The Sun. — London, England, 1824-03-17 00:00:00

PARLIAMENT, ...-..wnw.75 1MVX0,.......... HOUSE OF LORDS , MAncn 16. APPEALS. Counsel was heard fully in the Appeal from Scotland, " Feddes v. Mowat." In the Appeal " Dixon v. Campbell," of Shawfield, Mr. WARREN was heard in part of the Appellant. Other Counsel in the cause to be heard in continuation, Mr. FuLLEwrox, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, MT. J. A. MURRAY, and Mr. JAMES Sj' ALRER, Advocates. ROYAL }WENT. The Archbishop of CANTERBORY, the LORD CHANCEL LOR, and:the Earl of -SILAETESBURY, as his Majesty's Com missioners, brought tibia the Royer Nsient to the:Austrian Loan Convention Bill; the , South American Postage Bill, the Annual Indemnity Bill, the Revenue Inquiry Bill, and the Irish Church Rates' Bill. PETITIONS AGAINST SLAVERY. Petitions praying for • the gradual abolition• of Slavery were presented from the following places:— By the Marquis of BATH—From Froome Selwood, in the consuy of Somerset. By Earl DIGIIY—From Sherborne and Came, in the county of Dorset. . By the Duke of WELLINGTON—From Wellington, in the county of Somerset. • 80.40 rd CAWDOR—From East Retford, in the county of Nottingham ; and from two parishes in that of Northampton. By Lord BARHAM—From Maidstme, in - the county of. Kent; from Newport Pagnel, in that of Northampton ; and from Selston and its vicinity; Wellington and its vicinity ; Yeovil and its vicinity, in the county of Somerset. By Lord KENYON—From the parish of Chobham, in the county of Surrey. By Lord DARNLEY—From Folkestone, in the county of Kent. By the Marquis of DOWNSHIRE.—From several parishes in Oxfordshire, from Henley-upon-Than:es, the borough of Chipping Norton, and the town of 'Maidenhead. By the Earl of SHAFTESBUY—From Cheshunt, in the County of Middlesex. By Earl GROSVENOR—From New Sarum. By the Marqu;s of LA NSDO WN—From New Mahon, and its vicinity, in the county of Wilts. By . the Earl of ROSEBERRY—From Darlington, in toe county of Durham, from the Isle of Sheppey, in the county of Kent, and from the city of Bath, in that of Somerset. (The Noble Earl stated that he had several others which he had not thought himself warranted in presenting on account of some informality in the wording of them.) By Lord CALTHORPE—From Chatham, from some Pa rish in Essex, and from the City of Exeter. All these petitions were received and laid on the table. NEW BILLS. Mr. BROGDEN and others brought from the Commons. the Army and Navy Mutiny Bills, the County Gaols Bill, and the Four per Cents. Bill, which were read a first time. Mr. ADRIAN, from the Treasury, presented five Annual Accounts, of Public Expenditure, of the Funded Debt, of the Unfunded Debt, of the Disposition of Grants, and of the Con solidated Fund.—Laid on the table. • WEST INDIES. The Order of the Day having been read, Earl BATHURST said that he had the Honour of laying before their Lordships the Papers referred to on the first day of the Session. They related to the measures adopted by his Majesty's Government, in consequence of the Resolution passed last year by the House of Commons, which, with their Lordships' permission, he should now read. The Noble Earl then read that Resolution which recommended the adoption of measures for the moral and religious improvement of Slaves in the Colonies. It would now be his duty to state what the measures proposed by his Majesty's Ministers had been. Their Lordships would find their objects described in two circulars addressed to the Governors of his Majesty's Colonies, and dated, one the 28th of May, and the other the 9th'o£ July. The first measure which they recommended was, that means should be taken to secure the due observance of the Sabbath. The second, that the whip should be abolished as an emblem of authority. The Third, that the punishment of female flogging should also be abolished. The fourth, that the domestic punish. meat inflicted by owners and overseers upon males should be , regulated. The fifth, that measures should be adopted to give encouragement and validity to the marriage contract. The sixth, that the sale of Slaves should be subjected to regulations. The seventh, that the property of Slaves should be protected and their right of making bequeits secured. The eighth, that facili ties should be afforded to manumission ; and the ninth, and last, that the evidence of Slaves should be admitted under regulations and restrictions. If any of their Lordships conceived that in making these proposals his Majesty's Ministers had gone' too far, and, however right in theory, had recommended what was impracticable in practice, he had only to say, that eight out of these .nine propositions had met not only with the entire concurrence, but with the warm approbation OE a large and respectable body of West India Planters, act ing in this country as a Representative Committee for the whole. And even as to the ninth, the admission of the evi deuce of Slaves, under certain regulations, he had not s met with any Member of that Committee who di d not say that though not prepared to come forward with a proposition on the subject, he admitted it to be one deserving the fullest consideration. If any Noble Lord thought on the contrary, that his Majesty's Government had not gone far enough, he had only to look at the discussions which had taken place in Parliament on the subject, and he would find that not one of the objects thus debated had been omitted in these recommend ations. Having thus stated the objects of the two letters, he should now explain the steps adopted by the Colonies to give them effect. With respect to the Colonial Legislative Assem blies, the matter was still under consideration. The first letter had arrived when they were sitting, and had been immediately considered ; but that of the 9th of July having arrived too late, could not be taken into consideration till the month of No vember. The sittings of those Legislative Assemblies were not closed when the last advice,: had • been received, but he should deceive their Lordships if he held out any hope that the majority of the propositions, or even many of them, should be accepted. Those which appeared most inclined to accede to the recommendations submitted for their consideration, were Grenada, St. Christopher, and Barbadoes. Those where they met with the greatest opposition were, St. Vincent, Tobago, Dominica, and Jamaica. With respect to St. Chris topher, he had heard, but he could not say officially, that that assembly felt disported to