted. — Some few places, of little rote, had:called for a repeal of those aces.; but he had not seen a single petition from any considera ble town in favour of the measure. On the contrary, he knew that Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Worcester, and Brig tol, were decidedly against the repeal. Sir It. FERGUSSON was surprised to hear the Gallant Ge neral deny that the lion. Member had adduced no argument in favour of the repeal. Vas it, he asked, nothing to relies a man from the payment of.a ,penalty, because he happened to cut his own property in an improper .manner ? Would not the Gallant Gener2l think it very hard, if, having cut a hole in his pantaloons, he was liable to be fined for it ?—(Laughter.)—As 1 the Act at present stood, the tanner was pointed out as the only person who did not know his own interest. The right of judg ing was rested in other hands. . . Mr. J. MARTIN said the question was, whether in the first • instance the subject should be referred to a Select Committee, to consider of the propriety of bringing in this Bill, or whether the measure should be introduced at once, and, at the regular stage, referred to a Committee ? The former was, in his opi nion, the preferable mode. One point ought not to be lost sight of—namely, that they had no remonstrance from the butchers on this subject. Mr. BRIGHT said, the idea of abolishing one half of those laws, and. leaving the other half tin the statute-book, was really nonsenscal. There ought only to be one law on the subject throughout the country. He thought the subject ought to he considered in a Select Committee before the Bill was brought I in. He was not at all interested in the question. He wanted nothing but justice; and therefore he was in favour of a full consideration of the subject. . -Mr. LUSHINGTON said he wished, in repealing this Bill, to take the same course which was pursued when it was enacted. If he found that the Select Committee to which the subject was referred did not sen d for persons, papers, and records, be thought it was too much t o proceed with exami nat i on o f that kind now. If evidsnce w ere g one i n to, and Counsel were heard, the inves.. tigation.would not terminate this year. Mr. CUR WEN was in favour of the repeal. The act par ticularly alluded to was, in his opinion, an abominable one.— It operated against the interests of particular individuals, with out benefiting any person. - Ile re commen d e d, h owever , th a t when th e Bill a rrived at the proper stage, it should be referred. to a Committee. ' Mr. CuRTEIS condemned the existing system, as extreme y vexatious. The acts appeared to him to be most prepos terous. It was a very great hardship on an individual to be compelled, as was often the case, to send skins 10 or 20 miles to be inspected, which skins were, perhaps, obliged to be sent as many miles in an opposite direction to be manufactured.— The machinery of these laws was also objectionable. Even a pig•could not be skinned without the intervention of an in spector.—(A laugh.)—He was sorry to descend to such mi nute matters ; but if they legislated on such trifles, it was ne cessary to speak of thein.—(hear !) Lord 01.11 , T0N was of Opinion that the lion. Member was fully justified in mtivin , for the repeal of those laws. The House then divided, when there appeared- For the Motion - - - 52 Against it - - - 6 Majority - - —46 NEW CHITRCHES. ,_ _ • - • Mr. HUME now moved for " a return of the mannor in which the sun► of 1,000,0001. sterling, voted by Parliament for the erection of New Churches, had been laid out, together with a Statement of the County and Parish in which any New Church or Chapel. had been built—the number of the Popula tion in every such Parish during the last century—the number of ChureAcs and Chapels belonging to the Establishment in each Parish before the building of the New Churches — the number of persons who owned seats in those Churches and chapels—tl.te general number of persons who could be accom modated in each New Church or Chapel—the number of seats which were paid for, and also the number of seats left free end noon. Mr. LEYCEST F.R seconded the motion. He hoped as the public attention was called to this subject, that it would lead to the adoption of some liberal and comprehensive measure by which due accommodation would be afforded in our churches to the people. The great objection against the grant of 600,0001 for building new churches seemed to arise from the idea, that the proposition, of Ministers looked more like a salvo for their own consciences, than an act originating in a conscientious feel ing for the good of the people. There were several ways by width the interests of the Church could be effectually served, without calling on the public for assistance. One of these was by havitg divine worship celebrated five times on the Sunday, which could easily be done in those parishes where marriages, baptisms, and funerals, were chiefly solemnized in the week days. Another mode was, by appropriating . a part of the Church Revenue to the building and repairing of churches. This, he thought, would be perfectly