The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-21 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1826.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF LORDS, TII7:IVALI I', Amen. 20.

Sir Wm. Rowley and other Alembers of the House of Commons
brought up the 111anor Courts (Ireland) Bill. the Local Jurisdic-
tion (Ireland) Bill, the Innkeepers' Bill. the Skin Duties Repeal
Bill, the Assessed Taxes Composititin Bill, the officers of the
Board of Trade Bill, and several private
Mr. Johnson, from the office of the Chief Secretary for Ireland,
presented a return of the number of banks est-ailished in Ireland.
COURT OF CHANCI:II

The LORD cifilSaffoitl,Wigi;;T,,: Bill to amend the
practice of the Court of Chancery, with respee: to the investment
of money in landed prorrty.
CURRENCY OF SCOTLAND.
The Marquis of H NTLY presented snrcral petitions from
parishes in Aberdeenshire against any alteration in the present sys-
tern of banking in Scotland.
Lord ARBUTHNOT presented a similar petition from a parish
in Perthshire.

The Earl of Ll3f ERICK presented a petition from the county
of Limerick, signed by the High Sheriff, against the extension of
the Small Notes' Bill to Ireland.
SLAVERY.
Lord DUNDAS presented a petition from Desborough, praying
for the abolition of slavery.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE presented a similar petition from
Kidderminster.