adopt a great majority of the recom mendations. As to Barbadoes, the Assembly had met in June or July, and proposed to adopt some of the propositions, but had afterwards separated under the impression that if they agreed to them, it would be pledging themselves to consent to the total extinction of Slavery. Indeed the greatest difficulty with which his Majesty's Ministers had had to contend in all the Colonies, was the mixing up of those two questions toge ther—the improvement of the condition of the Slaves, and the abolition of. Shivery. He trusted, however, that after a more calm consideration of the subject, the Barbadian Assembly would retiern to its first determination, to adopt most of the Measures proposed. That of St. Vincent had declined doing any thing, and had referred to a Bill which it had passed two years ago, as containing all that had been recommended in the two circulars. On comparing the Bill with those recommendations, however, it would be found that they agreed but in few par ticulars, and that even in these particulars nothing was pro vided but what was very imperfect. He hoped they themselves would grow aware of this ; but he could not refrain from giv ing them credit for what they had done. For they had done it two years ago of their own accord, without waiting for any recommendations from any quarter. It was because he thought that their conduct shewed a favourable disposition that he was inclined to hope that when they took a more temperate view of the subject, their objections to the measures would be alto gether removed. Ile should now only have to tell their Lord. ships what had passed in Jamaica, if it had not been a matter of complete notoriety. He regretted that Jamaica, which had been the first to evince a desire to improve the condition of the slaves, should in this instance have given an example of a ifery different nature ; but he also trusted, notwithstanding the' sentiments expressed in the address of the Legislative Assem bly of that Island to his Majesty, that they would reconsider the subject in a more teinperate mood, and altet the tone which they had used. At the same time lie should not do justice to that Body if he were not to take into consideration what might be regarded as an extenuation of their conduct—the manner in which their treatment of slaves had been represented by va rious publications in this country. It had 'been asserted that they had made no progress whatever in their legislation for the improvement of the Negroes, and that slaves were much better treated in America. Now what was the municipal code of America with respect to slaves ? There was no limitation whatever in the number of lashes inflicted at the will of the overseer, and the punishment of a master for killing a slave was only tine and imprisonment. As late as 1817, in one of the States of the Union, a mitre'. , l beeneestablished, accorde e ing to which slaves never'l etliday ; 'if a slave Oli ove were nda) l i . , dancing after sunset he wt* t'. flogged ; if persons of colour a ball they were to ifesplinis ed, and any slave attending' , it to be flogged ; aig a 4.1:v e eaticted of a having looked dig-', respectfully at a white person was also to brflegged. If this code were compared with the Bill passed by the Legislature of St. Vincent, or the Slave—Lawad Tottize,Jamaica, and our other islands, it would be seen that they sad reason to be angry at being told that they treated their slaves worse than the Americans. But it might be said that the laws of our Colonies were good, but were not executed ; this.: he, -could_ not believe to be true. He knew that a great improVe- Ment bad taken plate in- - the-condition oTgavisTaii - to fades la' sions, clothing, and thetreatment of women; and that much greater care was shown in rearing up children, as well as in the arrangement of hospitals. One of the natural consequen ces of that improvement was, that any instance of barbarity was heard of with much greater disgust than in former times. It was not probable that the laws ehould not be executed, as they did but sanction whatpraetiee had already caused to be ob served, and only punished what society had already , condemned. But it would be said, what chance was there that our laws should be executed in the Colonies ? We had no right to le i gislate for them; and, if we did it, we must take upon, our selves to enforce the execution of , those laws. There were ex. trente cases in which we might be justified to go that length e but extreme right hung on the confines of that which was wrong, and ought to be carefully exercised. We had • ne legislative au thority over those Wands, but we had another kind of autho rity. We might refuse drawbacks upon exports, or impose what duties we pleased upon their produce. The Noble Earl then stated that the game letters sent to the Colonies which had Legislative Assemblies had been.forwarded to the Governors of those that had not, that they might have an opportunity of doing themselves credit by adopting the recommendations which the circulars contained. Some of those islands-were expressing their intentions to accede to those recommendations, when• unfortunately the insurrection at Demerara had taken place. Tranquillity, however, laid since' been restored, and the ()b -jection thus raised, was in a great m easure remove d. The recommendations had not been - well received, at Trinidad, but after several communications hopes were entertained of a better understanding. In order to enforce the measures pro posed by h i s majesty's Government,- an Order in Council had ' been framed in this country. His Majesty had approved of it on Wednesday last, and their Lordships would find it amongst the Papers laid on their table. It embodied the spirit of the recommendations which had been made and provided for carrying them into effect. It appointed, or rather revived, the office of Gun:than, or Protector of Slaves, to whom, and to the Commandants under' whom the execution of the provisions of the order was entrusted. By the first, for the due observance of the Sabbath, all compulsory labour on that day was abolish ed ; the Stinday markets were to be prohibited after 10 o'clock; and as soon as a sufficient provision should be Made for the education of slaves, those markets were to be abolished alto gether. By the next, the use ,of the whip was to be given up as ' an emblem of authority, as well as a means of punishment.