The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-21 00:00:00

THE COMMITTEE ON THE SLAVE TRADE.

Mr. Hutt's re-appointed committee have presented
their first livraison to the House of Commons. Lord
Palmerston and Lord John Hay, we see, have ben
re-examined, and Sir Stephen Luehington has given
evidence before it. The new witnesses are: the Rev.
Hope Muterton Waddell, a presbyterian missionary;
Commanders Charles Wilson Riley, and Frederick
Nlontresor; and last and most important of all, Sir
Charles Hotbam. Sir Charles's evidence confirms the
impression joredaced by the aggregate evidence sub-
mitted to last year's committee, and appears to us
conclusive es to the impossibility of suppressing the
slave trade by an armed fleet. Sir Charles says :
What was the navel fore_ usually under your orders ?—lt
seldom averaged 22 ships of all kinda. How many of those
were steamers 3—lt would be difficult to gm an average of
thou • the number varied very much. What was the largest
number of steam-vessels that you bad under your orders at
any time ?—The largest number was seven. Was that [ones
in a high state of discipline, generally speaking /—I thought
so. Were your views carried out by the officers under your
command to your entire satisfaction?—Entirely so. What
was the result of your operations; did you succeed instep's's'
the slave trade P—No. Did you cripple it to such an extent
as in your opinion is calculated to give to the slave-trade a
permanent check ?—No. What is the length of the line of
coast on the western side of Africa along which in your
opinion the slave-trade could be carried on ?—Two thousand
one handy, d and ninety-five miles. In your opinion, is the
blockade of the whole of that line of rout at all seasons of the
year, and at all periods of the 24 hours, practicable ?—Cer-
tainly not. Will you be so goat as to state to the committee
why you consider it is impossible so to blockade the whole
line of the coast under all those circumstances I—Because
the distance, divided by the number of cruisers, namely 24
cruisers, will give 91 miles for each cruiser to watch. What
are the two points between which you think it would be ne-
emery to carry on blockading operations P—Cape Role on
the north, and Little Fish Bay on the south, bat I confine
myself to the limits of my own station. Do you think it
would ba impracticable under any circumstances to conduct
'live-trading operations north er south of those two points?
—I see no reason why it should not be done either north or
south. I undtretand that you consider that this extent of 91
miles is too great a distance for the effectual operation of a
Mock cruiser ?—I do. Will you state in what respects the
exertions of a cruiser would be toiled within that distance?
—First, because neither by herself nor by her boats could
she watch 91 miles of coast; secondly, because neutral vete
sets lying at ports within that distance could ship at their
leiture, and sail at their convenience; thirdly, because the
operation would be facilitated by fops and dark nights. Does
the atmesphere of the coast of Africa present any particular
(undies for carrying on the operations of the blockading
squadron ? —No ; at cerialn seasons or the year there are
foes, and what are termed smokes. Are those legs suffi-
ciently dense to prevent the successful exertions of the
miters during the time they prevail ?—They cripple their
exertions. At the time when the fogs do not prevail is the
atmosphere as clear as it is in these latitudes ?—I think not.
How far from a ship's deck will a cruiser, under ordinary
circumstances, be visible daring the might ?—A trial wee
made during • full moon by the Amphitrite, with • calm-
mending breeze, and the interval from the time of quitting
the ship till losing sight of her was ten minutes.
Sir Charles thus disposes of Captain Denman's
plan :
A plan for suppressing the alcvc-trade was laid before s
'committee appointed to consider this subject last year, by
an officer of great intelligence, Captain Denman, and it ex-
cited a great deal of attention. Ate you acquainted with the
general features of that plan ?—I am. Do you think that
plan is c.aleuline4 to efft ct the extinction of the slave-trade
within any definite period I—Certainly not, with the ex-
ception of the coast between Cape Palmas and Suns Leone,
where alone It is in may way applicable. What fcctlities
doss that part of the coast afford for the successful operation
of Captain Denman's plan ? —There is not there a continu-
ous line of country whereon the slave-trade is conducted,
which is the case on almost every other part of the tout.
Aro there any other circumstances which would facilitate
the successful application of Captain Denman's scheme ?
Ido not lac... Let any at the pr. sent moment. There are
some difficulties afesing from the fogs ?—Precisety ; the coast
is subject to the contingencies of weather. Ave you se-
quaiuted with tLe lagoon which lies between Sierra Leone
and the Redlines River ?—Only by report. You must meets-
eerily b- acquainted %die its 4 aistence, and with its charac-
ter ?—That at exis s, I sin aware. Does that lagoon odder uny
'acidities for carrying off slaves from the coast ?—lt do, s, at
the B tom Rimini River. Do you think the existence of Ihe
shoal lying between Sierra Leone and the Galley, the part
of the coast which you say might be blockaded, would not
facilitate, notwithstandiog such a blockade, the transmission
of slaves from the coast of Africa ?—I thick it would be per-
fectly possible to block ttle it Supposing the slave-trade
were successfully blockaded at one part of the cast, do
you consider that the slave trade would be pro tanto de-
mented, or should you rather infer that the slave-trade
would shift its quarters and break out to the same extent
cwhere ? I beti, ve that the slave-trade could ee conducted
on any part of the West coast of Africa, and that Idockine
it up in one place would have no great effect upon the general
amount of the trade. 1)3 you know whether the slave
traders prefer the west to the east coast for their operations?
—I am net aware, but I have rec.:lloy heard that they have
shifted from the west coast to the east coast, in consequence
of the number of capture' which have been made upon the
weaken comet.
The following reply of Sir Charles to a question put
by the chairman is valuable as affording a standard
whereby to estimn'e the compiratave value of the
conflicting testimony of naval officers :
Do you think, as commander-in-chief of the African
squadron, you acre placed in circumstances which would
enable you to form a more correct opinion of the whole of
our operations along the coast and the nature of tt,c slave-
trade there than any individual capttin commanding a
since vessel could form P—An individual captain is ac-
quainted only with that which may occur within the
limits of his own station ; he is not able to take a com-
bined or extended view of the whole of the err. time
connected with a large extent of coast. Those sources of
information are shut out (rem him, and it is, centrally
speaking, the object of • commander-in-chief t i keep them
witain his own breast, and to impart them to no one. There-
fore, separating myself from the question which yru now
address to me, I am of opinion that the commander-its-chief
only is able to give the general information which the com-
mittee would require.