......
The Bishop of BATH and WELLS presented a similar peti-
tion from the city of Wells. His Lordship observed, that the ob-
ject of the petitioners was not a sudden or dangerous emancipation
of the slaves. but a gradual amelioration of their condition.
Lord MELVILLE presented a petition to the same effect from
the :Ministers and Presbytery of a palish inlorforshire.
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GREECE
Earl GROSVENOR rose for the purpose of putting a question
to the Noble Earl at the head of the 'Peeasury, whom he saw in his
place. It was in reference to the affairS of threece, upon which
subject he wished to acqeire some information. It appeared by
accounts in the public papeve that Miseolonghi had fallen into the
hands of the Turks, after having bravely repulsed seventy-two at.
tacks of the enemy, and his Lordship. wished to know whether
there was any hope that Greece couldipreserve her independence,
or was there any hope left that her cause was not abandoned to the
Turks? His Lordship hoped that Greece would not be bartered
between Russia and Turkey, and made the price of the indepen-
dence of Moldavia and Wallachia. There was a strong anxiety
felt in this country unon the subject, which was shared by all
classes in and out of Parliament, and he hoped that Greece would
not he reduced to the necessity of submitting to the Turks.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said he had not read the accounts
alluded to by the Noble Earl, but having heard the date of the let-
ter referred to, he would mention as an article of intelligence, that
he believed the fall of Mieeolonghi had not taken place at the time
stated in that letter ; but with respect to the question of the Noble
Earl, he (Lord Liverpool) must pay, that it was a transaction be-
tween foreign Cabinets, towards which this country had always ob-
served a perfect neutrality, and therefore lie could not give any ex-
planation upon that head. The policy of this country was a policy
of neutrality, and the Noble. Lord would see that Government
could not give him the information which he wished for.
WEST INDIA SLAVERY.
Lord REDESDALE rose for the purpose of presenting a peti-
tion from merchants, traders, and other persons interested in the
preservation of Welt India property. His Lordship wished to
call the attention of the House to the peculiar hardships which
were endured by the petitioners. At the present moment not one
shilling could be raised upon the property of the petitioners, how.
ever extensive it might be. There was one class of persons to whom
the present depression of West India property was peculiarly dim-
treeing. His Lordship alluded to women who had married the
possessors of what had been considered large properties in the
West Indies. Under the present circumstances of that property
they were entirely deprived of their settlements. The case of
younger children was also one of great hardship. Mortgagees were
also deprived of any return for the money which they had advanced
upon that species of property; and his Lordship attributed this
depreciation of property to the frequent agitation of the question
of slavery, and to the doctrine held by some persons that an im-
mediate emancipation of the slave ought to take place ; but such
a course would hare the same effect throughout the whole of the
Colonies that the decrees of the National Assembly had upon the
r island of St. Domingo. Whatever was to be done for the amelio-
ration of the condition of the slaves should be left to the operation of
time. It would be necessary to give 'those who were in a state of
slavery that character which would fit them for freedom. A system
of equality would not produce peace. Whatever was to be done
must be the effect of time and of wise regulations. The language
which had been lately held in this country produced a depreciation
in the value of West India property, which had been ruinous to
many. His Lordship hoped that Parliament would adopt some
measure to give value to the property of the petitioners, and of all
West India property. Hie Lordship thought that arty measure
for the abolitiou of slavery, or for the melioration of the condition
of the slaves, should come from the Cotoilal Legislature.. If any
declaration to that effect should be made by those Legislatures,
they would be sure to obtain the protection of this country. His
Lordship considered the subject of the petition of great import-
ance, and it was on dist account that he had troubled the House
with the few observations which he (had made. His Lordship then
presented the petition.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL wished to address a few words to
their Lordships, in reply to the observations of the Noble Lord
who had presented the petition, which was certainly entitled to re-
spect. If it was the intention of Parliament or of the public to pre-
cipitate any measure for the emancipation of the slaves, he (Lord
L.) would be as much opposed to it as any man in the country. It
was a subject which ought to be approached with caution, as great
interests were at stake, interests which had boen involved in
it during a period of one hundred and fifty years, a circumstance
which should never be lost sight of. His Lordship regretted the
I course the Colonial Legislatures had pursued, but some of the Co-
lonies stood upon distinct grounds from those which had a right of
legislation, and in them the Crown would be able to chalk out to the
others what was the course which they might pursue. In Trinidad
and Demerara. for instance, a code had been adopted by the de
sire of Parliament. There was nothing precipitate. It was a
cour.eolgradnal measures for the amelioration of the condition of
the slaves, and his Lordship hoped the Colonial Legislatures would
lend themselves to such a course of fair measures, as would improve
the condition of the slaves, without endangering their property ;
and it was in yielding, and not by resistance, that their security
lay ; resistance would endanger the security of the Colonies more I
than was to be apprehended from a compliance with the wishes
of Parliament. Let the Colonial Legislatures but show a disposi-
tion to adopt the suggestions of Government, and they would be
entitled to the protection and support of this country. Let them
look at the prominent features of the Orders in Council, and could
they say that there was any danger to be apprehended from their
adoption ? He was glad to observe that the Noble Earl who pre-
sented the petition agreed with him on the point of recommending
to the Colonies the adoption of the measures proposed to them. His
Lordship would again urge upon them the adoption of those men.
sures, and he hoped that thoselnieasures would be adopted with
a sincere desire to give effect to the recommendations of Parlia-
ment ; and if they do so, they may rely on the assistance of the
mother country. He felt all the difficulties of precipitate emanci.
pation. It was his wish that peace and conciliation should precede
the manumission of slaves, and that the property of the Colonists
should not be placed in danger by any sudden change. It was his
wish that the Colonists should not be placed in the unfortunate
situation in which they must be placed in the event of coercive
measures being adopted.
Lord SUFFIELD said he had heard the speech of the Noble
Earl with great pleasure, which he could not retrain from acknow.
'edging. His Lordship wished to say a few words In reply to the
charge which had been made against those persons in this country
who were favourable to the abolition of slavery. When last he ad-
dressed their Lordships he stated that it was not the wish of those per-
sons to adopt any hasty or dangerous measures for the manumission
of the slaves, and he begged again to repeat the same assertion.
The petitions which had been presented to their Lordships con.
tained the same sentiments, and in no one of them was there a wish
expressed for the sudden abolition of slavery. With respect to the
depreciation of West India property, it was always a bad specula-
tion, and his Lordship hoped that it would always be so, because
wherever it thriveathere the unfortunate negroesdiminished in num-
bers, in consequence of the hard labour which they had to perform.
Allusion had been made to St. Domingo, but it should be recollected
that the sugar of that island was produced by free labour, and with
an additional duty of ten shillings per cwt.. it could be sold as
cheap as that which was raised by slaves. His Lordship's wish
was to see slave labour abolished, and tree labour gradually intro-
duced in its place.
Lord REDESDALE said that the experiment of free labour
had been tried twenty-five years since by a friend of his in the
island of St. Nevis. That gentleman had found that be could have
free labour cheaper than he could have that of slaves, but on trial
that gentleman found that the freed negroes would not work three
days in the week, and in short he was obliged to abandon the idea,
and to have recourse to slave labour again.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that every man who had
his heart in the right place must be pleated with the language
which had been held in that House upon the subject of slavery ;
that language was uniformly in favour of the gradual abolition of
slavery; but the Noble Lcrd (Suffield) must excuse him when he
said that there had been a hundred petitions presented to their
Lordships, the language of which wee in favour of an immediate
abolition ; but although there had been such opinions maintain-
ed out of doors, his Lordship would again say, that the language
in that House was exceedingly temperate.
The pe ition was laid on the table.
The MARQUIS of LANSDOWN rose for the purpose of
presenting another petition on the subject of slavery, it was in fa-
vour of its abolition; but if any petition had been put into his
hands which called for the immediate abolition, he would
have felt it his duty to express his dissent from the senti-
ments of the petitioners. With respect to the petition which
had been presented by the Noble lord (Redesdale), in his
opinion it might have been presented with more propriety to
the Colonial Legislatures. His Lordship knew of no persons who
had it so much in their power to give effect to that petition ea