— He was not, lie admitted, one of those who objected to the for mer as particularly obnoxious, as it was not very offensive to the feelings of slaves; but, as a mode of punishment, it was the inure objectionable, because it was not entrusted to the owner of the slaves alone, but to one who was a slave him self, and who having no person all day to watch him, might be guilty, it was to be apprehended, of using it in a bar barous manner. It was thought proper, therefore, that the whip should never be used except by a special order. And let it not he inferred from this prohibition that its barbarous application had been habitual; as well might it be said that be cause we had laws against murder, all members of our commu nity were assassins._ The only object was to protect, slaves,. not only against positive, but against possible ill-treatment.--, The next measure was one which gave the most general satis faction. It was the abolition of the punishment of flogging females. It had been said that it was scarcely ever inflicted., and that their being liable to it was sufficient to insure good con duct on their part. It had also been asserted that if they knew, that they were not longer subjected to it they would' behave in a different manner. But this object had been taken into consie deration by the Coma of Policy of Demerara, and that Court ' had decreed its abolition. He therefore felt convinced that lie had adopted the right view of the subject. • But because the ' flogging of female Slaves was to be prohibited, it was not to be imagined that their offences should be treated too leniently. Masters would be prevented from inflicting tiny other punish ment. upon them than that provided by the law:, b u t t h ey might be sent to prison or put into the stocks, or the o . ri.. l ment would be authorised to p ro p ose an y other mode of pumsh ment which should not be prohibited by the Order. Tlie next Provision related to the punishment of males, and directed ' that in all cases twenty-four hours should be allowed to elapse between the offence and the infliction ; and that in no instance the latter should exceed twenty-five lashes- at -one time. , No second punishment to be inflicted as long as any macerbation resultingfrom the first should remain; and no punishment what. ever to be inflicted except in the presence of a white person be sides the individual ordering it. Should it exceed three lashes, thepunisliment should he recorded in a book with the offence, . s 1 in 2.4 hours afterwards a copy attested on oath should be deli vered_ to the Commandant, and by him to the Guardian or Pro tector of Slaves. The object of the next provision was to en courage the contracting of marriages. It authorized a slave desirious of marying to apply to the Commandant or the Pro tector for a license. If he were able to produce the consent of his master to his marriage, the Commandant or Guardian were to be authorised to issue a .license, and any Clergyman of the Church of England, or of any other persuasion, would have leave to marry them, but would be bound to send, within a certain period a certificate of such Marriage to the Protec tor, to be recorded and kept in a beok by the latter, Should the master refuse his consent, the slave would still apply to the Commandant, who would summon the master to hear his objection, and if they appeared unreasonable, the Command. ant would be authorised to issue a licence, and the marriage would be solemnized as in the former case. By the next pro vision, the object of' which was to prevent violent separations by the sale of slaves, it was settled that a husband and his wife could not be parted, but must be sold in the same lot, to gether with any children under seven years of age, which they might have. The next regulation was to protect the property of slaves, and to impart to them the power of making be quests. It, was true that the practice existed, but it was thought necessary to give them the security of a law to enable them to apply to Courts of Justice, and to prosecute in their own name ; in order that they should be able to make an ad vantageous use of their property, Saving Banks would be esta blished in various parts where they might deposit their money and receive an interest of five per cent. Should any slave, when he laid his money at It saving bank, declare the manner in which he wished that it 'should be disposed of, in c ase o f hi s death, that decl arat i on was t o b e recorded and kept in a book, and the money to be applied as he had said. But should he die without a will, it would be paid to his wife and children. The next provision afforded facilities for the manumission of slaves, by making the registering of that manumission charge able on the parish, and not on the slave himself. The latter would also have the right of purchasing his freedom, and if any difficulty arose with his master as to price, it was to be ar ranged by appraisement. The Master and the slave were to make each their own, and the Protector to stand umpire be tween them. The last point related to the admission of the evidence of slaves. That evidence was to be admitted when. ever a slave should be able to produce a certificate, signed by a member of the Church of England, or by any Minister of a different communion, declaring that, after examination, lie conceived him to have been so instructed in religious matters as tobe fully sensible of the obligations of an oath. This certificate was to be also recorded in a book kept by the guardian or pro tector of' Slaves. 'The limitations under which their evidence was to be received were these : it was to be admitted in all civil causes, except in those where the direct interests of their masters were concerned ; for that would be exposing them use lessly to too great a temptation. In all criminal cases it was also to be received, except in those in which the life of a white person was to be compromised. It may be said that in stead of giving fresh privileges to the slaves, those which they enjoyed before in that island (Trinidad) were curtailed, as under the Spanish laws their evidence was admissible in all cases, but by curtailing them in the manner now proposed, a substance and a degree of authority were imparted to them which they never -before possessed. He (Earl B.) was afraid that lie had taken up too large a portion of their Lordships' time in explaining the several provisions of the new order; but he wished to ask them, and all those who bad watched their proceedings with more jealousy, whether. they, had not redeemed the• pledge