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

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the Associate Seccesionat Congregations of West Calder. /Win-
burgh—of Dalltroath—of Silver-Street, Newcastle-unon-Tyne—
and also front the first and seeAd congregations of Humblaine
from the inhabitants of North Berwick; from Whithurgh ; from
the inhabitants of Morton. Hampstead ; and also from the inha-
bitant' of toverkeitlijoir. Temple.Sowerby, and Kinross ; from
Wexford, by Mr. Wigrem; from Reading, by Mr. F. Palmer;
from Kelvedon, in Elinor, by Mr. IVestern : and from Borer.
iVern, Amesbury, and the Protestant congregation of Baptists of
Rowel, by Mr. Butterworth.
Sir N. COLTHURST oresewttd s petition from th rrourirtate
of mills in Cork against a clause in the Salmon Fishery Bill.
Mr. }AIN gave notice tharte-morrow he would pre.eiq 11 -
tition from the islancLeriamaiel, praying for the abolition of
slavery in the West India Colonies.
CORN LAWS. •

Mr, BYNO presented--; '''''''''''''' the ehorchwardens aid
inhabitants of the parish of St. Anne, in the county of Middlesex,
praying for it revision of the Corn Laws.
AV I NOO W TAX.
Mr. RYNIS presented a petition front the same parish, praying
for a repeal of the Witolow Tax.
- COURT OF CHANCERY.
Mr. J. AVILLIA3IS gave notice that on the 14th or May he
would make a motion relative to of the Commtie on"'
upon the abuses of the Court a Chancery.
ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
Lord J. RUSSELL gave notice that ,bn Wednesday next he
would present a petition. from Rye, relative to the Electivo
Franchise.

SLAVERY IN THE WEST INDIES.
Mr. BARING, in presenting a petition front merchants trailing
with the %Yee India Colonies, made some olniervationo, which,
from the noise in the House, were almost wholly inaudible. We
understood hoar. however, to deprecate the sort of language which
was frequently made use of 'by the abolitionists in this country,
which was only calculated to excite alarm and' to render the
1.4141nis will INGllll4LrACtolble ; and that if they were really Aware
of the extent to which the nritish Government limited ettekviewe
with regard to Negro emancipation, they would not, he felt con.
vincetl, he so strenuously opposed to it. The Hon. Gentleman
then presented the petition, which was as follows :
" To the Honourable the Commons of the United Empire pf
Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.
" The Petition of the undersigned Merchants trading from Lon-
don to the British West India Colonies, and others holding
mortgages and other securities, upon slaves and lands in the
said Colonies,
" Humbly Sheweth,
" That your petitioners form *portion of those British subjects
who have embarked capital upon the security of slaves, lands, and
otherproperty, in the Nest India Colonies, in full reliance upon
Acts and Declarations of the British Legislature, which, during
nearly two centuries, have sanctioned and encouraged such in.
vestments in furtherance of the cultivation and prosperity of those
Colonies.

•• That among the statutes of the realm to which your petition-
ers refer, that of the tlth Geo. 11., cap. 13, entitled an Act for bet-
ter securing and encouraging the trade of hie Majesty's Sugar Co-
lonies in America, declares by its preamble, that the wel-
fare and prosperity of his Majesty's Sugar Colonies in America are
of the greatest consequence and importance to the trade, naviga-
tion, and strength of the kingdom ;' and proceeds to enactments
advantageous to the Colonies. The Act of 13th Geo. 111., cap.
11, invites loans from aliens, on the security of freehold or lease-
hold estates in his Majesty's Colonies in the West Indies ; and
that of 14th George 111., cap. 79, legalises the taking interest by
British subjects for sums advanced on mortgage and securities of
any lands, tenements, hereditaments,blaves, cattle, and other things,
at the rate allowed by the law, in the Colony where the mortgaged
premises lie.

‘t! That the cultivation of the British West India Colonies, by
tire Lemur of negro slaves imported from Africa, had in this long
period not the cognizance merely, but the express sanction and en-
couragement of the Legislature, which, in the preamble to the Act
of 23 (leo. 11. cap. 31, declares that `the trade to and from Africa
is vcry advantageous to Great Britain, and necessary for the sup-
plying the Plantations and Colonies thereunto belonging, with a
sufficient number of negroes at reasonable rates,' and proceeds to
enact, that the said trade shall be free and open to all his Ma-
jesty'ssubjects:'

