The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-05-08 00:00:00

THE STC,IURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

Mr. Bazley, M P., introduced the deputation, and said
they desired to see the bill adopted by the Government, for
they we, e assured that our prisons and workhouses were
monuments of the unfortunate Intemperance of the age, and
they looked upon a measure which would stop the evil of
intemperance as one beneficial to the whole country.
Mr. Pope addressed the Home Secretary, and said the prin-
ciples of the bill were applicable to the whole country, and
would not clash with ally measure which the Government
might have before
Dr. Manning, in a short and eloquent address, declared that
no statistics could show the powerful ramifications of evil
which the present system occasioned, and Archdeacon Sand-
ford said that there were certain parishes in which he had
heard there was no pauperism, Co erhne, and 110 drink.
Mr. Bruce, in reply, saki that he was called away en im-
portant business, but he would take the opportunity of saying
that he heartily synipathi,ed with the deputation In its
efforts to diminish intemperance, and they knew the Govern-
ment had the same end in view.

prietOr.,

nothing to indicate the existence of a slave market—it might
have been a maiket for any other commodity. Our guide,
however, went to a door in the corner of the square, about
which several people were standing, and some black boys
were engaged packing Turkish butter in tubs. We entered,
and then we found ourselves lathe presence of. slave-owner
mid his slaves. The man-stealer was a stout, Sensuous, lazy-
looking Turk, about sixty years of age, sitting, wrapped up
in costly Eastern robes, with the everlasting pipe in his
mouth. The slaves consisted of five women and two boys.
Three of the women were comparatively young, ranging from
nineteen to twenty-four years old, the other two about thirty,
anti the itoys about thirteen or fourteen. The women were
sitting, Turkish fashion, on a broad divan or plait orm, and
the boys were packing butter. All were as black as ravens.
We were asked to sit down, and coffee was immediately
brought to us. One of the girls was remarkably good looking.
had on a good dress. and with necklace of beads and long gilt
eardrope made some pretension to style; and the others were
very passable as negresi,es from our European stand-point of
beauty. Another Turk came in and took his place near the pro
prietor, and spoke a few words of English. We asked through
our guide what was the price of the best looking of the girls.
The old man tdld us £3OO, and ordered her to stand up,
which she immediately did, showing a tine form and an
erect position. When I took out my pencil and paper to note
the price, they all seemed to exhibit considerable interest In
our visit: the price of the two other young women was £250
each, and that of the two elder, who were strongly built, £300;
and that Id the two boys were £350 each, but our guide told
us if we offered £BO we might have either of the boys, and a
like reduction on the price of the women. Two of the women
stood up for our inspection. Our guide, who was a native of
Smyrna, told as that if we purchased ally of them we should
receive papers from the Government, transferring the pro-
perty to our possession, and it was with ditliculty that we
could make them understand that the paper gould be of no
value as soon as the slave and master reaeheirthe British do-
minions. After giving them a little " backshish," we left the
dirty den with our hatred of Eastern abominations very much
intensified. We then went and saw ika exhibition of howling
and dainVng dervishes, B,ld were cemplimented by a party of
Greeks, who were watching the antics of the dervishes, that
those Were our friends the Turks. I confess, as an English-
man, I can feel nothing but shame for our national frtpudship
for the Turkish Government and its institutions. We were
told that after the Crimean war slavery disappeared ; but it
Is gradually spreading again, and in a country the Govern-
ment of which is as corrupt as rottenness can make it, and
whose officers from the highest to the lowest bow blindfolded
before the power of " backshish," it is no wonder that
slavery should spread. We spent on the Crimean war
millions of money, and sacrificed the life-blood of thousands
of our countrymen, to maintain the independence and
integrity of a nation whose government and institutions
are a curse to the world and a scandal to the age.

P.S.—CoNSTANrinorur, April 23.-1 purposely kept my
letter open till I reached this city, so that I might make
further inquiries into the subject. I have conversed with a
gentlenian long resident in Constantinople anti well ac-
quainted with Turkish Institutions and lawa He assures
me that a large slave trade is carried on, that the Gircassiaus
sell their children for the Turkish market, and scarcely a
ship arrives from Trebirond or Egypt without bringing some;
that inure of the Circassian girls will at times fetch £l,OOO,
but the Africans are very cheap; that it a gentleman
wants to buy a slave he sends for a slave broker,
who takes his order for the kind of article that
he requires, and then goes to the depdts where they are kept.
My friend accompanied me yesterday to the principal street
in Galata, where thy Circassian' are kept, anti showed me
the establishments with thickly trellised windows. The
Africioi market is across the Golden Horn, in Stamboul. He
however, informed me of two modifications in the system.
Eno first is, that the truffle is only legal among Moslems,
that Franks can ti4lier buy nor sell ; and, secondly, that
the slave bas the option of refusing to go with any buyer ;
hut if the slave does not object, a legal transference is made,
and the fate of the unfortunate finally sealed. The first
, modification does not alter the principle of the wicked
I system, and the second cannot he of much value to a poor,
lonely, friendless victim. whose body belongs to a mercenary
and, it may be, cruel speculator.