given as far as it lay in their power ? The Noble Earl that drew the attention of the House to the state of our ecclesiastical establishment in the West Indies. It was most lamentably deficient, and lie acknowledged with shame, that when it. had been made there had been no reference what-. ever to the Slave population ! That Establishment was de ficient as to its strengh, and to the measures adopted for the discipline of such a clergy ; but many efforts had been made by individuals and societies to make up the deficiency. Be sides the Society under the direction of the Bishop of Lon don, there were the Moravian and Wesleyan Societies who had sent many missionaries for the religious instruction of the slaves. Great credit. was certainly due to those societies, but for the honoUr of the Sovereign, it was not fit that an object of that importance should be left to the zeal and exertions of individuals. Their Lordships, he conceived, would therefore agree with him that our Ecclesiastical Establishment in the . West Indies reiuired tQ be increased, as:deo be placed under controul, and that no controul could possibly be effective, ex- cept that of a resident.. It - had been generally believed, that the Bishop of London exercised some authority over the West India Islands. But-that was not the case; he had no such au thority. It was intended, therefore, that there should be two *Bishops, one to reside in Jamefca, and the other in the Leeward Islands. It was also - proposca, that there should be one Arch , eleacon with the Bishop in Jamaica, and two with that in the Reward Islands, and that both Bishofashould be accompanird in the outset with a sufficient number of Clergymen to :die sorer the demands pressing'oh the Government. With respect to Churches, it was not intended to take awe from the Gover nors MEE Co orlirerthe right - OrFesentation, an trio patronage which they had hitherto enjoyed : but those presentations should be first submitted to the Bishops, and afterwards to the -King. Tile genera) state , fef thi slave php6iittion was . .04 . 7 - of ignorance. They 'Were like cliildien, and must be taught as Sall: s -It had beereaaid, some year% ago, by a Noble "Baron opposite, (Lord Holland), that the slaves ahould be taught the same religion as 'their owners and managers professed.— :The observation was just: for the owners and managers would attend more readily to. the instruction of slaves when taught by persons of their own persuasion than by others. --Be aides, a community of worship was equally beneficial' to the master as the slave, by uniting them both.before their-Maker, and making the high and the primed feel the claims of the lowly 'to be treated as a fellow creature. He wished it at the same time to be understood that there was no intention to interfere with the exertions of the private- Clergy; o r -t o di s t ur b w hatever fountain from which elle great truths of Revelation were flowing. There"was another point to which he wished to advert, because It would be found in the Papers before the House. He had already said that one of the greatest difficultiee encountered by `his Majesty's Ministers' had been an impression in - the minds of the Planters that the measures recommended were to be .followed by the immediate abolition of slavery. -An impres sion had also been produced on the slaves that his 111a jwere esty actually had sent free orde h rs stillthoegh for teir ei kept in hancipationa state o ; and f t thraldo m hat th ey by their masters. 'lt had, therefore, been thought eXpedient that a Proclamation should be issued coming directly from his Majesty, and 6:flute:l to remove that impression. Such . a Proclamation had been issued. It was very short, coming 'to the understandings of those for whom it was intended, and would be found with the other Papers which he had just laid before their Lordships. It was impossible to conclude without adverting to the 'Petitions presehted to that House. The gene rality of them prayed that Slavery would be gradually abolish ed, and that a compensation should be given to those who should lose by the change. If slavery were abolished, the Plant ers would undoubtedly be entitled to a compensation. They had-a right to the services of their slaves and of their issue, and if they were deprived of them, Parliament was bound in ho nour-and justice to provide a compensation for them. The Noble Earl (Bathurst) then proceeded to read-a passage from the Act of Parliament to which he had just referred, and argu ed from thence that to all intents and purposes the issue of slaves were considered by the Legislature as much the pro perty of the planter as the slaves themselves. On this ground also, then, he would further insist that the owners of slaves were entitled to compensation for whatever losees they Might sustain by the mitigation of slavery in our possessions. There was another branch of the subject to which he would next call the attention of their Lordships. It had been said that the emancipation of slaves was only a transition from one species oflabour to another. The best guide, however, to take on this point with the view of regulating our policy in the West Indies, was to ascertain what had occurred elsewhere ; and first, he would allude to what had taken place in the island of Cey lon. There the slaves were in character, language, and habits, the sam e as the rest of the inhabitants, and formed besides but an inconsiderable part of the population. One of the means adopted for the amelioration of the condition of those slaves 'was (as we understood his Lordship), that whoever whistled to pur chase their labours from the slave owners should be- enabled to do so, but no progress whateeer had been done in that mea sure. His Lordship then adverted to some other step which' had beer. taken with a similar view itelB2l, but we could not collect the drift of his observations except that the proceeding was an interference frith the rights of die slave owners. H came to the state of slavery in COlombia. The free pop u lation of that country had been estimated at 3,600,000, and the slaves at 900,000, but he (Lord Bathurst) believed tne latter was much above the real amount of those in bondage But Waving that point, he' was willing to concur in the praise which had been bestowed upon the exertions made in Colombia for the improvement of the slaves. One of the regulations, however, went so far as to provide that tile children of slaves., when they arrived at the age of eighteen, should