"That Occasional efforts made by the Colonial Legislatures to
check an excessive importation of slaves, have been repelled and
reproved by the Mother Country, whose deliberate Counsels had
established her African slave trade, and encouraged it upon grounds
distinct from colonial interests, before her Colonies existed. That
your petitioners, therefore, must protest against the injustice of
throwing discredit upon West India commerce and securities, by
mixing up the case of those connected with that trade and property,
with the odium which in this free country is excited by the blue
knowledge of the existence of slavery, Sr. odium which, so far as
the British West India Colonies are concerned, attaches not to
your paitioners, but to the !lefts!).
That it cannot be disputed that the well-being and comforts o
the slaves in our Colonies have been materially and progreasiveyf
bettered since the time when the nation was holding out the strong-
est inducements to an increase of their number, during which pc-
riod. and even subsequently, when Great lhitain abandoned and
abolished her African slave trade, no intimation. with any sem-
blance of authority, was announced, of effecting an extinction of
slavery in the Colonies, otherwise than by the means which an able
writer, tealous for the attainment of that object, has poihted out ;
the same happy means which formerly put an end to it in Eng.
land, via. by a benign, though insensible, revolution in opinion and
manners ; by. the encouragement of particular manumissions. and
the progressive melioration of the condition of the slaves, till it
should glide insensibly into general freedom.' The emancipation
looked to was declared to be that, of which not the slaves, but
the mailers, should be willing instruments and authors.'
" That your petitioners, by means. of their constant intercourse
with the Colonies, are enabled confidently to assert, that there pre-
vails throughout the proprietors thereof a liberal and constant atten-
tion to the wants and comforts of the slave population, which is
evinced by a plentiful supply (even in times when the returns may
be inadequate to the cost) of such articles as will contribute to their
wellbeing; and this resulting, as well from considerations of t...
manity, as from the known and acknowledged fact, that upon the
effective strength, comfort, and contentment of the labouring popul.
lotion attached to it, essentially depends the value of any Vi est In.
dui plantation.
" That your petitioners are well aware that your lion. House
may command, from the highest and most unquestionable uutho.
rity, evidence which will fully bear out these assertions reapectini;
the existing comforts and progressively-imposing condition cf
the slaves in our West India Colonies.

" That representations of a contrary tendency, which having
been addressed to popular meetings, have excited those petitions
which, from various parts of the kingdom, have been presented to
your Honourable House. are not grounded upon such information
and acquaintance with the subject as your petitioners have =eat
to ; nor upon that respectable evidence to which they have alluded,
and to which they fearlessly appeal; but, originating In exageers-
tion or misrepresentation, have, by zealous persons associated tar
that purpose, been successfully applied in irritating the feelings of
the public, and inducing a hasty call for an emancipation of the
slaves, with but small regard either to the advantage of the slaves
themselves, or to the justice due to your petitioners.
" That the measures which, frem motives of' regard towards the
slaves, have been adopted by his Majesty's Goverment. have unto.
tunately, and douhtless unintentionally, already caused a great dew.
rioration of the property of your petitioners; those measures hay mg
been generally understood as expressly preparatory to, and directly
connected with, the emancipation of the slaves, and having not been
accompanied with a distinct and explicit pledge of indemnification
for the injury which property must sustain, not only in the sumo.
ment of the final object, but in the progressive operation of din
means for its attainment. That owing to these causes the confidence
of capitalists has been influenced to such &degree, that West India
Securities are become nearly valueless as transferable property ; a
circumstance which, at a period of general alarm and panic similar
to that which has lately occurred, must subject the holders of such
property to extreme and peculiar difficulties. That to this effect
must powerfully contribute the measure announced of offering an
adequate compensation in cases of compulsory emancipation, the
estimated value of the liberated slave or slaves ; a proceeding preg.
nant with alarm to mortgagees and others of your petitienere
holding various securities upon lands cultivated by slaves ;
and your petitioners humbly represent, that until it ahall
be proved by experience that free negroea will work tor
hire, and carry on the ordinary cultivation of estates in a
regular and effectual manner, the slaves must be const.
dered as forming the essential part of the securities held by
your petitioners, since land in the Colonies would cease to be of
any worth when deprived of its labourers ; and that there nee, with.
out the test just mentioned, or full and immediate indemnification,
the process of compulsory emancipation cannot even he experimen-
tally commenced upon a West India estate, with jostle: to the
various parties holding legal claims upon the property.
" That it hie been the wise and just practice of Parliament,
when authorising in this country any infraction of private right I m
private property, to provide that the individuals so deprived shall
receive from the public (for whose objects the sacrifice is demanded)
a full and fair compensation for what is taken sway, and even to
admit that there be included in the price a consideration foe the
inconvenience and contingent loss which the individual may suffer
from being compelled to part with his property. and your petition..
ere trust that the like measure of justice may be extended to their
ease. and that what would be considered to be injustice to a British
subject holding property in Britain, will equally be considered to
be injustice to a Bntlsh subject holding property in the Colonies
" That your petitioners are persuaded that the reluctance and
distrust with which the euggestions of the British Government re.
impacting an amelioration a the condition of the slaves have be.aa
received in various Colonies, have been caulked or aggravated in
many instances by an indignant sense of those offensive WlfilrePT.•
sensations of the conduct and motives of the (Colonists, whirls, hi
speeches and writings by eminent persons, have been so profusely
addressed to the British public, and more especially and univern
sally by the apprehension of danger threareting their primartica
and political rights; and your petitioners are confident that, were
those feelings removed, together with the delusion which has been
excited in the minds of the slaves by the prolonged discussion on
the subject, the Colonial Legislatures, would, with sincerity, zeal,