fair. And, in the third place, the conferring the patronage of new churches on the trustees appointed by those who voluntarily contributed to their erection, would be a measure fraught with much real good. If those three points were carried into effect, and if, combined with them, a grant of public money were called for, lie for one would most willingly assent to that Parliamentary grant. But he objected to the intended grant of 500.000/., because he considered it, standing by itself, as more like an imposture than a proposition made in the conscientious discharge of a public duty. The motion was agreed to. Air. HUME moved for a return of the number of Churches and Chapels exiting in each diocess injlngland and Wales front 1613 to 1624, distinguishing thenumberember h i eac h y ear and also for a return of the number of licences issued in each, diocess in England and Wales, fbr places •of worship fre quented by persons dissenting from the Church of Englund, for the same period.—Ordered. • SUMATRA. Mr. HU3IE, in moving:for copies of the treaties existing between the East India - Company and the native Chiefs of Sumatra, commented upon the loss that Great Britain would sustain from the concessions proposed in-that territory. There twenty-five settlers on the western coast (which we were giving up) of Sumatra, who alone raised as much nutmeg as was equal to the whole consumption of Great Britain. From all that we knew of Dutch conduct and Dutch policy, we might be sure that the new rulers of the island would not suffer these plantations to go on a moment longer ; and he repeated, thet a would be negligence, and more San negligence, if no cons ' pensation had been stipulated for. There was another com plaint which he had "to make —the giving Sumatra up at all was a breach of faith by this country w i t h t h e c hi e f s an d t h e natives generally. The inhabitants of this coast that we were disposing of had never given up their country: We had held it only its merchants; and by the treaty concluded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1818 , it was distinctly set forth, that h t amassEastnfireoinatively to Co hr;ea n s. Certainly, this being t h e case, if we gave it u p a t a ll, we Y kept p ossess i on on ly in trust for the given it u p to t h e nat i ve p ower s, —under ht whom the English settlers before alluded to would have been' well content to live: As the fact stood, lie (31r. Hume) could only consider what we had been doing as.an extreme breach of private right and public honour.. • - - Mr.-A:. WYNN, - without admitting the correctness of any one of the Hon. Member's statements, refused to be drawn into any discussion until the treaty with the• Netherlands was before the House. Mr. BRIUII T 'said, that the annoyance of the Dutch in 1 the Indian seas had long been such as to call for the attention of England. He thought that in general the affairs of India were kept too much a secret front Parliament ; and rejoiced that one or two matters were pending which would be likely to bring them into more discussion. Mr. IJUME then moved for copies of all Treaties existing between the East India Company.and the Chiefs of Sumatra ; also _for retu rns of the quantity of N u tmegs, Mace, and Cloves, imported from Sumatra into this country within the last six years.—Papers ordered to be laid on the table. LAW OF PRINCIPAL AND FACTOR. Mr. HUSKISSON obtained leave to bring in his. Bill upon this subject, promising to open his views upon the second reading. Sir U. HILL - brought in his Bill 'to amend the Act for re gulating Vessels carrying passengers' between Great Britain and Ireland. SCOTCH JURIES. , Mr. KENNEDY moved that the Report or the Scotch Jurj , Bill should be brought up. The LORD ADVOCATE trusted that, seeing the state of the House, the Ilon. Gentleman would postpone his Bill until after Easter. _ _ _ Mr. BLItNAL observed, that the Bill would have to pass the House of Lords as well as the Commons, and hoped that his Hon. Friend would not give way. Mi. KENNEDY said that he had endeavoured in every way to meet the Hon. and Learned Lord Advocate's views; but he could not consent to postpone his measure. A division was then called for, when twelve members only being found present, the House adjourned at SE VE N O'CLOCK. EAST-INDIA HousE.—Yesterday a ballot was taken at the East India-house for the election of six Directors in the room of JACOB BOSANQuvr, Esq. ; Edward Parry, Esq. ; William Wigram, Esq. ; William Taylor Money, Esq. ; John Baillie, Esq.; and John Petty Muspratt, Esq., who go out by rotation. At six o'clock the. glasses were closed and delivered to the scrutineers, who reported that the election had fallen on Josias Du Pre Alexander, Esq. ; Robert Campbell, Esq. ; Neil Benjamin Edmonstone, Esq. ; lion. Hugh Lindsay ; John Morris, Esq.; and John Goldsborough Ravenshaw, Esq.— Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East India house, when the thanks of the Court were voted unanimously fb the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, for their zeal and atten tion to the Company'i; interest during the last year. The fol lowing Commanders took leave of the Court, previous to de parting for their respective destinations, viz. :—Captain Wm. E. Farrer, of the Orwell ; Captain John Small H. Fraser, Marquis of Huntley • Captain William Haviside, Thames; a: d Captain Thomas Williams, Princess Axtelia, for China direct. DEMERARA. TRIAL OF JOHN SMITH, A MISSIONARY. PROCEEDINGS OF A GENERAL COURT MARTIAL, OCT. 13. The President, Lieutenant-Colonel STEPHEN ARTHUR GOODMAN, half-pay 43th Regiment, and Commandant of the George Town Brigade of Militia. The Court was duly sworn, and proceeded to the trial of John Smith, a Missionary, on the following Charges. 1. That he, the said John Smith, long previous to anti up to the 18th of August now - last past, aid promote, as far as in him lay, discontent and dissatisfaction in the minds of the negro slaves towards their lawful masters, managers, and overseers, he, the said John Smith, thereby intending to excite the said negroes to break out in such open revolt and rebellion against the authority of their lawful masters, managers, and overseers, contrary to his allegiance, &c: 2. That he, the said John Smith, having, about the 17th day of August last, and on divers other days and times there tofore preceding, advised, consulted, and corresponded with a certain negro named Quamina, touching and concerning a certain intended revolt and rebellion of the negro slaves within these colonies of Demerara and Essequibo ; and further, after such revolt and rebellion bad actually commenced, and was in a course of prosecution, he, the said John Smith, did further aid and assist in rebellion, by advising, consulting, and corresponding, touching the same, with the said Negro Qua mina, &c. These charges were varied in two other counts. - The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty. SECOND DAY, OCT. 14, 1323. The Court having met, the JUDGE ADVOCATE addressed the Court, and then proceeded to call evidence in support of the charges. John Stewart having been sworn, deposed that he knew the prisoner, and that a book then produced was in his hand writing. The prosecutor then drew the attention of the Court to several passages of the hook prodUced to the Court, among which were the following " November 17,1132(.--Yesterday evening we had not more than 50 at the Chapel ; indeed I cannot expect many snore till the coffee and cotton are gathered in. The people have scarcely any time to eat their food; they have none to cook it—eating for the most part raw yellow plantains. This would be bear able for a time, but to work at that rate and to be perpetually flogged, astonishes me that they submit to it." Again—" September 13, 1817, page 17.—This evening a negro, belonging to , Caine to me, saying the manager was so cruel to him that he could not bear it. According to the man's account, some time back, (two or three years) he, with a few others, made complaints of the same thing to the Fiscal, on which account the manager has taken a great dis like to him, and scarcely ever meets him without cursing hins as he passes by : the punishment which he inflicts on him dreadfully severe ; for every little thing he flogs him. I be lieve Ned t • be a quiet harmless man I think he does his work very well. A manager told me himself that he had punished many negroes merely to spite Mr. Wray. I believe the laws of justice which relate to the negroes are only known by name here; for while I am writing this the driver is flogging the people, and neither manager nor overseer near." " Friday, August 8, 1817.—A great number of people at Chapel. • From Genesis xv. 1. Having passed over the latter part of chapter xiii. as containing a promise of delivering from (these two words partly erased, but perfectly legible) the land of Canaan, I was apprehensive the negroes might put such a construction upon it as I could_ not wish ; for I tell them. that sonic of the promises, &c. which are made to Abraham and others, will apply to a Christian State. .1t is easier to make a wrong impression upon their minds than a right one. The examination of witnesses to prove the facts stated in the four several heads of charges enumerated on the first day, and of those on the part of the prisoner, lasted till Friday, the 14th of November, when Mr. Smith made his defence, of which the following is the most important passages The first division of the first charge requires no evidence.