be instructed in trades and professions ; the purport of which he certainly fbund it difficult to ascertain, and must take leave to doubt whether such a provision would be appli cable in the British colonies. But when the facilities with which slaves were manumitted it Colombia was mentioned, one most important Consideration should be borne in mi n d. So early as 1810, the Royalists enlisted slaves in - their armies, on the condi tion ,that after a limited period. of . service they were to become free. The other side had also resorted to . the same expedient, and -this step, he was bold to say, did more towards emanci pating the slaves and ineeeporating them with the rest of the inhabitants, than the most oseingenious theorists or the greatest political genius co uld have o would novi‘trouble their L or d s hip s w ith a few words respect ing the state oi r . th - 'places where slavery had not been but b e stowed go thenr a whome revolutionl ual Iy a i t b w o l ai i s ns Is s e etl., fr w e e s e r l e o n fi s tt o e h a ta .t i o n e e d n j b oy e fo i t r . e t i h , e r ev p i e o r u s s ons to Doral a;4 . o, that island amounted annually the exportation of sugar from to 160,000,000- of lbs. Did it at present equal half—a i l - Ye one-fourth-of that quantity ? On the contrary, the free blacks of St. Domingo were not able to grow enough for their own c onsumption. President Boyer had ac tually prohibited the clandestine importation. of sugar, in order to stimulate its l anguid cultivation at home, and to prevent the successf ul competition of the produce of slaves against that of free lab ourers. In the Island of Guada loupe the ernancipati°n of the N egroes, dering the French Revolution, had Dot bee n attended with better results. After ten years spent in anarchy Buonaparte re-established slavery in the island, and restored the confiscated estates to their owners. But even this left the evil unredressed ; and a Air. ' Steele, who had ably written on the subject, asserted that it was useless to restore their estates to the Planters, unless the slaves were also restored to their masters. The Noble Lord next referredto Reports which had been published on the State of Prisons in the United States of New : America, from which it ap- geared that in N X °rlt* and in one or two other places, asylums were established for the. reception of emancipated slaves, who had absolutely become - e a burden to the community. These facts were not to be wondered at, when emancipation had been precipitated, and the slave not gradually prepared by education and moral discipline to hold the rank of a free man. In England the father held, out his own industry as an example to his son , and all those social habits which conduced to the prosperity and happiness of the nation were transmitted from one generation to another. The untutored negro, on the other hand, declared that he worked only be cause, if he refused, he was Certain of *being flogged, and he told those who were free that they had no occasion to la bour. This led bins to the last topic on which he should de thin the House.; namely, the efl'ects of the constant discussion which the condition of cur slaves had undergone. The ten dency of this practice was to break down all distinctions be tween masters and slaves. In the master an indifference was thus generated to the future welfare of the slave, and in the slave a spirit of insubordination and turbulence towards his master. How could the latter be expected to grant indulg ences when the credit and the benefit of doing so was wrested from him by the third parties, and how could the former be ex pected to labour with the view of obtaining hiS freedom, when he was daily told that lie should shortly receive it without any trouble whatever from another source. His Lordship then con cluded by- expressing his gratitude for the' attention with which lie had been heard. and sat down amidst much cheering from all parts of the House. Lord HOLLAND said, he did not rise for the purpose of discussing any of the topics adyerted to in the very satisfactory speech of the Noble Secretary of State who had just addressed their Lordships. He merely rose for two specific purposes, the first to ask information on a point of Much importance : the second was a subject personal to himself, and would occupy but very little time. IVith respect to the first, he wished to know whether the provisions contained in the Order in Council which had been sent, and which provisions he highly approved, extended. to all the ceded Islands, or were confined to the Island of .Trinidad only ? Except as to time he saw no objection whatever to the provisions then]. selves. The second point was, that the Noble Earl (Bathurst) had alluded to an observation which he (Lord Holland) made on a former occasion, and which the Noble Lord was pleased to say he had Made with much vivacity. He now begged to state, that he did not consider himself nailed down by any thing which passed from him on the occasion alluded to, and that he should always judge from circUmstances, and exercise his right of framing his opinions accordingly. He should, therefore, take another opportunity of canvassing. the ecclesiastical arrangement which the Noble Earl proposed, as well as any other .measure which might come before their Lordships on this subject. At present, however, he should only say, as a Member of that House, that the Noble Secretary of State was entitled to the highest praise for the moderate, and conciliating speech which he had just delivered. . ' Earl BATHURST, in explanation, observed that with re spect to St. Lucie means were taken to accommodate the orders 'which had been sent out to the peculiar circumstances of that colony. To Berhice and Demerara, instructions had also been forwarded, with (he view of obtaining the most correct infor frition on particular points, and as soon as advises were received from those Islands, an Order in Council would be framed con formably for their regulations. The House then adjourned. e ;,,- ' illn , 4 Wre---•,0 - F I & rot s Ns. E LLA IN - dus. At a quarter' Wor r the ' Rod summoned the hlouse. to the...llbUse-of.7Peers. II , tlfis e return the S PEA KER stated the Royal Assent to have been given by C omm i ss i on t o the Austrian Loan Convention Bill, and othe r Bill s . frir J - A - M•WS-41L444.441-- presented a petition from certain Inhabitants Householders of London, in favour of the Oil Gas Bill.