PROTECTIONIST PERSECUTION. —A CONTRAST.
Under this title the Hampshire Independent has the follow-
iog : " Melly of our readers will remember the far-famed
meeting of labourers at Gastacre, in Wiltshire, held by moon-
light, in the early part of IbiG, and at which mere then 1,000
persons were present. At that meeting an industrious and
intelligent labouring man named David Keels presid,d, and
the speeches delivered, as reported in the papers, made a
deep impression en the country. The repeal of the corn
laws was prepcsi d soon afterwards, and poor David Ket-le
became a marked man among certain parties, a com-
bination having been entered into to prevent his being
employed. In the early part of the present year he was
working on theroad fur the Flllll of fie. per week, but that vas
considered t o good a pleoe for a poor man who had dared to
speak in defence of free trade, and the way warden or over-
seer told him that as he had helped to ruin the country, they
had resolved to Rite hie. to work, and he must eto into the
workhouse. Wt are in posses ion of this magnanimous way-
warden's name, and may possibly publish it some day or
soother. The little tyrant of the road kept his word, and
David Keels was a doomed man had not his case become
known to Mr. C Day, a solicieor, of Marlborough, who
laid the whole of the recta before Mr. Cobden. Uac gentle-
man at once commenced a subscription among his
friends fur the aged and persecuted labourer, and the re-
sult was that a sum of about forty pounds was raised
for his use. Among the names of the sub-cribers, we arc
happy to perceive those of the two members for Southamp-
ton. The sunseription list having be en sent by Mrs. Ander-
son to our respected and public spirited townsman Mr. It
Andrews, that gentleman, with his characteristic liberality,
offered at once, as he had done before in a similar case, to
give employment to David Keele and his son. The offer
was of course thankfully and gratefully accepted, and
the poor labourer and hes son are now ill good employ-
ment in Mr. Andrews's israblishment, and earning twice as
mach wages as they did under the Wiltshire Protec-
tionists. We have nen 1/4•41 and spoken to him, aid, with
tears in his eyes, he said he could not be too thankful to the
kind friends who had rescued him from the hands of his per-
secutfas, and saved himself and family from the workhouse.
We give trill simple statement of facts, unaccompanied with
any comments of our own, beyond asking who has most
reason to compirin of the treatment he Ina received—Mr.
B nnert or David Keel. ? 'the Duke of Bedford would
have rel wed his tenant from what he conceived to be a
d tficultv ; the Wiltshire we ywarden would, if he could,
have sent the aratacre chairman into the workhouse."
COMMEMORATION OP WATERLOO.—There was a
dinner given at the Pomona Gardens, Manchester, on Mon-
day ,feellsiwed by &fete mud gala, to the veterans of the neigh-
bourho.xl who yet survive—the men, now chiefly pensioners,
who formed the rank and file of the memorable battle of
Waterloo. The dinner was paid for by subscription, and
nearly 100 veterans, wearing the medals recently bestowed, .
were admitted to the table. There were also present some of 1
the pensioners, wearing the medals distinguishing them as
having served in the Peninsula. The bonds of the 30th In-
tentry and 4th Royal Irish Dragoons were present by per-
mission of their officers. The chairman, a sergeant who had
served at Waterloo, gave the healths of the Queen and the
Duke, ehieh wero drunk with much enthuoiftem. A fire
balloon was sent up, and some pyrotechnical display,' were
afterwards made in honour of the event. An immecse con-
course of people NY: s present.
EXPLOSION AT A ROCKET FACTORT.—An alitstning
explosion took place, at eight o'clock yesterday morning, rat
a rocket nionurlct• ry, situate in toe Plunistend Marshes,
immediately c pp r-ite the practice range of the royal arsenal.
; The factory in question belongs to Mr. William Rail, C. 8.,
who is no., manufacturing an extensive supply of rockets fur
I several foreign cocrumente, and hes two fact/v*4s, one in
the Charlton Marshes, and the other in the l'lnmstaid
Minh's. At the time of t c explosion, John Rummy, the
toremar, nor; f. rut. r titer men. I,sme.: John Smi..h, 'Edward
Peal, Charles Thorpe, and Thome; 11 tar* were amyl eyed
its the buildill in driving borne the charge of a very large
rocket by means of an hydraulic machine, which bad been
erected on the prern;sos, when from some inexplicable cure,
the rocket exploded, and the building was comple•elv de-
stined.. Retweey (seeped uninjured, Thorpe and Harris
received some slight contusions, hut the other men, Smith
and Paul, w ere so seriously injured, that it was found nee'!
5517 to Tr.IIOTO them to Guy's Hospital,