— The second, that I have endeavoured to mislead the Negroes by misinterpreting the Scriptures , is disproved by Romeo, Bristol, Azor, Jason, Mary Chisholm, and London in particu lar. The third, that of taking money and presents from the Negroes, it is true, has been proved ; but they were g i ven voluntarily, of their own free will and accord, as many of the witnesses have proved. The money collected for the sacrament was applied, as Jason has proved, in the pur chasing; bread and wine, and candles. The money coll ec t e d for the h Missionary Society was regularly remitted. The planters knew of the collection, and not only a ll owe d' i t, b ut some were themselves contributors, as proved by 11. Van Cooten, John Stewart, and John Hamilton. Fourthly, It has been established that the sale of the Bibles was ordered by the Bible Society ; and Mr. Davies has proved that lie charged at the same rate for those he sold. Fifthly, That I have interfered with- the -treatment. of the negroes. Not a single instance of interference has been produced ; but evidence to the contrary has been brought forward by me in my Journal, and by Mr. Austen, independently of Bristol's evidence on this head. Sixthly, That I have taught them (the negroes) it was sinful to work, or go to market on a Sunday. Upon this head I think it has been satisfactorily shewn by the evidence of Ro ute°, Jason, Bristol, and Manuel, that though I-taught the ne groes in obedience to the commandment of God to keep holy the Sabbath; yet that I invariably advised them to a dutiful submission in perfonnin,g their work if assigned them even on Sundays. • Seventhly, That I have taught them to disobey their masters. This is disproved by Bristol, Romeo, Jason, Mare, and Mary Chisholm, herself an owner of slaves. _ . • It is evident from the evidence that I have always acted with the greatest uprightness and integrity ; that I have gone far ther, and conducted myself with prudence and caution from the time of my arrival in the colony to the revolt ; nay, Hamil ton proves that even in the very midst of the attack on his house, I hastened to his assistance, and used all the means I possessed in his favour; that I exhorted the negroes to be quiet ; it was all I could do. All the negroes, both for the prosecution and defence, who were questioned on this point, agree that I always taught them to be obedient to their masters, and to submit themselves to all in authority over them ; not an individual exception is there to this train of evidence. My Journal, read from page to page, will not disclose one single passage emanating from bad feeling towards any individual. The vices and follies of some may have therein been reprobated; but even the reprobation of those per sona Was confined to myself. I did not commit, in many in stances, even their names to paper. It has been attempted, and in fact the whole drift of the pro secution, of the charges, and of the questions of the prosecutor, was to shew that the religious negroes were the most refrac tory and rebellious. What do the certificates of baptism say, that only they were recommended by their owners, managers, or overseers, who behaved well, who were well disposed, and w h o were thought worthy of reward. Do not all these proofs, from even interested parties, clearly demonstrate that the effect of religious instruction was beneficial ? , Independently of this, the witnesses, 11. Van Cooten, himself a proprietor of one, an attorney of another large estate ; anti John Stewart, un willing as he was to answer any questions, have sworn, that the religious negroes were the most obedient in general. Every planter, every master, can tell how very intractable and unruly is a dissatisfied negro—he will not be obedient. The series of written evidence proves that those negrocs who were allowed to attend the chapel conducted themselves in a dutiful manner._ Should any object that the certificates relate to the characters of negroes previous to their becoming Christians, Mr. Haig's note will be a satisfactory answe* I quote from memory ; He says, " I have hitherto refused to give such and such ne groes a certificate of characters in consequence of sonic that were baptised by Mr. IVray . behaving amiss ; but as they now behave better, I comply with their request, and recommend them to you as well disposed people. Thus I think the very reverse of the first charge is manifested. it is a bold assertion, but not more bold than true, that there is not a single negro witness upon any material point, either In support of the second and third, and fourth charges, or in sup port of the defence, who is not either contradicted by himself or b_y sonic other witness. Mere he proceeded to compare the evidence, and pointed out many contradictions.l Is this evidence, he asked, sufficient to convict any indi vidual of an offence; much more one of so high a nature as that with which I am charged ? It is true that it would seem as though these various tales had some foundation. I have stated clearly in the defence the simple facts from which all these various tales have sprung. Alen who cannot remember simple facts, such as knowing whether any one was present during a conversation, or whether they left a house alone, or in company with another, are not likely to be very accurate in the narration of a conversation. Which of these witnesses is the one to be believed ; they are all alike ; they are all at variance with each other ; and whether one is to be selected in preference to the rest, or all are to be discredited, is a matter to be deter mined solely by the Court. I think I have shown that it will require at least some discrimination to discover the own worthy of any credit. They cannot all be believed ; no two of them can be believed together. Seaton and Bristol state they were standing in the back gal lery, and I was in the