—Referred to a Committee. The Hon. Baronet then brought in a Bill to enable the Thames and Medway Company to receive a further sum of money to discharge their debt.—Read a first. and ordered to be read a second time. Mr. ELLIS, of Dublin, obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Law for regulating the measuring of Coals in Dublin. . . . Leave was also given to bring in a Bill to amend the Law relating to the 'Paving and Improvements of Dublin and its environs. ' A petition was presented from the Growers of Wool at Dumbarton, against the proposed change in the-Wool Laws. Mr. BA RRETT presented a petition from certain Journey men Comb:linkers, against the Combination.Laws.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. W. DUNDAS presented a petition from persons con nected with the Silk- Trade - in Edinburgh, on the subject of Drawbacks, claimed on account of stock-on hand—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Alderman BRIDGES presented a petition from certain Licensed Victuallers of Lime-street Ward, praying the repeal of the License Duty.—Ordered to lie on the table. Colonel DAVIES presented a petition from the Tanners, Curriers, Skinners, and Harness-makers of the City of Wor cester. against the Bill for altering the Law relating to Hides and Skins.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. HUME presented a petition from certain Boot and Shoemakers of the City of London against the Combination Laws:—Referred to the Committee 'on the Laws relating to Artisans. KENNINGTON GAS LIGHT BILL. Mr. DENISON moved the second reading of the Kenning. ton Gas Light Bill. Sir F. OMMANNEY moved as an Amendment, that the Bill should be read a second time on that day six months. Mr. DENNISON complained of the course taken in moving the Amendment just submitted to the House, without giving notice of such an intention, and without offering one argument in support of the proposition. Mr. Alderman BRIDGES opposed the Bill, as he believed the ground prcposed to be lighted was included in another Bill which had passed, and this therefore could not be carried without injury to the parties interested in the former. Mr. ABERCROMBY thought the course taken very extra ordinary in refusing to let this Bill go to-a Committee, because it was believed that might be injurious to the interests of ano ther Company. - After a few words from Mr: :John Martin, Mr. Alderman C. Smith, Sir J. Graham, and Mr. llansfield, the Amendment was withdrawn, and the Bill referred to a Committee, which was forthwith appointed. PETITIONS AGAINST SLAVERY. Sir WM. LEMON presented a petition for the Minister, Churchwerdens, and Inhabitants of a parish in Cornwall, in favour of the Abolition of Slavery. Mr: MANSFIELD presented a petition from the town of Leicester. against Slevery.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. DAVENPORT presented a petition from the inhabi tants of Congleton against the continuance of Slavery.—Or dered to lie on the table. Mr. MUNDAY presented a petition from the Inhabitants of Ashfoed, in favour of an amelioration of Slavery.—Ordered to be printed. The lion. Gentleman also presented a petition from the In habitants of Cambridge on the same subjeet—Orde re d to b e printed. Petitions were also presented on the same subject from Mar ket Harborough, Fakenham, the Town of St. Mawes, Chob ham in Surrey ; from the Town and neighbourhood of Shrews_ Miry, Ripon, n- Yorkshire, Walthamstow, Ellani in Fifeshire, .Rielemensworth in Hertfordshire, the Town and Port of Sand wich, Riegate, Leek in Staffordshire, Henley, Sheldon, Bath, e,YEeosi N vil , , Kidderminster, Kettering in Northampton shire, Krapstone, E R and which p m re a s n e y nt o e t d her p p et l i a t ee io s n , sfronelm i were ordered to lie on the table. Chelmsford, ' Fr3olorm. w Wickham, Stebbing, Felstead, Wake, Ileadingbam, Mather field, Coggleshall, Braintree, Saffron Walden, and fourteen other places, all numerously and respectably signed. The Petitioners expressed themselves much gratified by the steps taken by this House with respect to the Slave Trade last year, and hoped the same course would be continued in this. They wished to see slavery totally aboliShed, but were of opinion, and in this lie cordially agreed with them, that this great debt to humanity, ought to be paid at the risk and expence of the country at large. The petitions (twenty-five in number), were ordered to be printed: Mr. KE NiN .EDY presented eight petitions from Darns Ure, and other places, in Yorkshire, on the same subject —Ordered to lie on the table. Similar petitions were presented from Newport Pagnell, in Buckinghamshire ; from Cheltenham, Dursley, Wayland in Suffolk, Sedgetield, Unfold, and several other places in the county of Durham ; from Croydon in Surrey, from various places in the county of Devon, from Carlile and Sudbury.- - - They 'were severally ordered to lie on the table. Mr. W. COURTENAY had a petition to present, more numerously signed than any be had previously presented, from the inhabitants of Exeter. They expressed much satisfaction at the steps taken by the House last year, and hoped they would now be followed up, and that the resolutions then passed would nut be allowed to remain as mere waste paper. They hoped measures would be taken which Would eventually bring about the consummation they desired—the total abolition of ..slavery.—Ordered to lie on the table. Other petitions in favour of the abolition or amelioration of slavery were presented from Market Lavington, Rochester, Chatham, Grampound, the Isle of Sheppy, and other places, the names of which could not be distinctly heard from the noise which prevailed. They were severally read, and ordered to lie on the table. CONSOLIDATION OF STATUTES. Dr. LUSHINGTON said it would not be necessary for him to occupy the House more than a very few minutes. The sub ject to which he would call their attention was one of great importance, and if he should now go into the details of the plan whith he would sug ges t if th e Committee were granted, it would be necessary for him to speak at considerable length. lie, however, knew the House was impatient to hear the state. ment of the Right Hon. Gentleman ; and as he understood no opposition was to be offered to his motion, lie would not tres pass on diem now further than briefly to state his object. He was about to move for the appointment of a Committee, to consider of consolidating the Criminal Code. Since Magna Charta was granted, a vast number of laws had been enacted. It had never been attempted to consolidate these, and great confusion was in consequence experienced. lie would not now go into the abuses which demanded their attention, nor into the means by which lie proposed to redress them. But it was right the house should know the extent to which he proposed to go, and the principles ' on Which he would act. He proposed, in the first instance, to lay before the Committee the Criminal Code, such as it was, and then suggest the expediency of put ting all the laws on each offence into separate statutes. He would, for instance, put all the laws relating to forgery into one statute, and all those against larceny into another. At present he should not propose to alter the punishment or the offence.— By bringing the laws thus under the consideration of a Com mittee, he expected their defects would be seen, and very de fective he thought they would be found, so much so that when this was brought before the House he thought every one would see the necessity which existed for effecting a change. He however meant to attempt no alternation, but when lie brought the subject expressly before the House. Under the form of consolidation lie should not seek to effect any alteration. He moved that a Committee be appointed to consider of the expe diency of consolidating and amending the Criminal Laws. Mr. JOHN SMITH seconded the motion. He thought there ought to be no opposition to this measure, which would give great, satisfaction to many in the House, and to thousands outofit The motion was agreed to, and the Committee forthwith ap pointed. LEATHER TRADE. • Mr. CALCRAFT, in consequence of an alarm which had been excited in the Leather Trade, wished to ask the Chancel lor of the Exchequer a question. He wished to know if it were the intention of Government to admit wrought leather from France, on paying a duty of 30 per cent., without taking off the restrictions or duty now imposed upon the Leather Trade ' in this country ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it had been part of his plan to remove the Duty heretofore paid on Some of the articles imported. The Hon. Gentleman must ellow that many were now admitted on paying a duty of 75 per cent. He intended to extend the permission to import. If, however, wrought goods should be admitted with a duty of 30 per cent., the duty and restrictions on the Leather Trade of this country would be mitigated. GAME LAWS. On the motion of Mr S. WORTLEY, the House resolved itself into a Committee on the Game LaWs7 Amendment Bill. The clauses were agreed to pro forma, the House resumed, the Report was received, and ordered to be taken into further con sideration on Monday, and the Bill to be printed. SILK TRADE. • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought he might, perhaps, be allowed to move that the House should re solve itself into a Committee on the Acts relating to the Silk Trade to rectify an error in the Resolutions which had passed' The Right Hon. Gentleman having moved accordingly, the House resolved itself into a Committee. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then recited the Resolution which had been come to respecting the Draw backs on Stock on hand. An allowance of 10 percent. had been made on account of the waste of raw silk incurred to bring it to a certain state. It however seemed hard, that those who had bought the waste silk of the throwster, should not be allowed a drawback on their stock on hand, )►et to allow this in addition to the previous allowance would be to pay double, and to give one or the other that to which he - had no right. He therefore moved to limit the drawback to be allowed on organzine silk so as to meet this objection. Mr. ELLICE inquiredif it were intended to allow drawbacks on every species of Silk. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, Govern ment had gone to the utmost possible length in this, and he could not advise that they should go one step further. The Resolution moved by the Right Hon. Gentleman was agreed to, the House resumed, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. The Committee on the Silk Trade Bill was postponed till Thursday. The Annual Duties Bill was read a third time and passed. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the ExcßEQuEte , it was ordered that the House should, on Thursday, resolve itself into a Committee on the Irish Union Duties Acts, for the repeal of which he intended to move.—(Hear !) Lord ALTHORP postponed the Committee on the County Courts Bill till Thurday. . COMPENSATION TO LAW-OFFICERS._ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved that the House should, on Thursday, go into a Committee to consider of the compensation proper to be granted to certain Officers of the Court of King's Bench, Court of Common Pleas, and Great Court of Sessions in Wales, who would lose their situations on the passing of the Bill which had been introduced by a N O W Lord. Mr. ABEBCROMBY thought it would be better to let tb6 Bill pass before a motion like this were carried. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the course which be' proposed was that which had been usual to be taken on s imilar occasions. Mr. HUME wished the subject to be referred to a Select Committee. ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the course which he now recommended was the same which had.been taken in 1803. Mr. A BERCROMBY objected to the motion, as it pledged the House to the principle of giving compenSation, whatever the merits of the case - might be, and when they got into the . Committee, they would be told that the amount o f compensa tion was all that remained for them to debate. After a few words from the Attorney - and Solicitor-General in support of the motion, __ _ A 1;. HIJSKISSON contended the House, by the resolution now moved, would not be pledged to compensation, but merely to consider whether or not compensation should be granted. The SPEAKER said the House could not be pledged to compensation till the subject had been before a Committee• The present question was not whether the House should assent to such a proposition, but whether they would entertain it it! a Committee on a future day. Before they could stand pledged on this subject two conditions must be complied with, the con sent of the Crown must be obtained, and the sanction of Committee. Sir J. NEWPORT proposed to remote all doubt that the Resolution should be amended so that it should stand thus, "tO consider how far it might be expedient to grant any and whit: compensation." Mr. HUME again contended that the first step ought to be that which he had recommended—the sending of the question► to a Committee up stairs. Lord ALTHORP said, that before it was referred to Committee up, stairs to say who were entitled to compensa tion, it was for the House to decide whether any body Iva" entitled to it or not. lie was of opinion that no compensation at all should be granted. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, he wished to confer compensation upon those Officers in whose emoluments there would necessarily be a diminution in consequence of the opera' tion, of the Noble Lord's Bill. After a few remarks from the SOLICITOR-GENERAL, th e motion as amended was agreed to. NEGRO SLAVERY. Mr. Secretary CANNING appeared at the. Bar with c ertain, Papers, which he stated to b e D ocume n ts t h at, b y comman d 01 his Majesty, he presented to the House as explanatory of the-- measures adopted by his Majesty's Government, for arneliont" ing the condition of the Slave Population in the West Indies., The Papers having been ordered to lie upon the table, an d to be printed, illr:Secretary CANNING rose and said, that in the dis charge of his duty to the. House that day, it was his intention. to comprise within a short view, the measures adopted and the course pursued by his Majesty's Govcrnment, in consonance with the resolutions which that House put forward at its last meeting, united with another subject of a kindred nature, namely, the practice which, in an early age, supplied the po pulation to whom these resolutions referred. He should post' pone to the latter part that branch of his statement, it being one on which he anticipated the entire concurrence of the House. He should therefore address himself more immediately to that part of the subject to which he first alluded, and with A view to such a course, he moved that the Clerk should read the resolutions adopted by the House last year. The Clerk read the Resolutions as follow : " Ist. That it is expedient to adopt efficient and decisive measures for ameliorating the condition of the slave popula tion of his Majesty's Colonies. " 2d. That in their determination to persevere in the timely, judicious, and temperate enforcement of such measures, this House will look forward to the gradual and progressive improve ment in the condition of that population, such as will prepare them for a particip at i on i n t h e civil rights and privileges en joyed by the other classes of his Majesty's subjects. 6 3d. That this House is anxious to accomplish such change at the earliest period consistent with the well-being of the slave themselves, the safety of the colonies, and a fair and equable regard to the rights of property involved." Mr. CANNING resumed—lt was his desire that the House should here present to its mind the text and mea ing of these resolutions ; because it was those resolutions , and not any general principles or wide spread theory, which they had taken for their rule of conduct, and by theta they were desirous that their conduct should ,be judged. Undoubtedly there never was a subject, even if a person looked upon it with the eye of a speculator, much more with the practical views of a man who had to deal with its difficulties that must be approached with so much awe' To speak of its magnitude as compared with any other sub ject, would g i ve a faint idea of its extent and difficulty. Difficulties, which the more he probed it, with a view to lesser , the evil, the thicker he found them rising at every moment , But formidable as was the present state of the case, it was less so than last year. Then they had to encounter extravagance of the most opposite kind. They had to grapple with theories which would not suffer an obstacle to stand in the way of their accomplishment, and prejudices which opposed their pre; gress at every step. What had been done last year ha" considerably narrowed the ground. He was sure he s hould be stating truly what was the real object of their Resolutions , if he said that, the collective sense of Parliament spoke in a tone of admonition as to the dreadful nature of the o' o with which they had to contend, if he said it told them that they were to have regard to all those interests which time, the sanction of the Legislature, inheritance of property, and all the other ramifications of society had established. They were not to enter into the contest by sweeping all away before them, in order to make a clear stage for theory to have its trial.- He was not misrepresenting the House of Commons when be said that there was no general feeling in favour of immediat e emancipation. They looked rather to the extinction of slavery by an amelioration of the condition of the slaves, and not hi a proclamation of freedom thrown down among them, for the purpose of a scramble. They were not only to consider her much possible good might be done, but how it might be den: with the least possible evil.—(Hear, hear !)—He thought he Wt. not misrepresenting the general sense of the Ho use w hen ii" said that there was any thing but a desire to act in a men" ner that could be deemed hostile by those whose lot had bee n , cast in regions subject to the B r iti s h C rown , an d ent itled r; the privileges and rights of the British Constitution, but vr," had the misibrtune to be conn ec t e d w ith th ose ev il s f or wh1,, 11 one must wish to see a remedy wh ene v er it cou ld be sa'e; applied. It was the duty of P a rli amen t, w hil e w i t h a stea d y hand they guided the propress of amelioration in the Shav e ' not to drive the ploughshare through the property and 111' 0 of those who had been connected with them by circumstanc es ' over which they had no controul. These were the princiy l 7 e which had actuated the cond uc t o f th e G overnment , an d by the' principles they wished their conduct to be judged. If there were those who thought more m i g ht b e d one , i t wou ld b e f or them ,o make their propositions to Parliament. But he thought th e House would be satisfied that th ese were th e t rue an d safe prin ciples which wisdom dictated, and that they had been acted ncel in the mode and in the degree which tim e an d opportunity ho* hith er to allowed. I n a ll t h e em b arrassments b y w hich the subject was surrounded, it was not the least,, that in addressing , himself to it, there was not an expression or a word which he C ould use that might not b e seized by the one party or the