hall, at sonic distance front them, when Quamina made his communication•; this renders it highly im probable that !the conversation with Quamina should produce any effect on my mind ; for it was certainly a strange mode of making so important a communication to be standing at a dis tance, which would necessarily require a louder tone of voice than ordinary. It appears also highly improbable that a com munication of so senous a nature should be made in the hear ing of Mrs. Smith, and tour men who were standing near him. If he said any thing about driving the managers or white peo ple to town, it was not in my hearing. What passed between me and Quamina was in a loud tone of voice, and heaid, though not heeded, by Mrs Smith, sh e b e i ng at t h e t i me atten di n g to other concerns. I have alr ea dy i n my d e fe nce, page A B , 9, stated all that passed rel a ti ve t o t h e matter i n que i t i on. How f ar t he evi dence, divested of its i ncons i s t enc i es an d contra di ct i o ns, hears me out, I mu s t l eave to t h e j u d gment of the Court. The evi dence, in fact, i s suc h as to ren d er i t i mposs i ble for any one to say, that f rom i t a l one the real truth can be ascertaine d.— That negro es are not ver b a ll y accurate i n general i s no t only well known an d prover bi a l , b ut h as b een proved b y II- Van Cooten, a resid en t a mong t h em for fifty years ; he swear s he would not en t rust even a common message to the me mory of any one of them, for ten to one if they'd carry it correctly, though some might do so. I need not tell this Co' ort that positive assertions alone are. evidence in a case of thi 3 . kind. Negroes may speak to facts, but in their notions of time, and in verbal accuracy, they are miserably deficient; and even had there been no positive evidence on this point, it. would have b e e n a pp arent f rom t h e ev id ence of t h e w h o le of them on this trial. The whole conversation occupied but two or three minutes, and I had no conception that even negroes were so ridiculous as to have chosen such a time and such a manner to have given information upon any serious subject, — I did net consider it as information, or I should have acted ac' cordinglv. On th'e .laat charge.—Romeo, one of the witnesses for the prosecution, says that he came to visit me on the Tuesday evening after the revolt, that is, on the 19th of August, and that I expressed a wish to sec Quamina or Bristol. No one but Mrs. Smith being with me diet evening, I could not bring forward a witness to prove that he did not come to me that evening ; but I hare proved diet the circumstance which he said occasioned his coming to me never occurred. ' lie said, -I went to visit Mr. Smith in the evening, seeing the negroes were making a great noise, and my heart was uneasy ; both Charlotte and Susannah have proved that there was no noise on the estate that evening. I deny that he came to me that even ing ; and I further deny, that after the revolt I expressed any wish to sea either Quamina or Bristol. With respect to inf seeing Quamina on the Wednesday, the only one of the time; circumstances apparently militating - against me, which was capable of being so disproved, has been so by Elizabeth. Antic swears Quamina went in at the back door, and as lie entered Mrs. Smith shut the door; Elizabeth swears she saw Quamina with myself and wife, and that the back door was open all the time Quamina was with us. Elizabeth swears she was in the kitchen, and yet we talked so loud that she could hear us ; not a very natural tone of voice this for a conspirator and eider and assister of sedition and rebellion ; nor was it very natural that the doors should be all open. The third circumstance is related by Elizabeth, viz. that Mrs. Smith threatened her ; but even Elizabeth is not alto gether a correct witness ; she says the revolt began at Le Re souvenir at seven o'clock. Dora and Mr. Hamilton (the let- , ter _of whom must certainly be credited in preference to the others, with respect to flee time), from circumstances, fix the commencement of the revolt at a quarter past six, at all events, " in the gloaming." When the negroes revolted, it was so light as to allow Mr. Hamilton and Dora to ascertain persons at the distance of from sixty to eighty roods. Ido on this last charge insist that I ant innocent. It has not been shewn that Quamina was a rebel ; even if the Court should come to the . determination that it is unncessary to prove Quamina have been a rebel, still Linust insit that proof of my knowing him at the time to have been a rebel is necessary. I must observe, that it is impossible to come to a conclu sion upon any one of the charges without taking the whole of the evidence into consideration ; if this he done, it is mani fest that neither myself nor my doctrines were the cause of the revolt; that my name was never mentioned by any of tha . negroes as being connected with the revolt. Mr. Austin de clares he went up amongst the revolted negroes, prejujict a against me, yet in his exami na ti on says , " I mug add , th at in no one instance among my numerous inquiries did it a ppear that Mr. Smith had been in any degree instrumental in the in surrection." Lieutenant-Colonel Leahy, who was in command of the whole coast, who was amidst the Negroes on every oe-, casion, and who had every circumstance worthy of notice con veyed- to him, says, " not recollect hearing the prisoner's name mentioned till I came to town." Take then Hamilton evidence, that of ‘;tewart, Elliot, and Davies, and the Certifi cates, and what will not their testimony weight against a num ber of ignorant Negroes, under the influence of their masters ; under the fear of punishment for their conduct • and therefore glad to throw the blame upon any one rather than allow it to remain with themselves, as it really does. Contradicting them selves, contradicting each other, and no two of whom agree upon any material point. One would think that Quamina 's motive for driving the white people would have been remem bered by four persons, in whose presence he is said to have as serted it, yet Bristol says, " it was because the negroes free dom had come out." Peter, "to seethe Court, to get the new law."—Shute, " to get somethin g good for the negroes," and " a day or two for themselves ;" and Seaton remains silent on that point, assigning a direct falsehood that he was not present; Bristol and Jason, witnes ses ca ll e d by me t o prove' when I read about Moses and Pharoah, say about two or three month s before the revolt. These witnesses could not read. h o odoo, however, who could read, and whose knowledge was tried by the Court, proved that it was two years ago, the time stated by me in my defence. This is sufficient to shew how inaccu rate is negro evidence in general ; add to all this, the scantiness of the evidence against me are, notwithstanding the immense exertions that have been made to procure it. That my defence was written upon my suggestion before my Counsel had et" my witnesses; and done so on my own consciousness of inno cence; that many of my questions have been bold, even to rashness, from any other than an innocent man ; and, let ino ask, what evidence is there before the Court that is suflident to condemn me. Gentlemen, to you my case is now confided. Whatever be your determination, I do, as a Minister of the Gospel, in the presence of my God, most solemnly declare my innocence. (Signed) JOHN SM IT IT. The defence being :losed, the Prosecutor made a long r eply on the 28th day, Tuesday, Nov. 18. THE SENTENCE OF THE COURT. • - 24Tu NOVE MBE n. The Court having found the prisoner, John Smith, as above specified, does therefore sentence him, the prisoner , John Smith, to be hanged by the neck until dead, at such time and place as his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor and Commander in Chief may think lit to direct. But the Court, under all the circumstances of the case, begs humbly tout:m .l 7" mend the prisoner, John Smith, to mercy'. (Signed) S. A. GOODMAN, Lt. Col. and Pres. - (Signed) J. L. SMITH, Jun.,. Assist. Judge Advocate. Approved, • (Signed) JOAN MURRAY. COURT OF CHANCERY.—(rni, DAY•) IN THE MATTER OF DUDLEY AND FREME. Mr. liitaT this day moved the Court to confirm the report of the Master, and also for the conve nience of the family to order certain sums of money to be paid over to the respective legatees. The gentleman for whom he (Mr. Hart) nor► applied was one of the so►ssof the testator, and claimed in his own right, and that of his deceased brother, to the amount of 31,0001., and as the whole of the claims had been liquidated, he submitted that the order might issue as prayed for. The LORD CHANCELLOR confirmed the o rd(-r of the Master, and a Decree issued in the telals prayed for. OLD BAlLEY—('l'ms DAY.) John Gibson, the young man who was tried.and acquitted on an• indictment for a • burglary in the house of Dennis Doyle, was again put to the bar on an indictment charging him with burglariously breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Benjamin Blaby, the Thames Police-officer , and stealing therein a quantity of casks, staves, &c. on the of February. The witnesses for the prosecution failed to bring home the charge to the prisoner, in consequence of a person named Walker having shpt in the same room with him, and the Jury acquitted him. _ • Mr. A.DoLPirus said there was another indictment against the prisoner for stealing a stock and- a centre-bit, the pro perty of the East India Company, but as the Jury had acquitted him on the ground above stated, he should not proceed with it. There was another indictment against him, however, for receiving the property in question, knowing it to be stolen. On this question considerable argument arose, which ended in the Court proceeding with the case, and the prisoner was accordingly arraigned on it, which charged him with feloniously receiving certain goods, knowing them to be stolen, the pro perty of Dennis Doyle. The evidence adduced on this occasion was merely a repiti tion of that given on the former trials. Mr. LAW submitted that this was not evidence to go to the Jury, that the prisoner received the goods. This was over ruled, and the Jury found the prisoner Guilty: