The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-27 00:00:00

TO TILE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES.

Sia—A misstatement appeared in your paper of Tues-
day last respecting the impediments said to be raised in the
Colonies against the manumission of slaves. In that ar-
ticle it is represented, that " the emancipation of a slave
in the West Indies is a process of a very expensive nature,
The slave owner, however anxious he may be to give free-
dom to those who have served him faithfully, not having
the power to resign his authority at an expense less con-
►idereble than a sum sinountinq to from too/. to 130/. fax
the emancipation of each slave. This statement, it is my
duty to the British public, and my fellow colonists, to de-
clare to he wholly unfounded; and I am the inure anxious
to point out its groundlessness because it seems too well
calculated to serve the purposes of that opprobrious outcry
by which a certain party in this country endeavour to de-
fame and injure the Colonists. As the article to which I
allude appeared in some other journals in the same worth,
I suppose it wad supplied by the same hand. The candour
and justice which have always distinguished your remarks
on subjects relating to the West Indies, would, I have nu
doubt, have prevented you from lending your colutnns to
the circulation of falsehood and delusion, especially respect-
ing a question in which the property and character of the
Colonists are so deeply intert3ted, if you had been aware
of the ignorance of your informant ; and I ant equally
confident that you will give immediate publicity to this
refutation of the calumny. The object of the writer
of the article was evidently to hold up the West In-
dians to public odium throughout the empire, by re-
presenting them as throwing all. possible impediments
in the way of the " labour of humanity." Their conduct
k even stigmatised with the epithet " unnatural." Your
informant can have no objection, after making an attack in
this language on the Colonistsfelsr/y, that I should answer
him in whatever terms truth may dictate, even though
they should be somewhat harsh. What, then, is the
charge against the West Indians? That they attempt to
raisean " insurmountable barrier to the acquisition of liberty
by a slays." What are the means said to be adopted for
this end? "The Colonial Government (this learned illu-
minator of the public darkness talks as if there was but one
colony, or as if all the colonies had but one government) have
long established this deposit (viz. a sum amounting to
from 100/. to 1301.) as a sine him non in the Art of Maim-
mission." Will it be believed, Sir, that this scribe of the
Anti-Slavery Society, whose exertions he praises so warmly,
made the whole of this statement in ignorance or in malice?
It is from beginning to end without foundation. The
total expense of manumitting a single slave in Jamaica
does not exceed air dollars; and of thin sum, the charges
for stamp-ditty and registering constitute the principal
part. ‘Vhere a family or several slaves are included in
one deed, the expense per head will not exceed three
dollars, and it is not unfrequently as low as two dol-
lars. The" deposit" (amounting to from 100/. to 1801.) is
entirely a figment of your voracious Correspondent's
imagination. There is no deposit whatever ; not even of a
dollar. A contingent security bond for the payment of .5/.
per annum is required by the churchwardens, in order that
the frectl-man may not become burdensome. to the parish ;
and the justice and necessity of this bond admit of no dis-
pute. By law, the proprietor )• arc bound to maintain their
old and infirm negroes, and if the contingent security
bond were not required, it would probably liappsn, and
more particularly with persons leaving the island, that the
aged slaves would be set free, and the burthen of their
maintenance thereby shifted from the shoulders of their
master to the parish. &fore I conclude, I have a few
words to say respecting the proceedings of the " Anti-
Slavery Society" and their Secretaries and Agents, of whom
I suppose your informant is one. They have discovered,
it appear., that by assigning the slaves intended to be
manumitted, to some person in this country, he may manu-
mit them before the Lord Mayor.—" 'f he expense of this
course will never exceed 71., whilst in our colonies it would,
in some cases, amount to 160/."—" In buckram," I sup-
pose; certainly not in :urrency or sterling. This " eman-
cipator" treads too closely on the heels of Fo/sfqffi In
the opening of hie article he estimates the expense at
" from 100/. to 1301." In a few sentenc.a he raises it to
1601. ! I have shewn that as many pence as he states
pounds will in most instances defray ail the charges of ma-
numission. But this is not all I have to say in exposition
ot• his gross ismorance. The 71. he advises to have expended
" before the Lord Mayor" will not accomplish the
'stupors tholes!' as many dollars would in every
case be enough in the colony. Without the con-
tingent bond, no deed of manumission will be re-
corded for the reasons I hare above sated. Any frau-
dulent or inhuman proprietor might veneer his aged
or infirm slaves to some correspondent in London, and by a
" labour of humanity," as the emancipating scribe calls it,
cast cif the wretches to starve or subsist on the scanty
charity of the parish. I hope, therefore, that no dupes
will be led to subscribe their cash to manumit the slaves in
the West Indies, by going before the Lord Mayor and
executing one of Mr. Hanbury's bonds, as the only party
who will at all benefit by that transaction will be the (I
take it for granted) pines solicitor who is employed on the
occasion. This, Mr. Editor, is the answer I give on behalf
of the Colonists, to the statement drawn up by your Cor-
respondent, professedly to correct the errors that might be
swimming on the public mind, on account of " the
imperftet intelligence as to the merits" of the question
I am, Sir,
AV ENEMY TO CANT •xn C•LrMMNY.

• Tyr article to which our Corespondent replan, WAS communi-
cated by the Police Reporter who usually attends the Mansion.
House this Paper, and who, we believe, also supplies two or
three others with the same matter. He is gencrally correct in his
reports of the ca,cs that occur before the Lord Mayor, though it
would appear front our Cr rrespundent's letter, that oc is mistaken
with respect to the colonial laws, regulating the manumission of
dares. Our Correspoodent does us only justice, in acquitting US
of any intention than: in circulating calumnies against the col° lists.
On the contrary, we have strenuousty opposed the tide of prejudice
which has of late Rowed so strongly against them.—Eo. Ba. PR

In the New Ydirk Ga:.ette, of the 19th ult., it is stated
that the huge timber ship, Columbus. which grounded in a
fog in the St. Lawrence, after being lightened, floated, and
proceeded on her voyage.
Fur the information of the friends of those on hoard the
outward-bound East Indianian, the Upton Castle, Cap-
tain Thacker, we can state, that a letter has been received,
through a vessel homeward, from a young gentleman on
board, dated the wl of dune, at which period all the pas-
sengers were perfectly well.
We understand, front the best authority, that Captain
Franklin sets out ou his next expedition the first week in
February; and that the route which the expedition is to
take on the present ouasion will be different from the for-
mer, as it is to land at New York, and proceed from thence
to the northward across the country, in canoes.—Ster.
Ax }: P EDI E N T.—A nsesume hail hired a small Ironic
at Bagarolet, and invited his friends once or twice a week to
come and amuse themselves there. Each brought his pro-
visions on these occasions ; one wine ; another cold meat ;
another patties ; another game. Anseaume was not rich,
and was very absent. lie hail, in short, forgot to pay his
rent for a whole year. The landlord made a descent
upon him precisely on the day that CollE, newel, Piton,
Gana, the painter Watteau, the musician I)cgneville, and
other epicureans, had assembled there. These gentlemen,
according to custom, bad brought plenty of provisions, but
no money ; and the landlord imperiously claimed his rent
of 2::0 clowns. What was to he done in order to assist
their friend ? They immediately set about cooking tire
meat and poultry ; they levied contribution on the fruit
and vegetables of the garden ; Watteau drew a beautiful
sign ; Degueville borrowed a bad violin of the perish
beadle; they got up, in short, a cabcrrt and a file chum-
iwire. The appearance of these new cooks, vitro served
their customers in habits of embroidered velvet, with swords
by their sides, attracted a prodigious concourse of callous
persons as well as consumers and the receipts amounted,
at midnight, to 300 crowns. Anseaumc paid his landlord,
and they returned the next day to Paris, in a handsome
barouche, to spend the remainder of their earnings at the
" Vrau iui tele.--Neus Literature.
A division has taken 'deco in the first Associate f'ongre-
gation at Cupar Angus, in consequence of some misunder-
standing regarding the election of a clergyman. The of-
fended party have withdrawn themselves under the name
of Protesters, and siding with those Dissenters who have
stood aloof from the Union, have it in contemplation to ii-
tig,ste their right to the Church.—Cilledasian Me 'vs.. y

LAW INTELLIGNCE.

COURT OF RINGS BENCH, TUESDAY, OCT. N.

11 Raw*.

&DIEN C. A*D OTKER3, ASSIGNEES Or TAtiIiNOTOS.
Thin was a special case, sent from the Vice.Chancellerr's Court
rffr the opinion of this Court. The plaintiff, vete meg:hams in
New York ; the bankrupt had been a merchant in London. and
transactions to a large amount had taken place between the plain-
tiffs and the bankrupt previously to his bankruptcy, which bap.
penned on the lath of 31arch. II 15. After the hankruptcy,
Waddington was continued agent to wind up the busing*, aid in
that character he received the produce of goods shipped by the
plaintiffs. Much of the transactions took place during the nix
with America, front 1812 to the end of laid, a',d the question fir
the consideration of this Court was, whether the plaintifili
prove, under the commission, debts arising from cunt:sets and cilia
during hostilities?
SIT. TINDALL argued that the debts were praablit,,. abet the
actual receipt of the money was sabeequent to the peace. The
goods were shipped to Havre, consigned to I.allits and Co., and
were landed there during the war. Part were mold,,and bill, rake*
at three months. Mr. Waddington discnunted the bills witia
Messrs. Perigord, but the bills were not actual l• due till after the
peace. Ile contended that the action could not bold for merry bad
and ieeeived until the maturity of the hall., and that,,althougb an
action at law could not Ire maintained fur money received during
the war, an action us, maintainable for money matnrely and actu-
ally falling due after the cessation of hostilit!cs and re-establish-
Went of peace.
Mr. Por.i.ocn, on the other aide, argued that no legal chill*
could arise from an illegal transaction. A contract made with as
alien enemy was essentially illegal, and could not be made valid by
the cessation of war, and was thus quite distinct from the mere sus.
pension of claim by a war, after the contract had been made. The
case was of great importance, involving an amount of 60,0001. oe
40,0001. An action could not hare been held for trove, in the
bills, or in the goods, and still less could an actinn be mainurincil
for the proceeds. The objection was not Mr. Waddington'a ; ! •
had no idea of such an objection. It was not raised by the a,.
signees, but it was an objection forced upon them by a large Cuts
of creditors, who expected, by excluding this claim, to *mire a
larger dividend.
Mr. TINDALL replied, and contended strenuously with respect
to the ship Benjamin, which arrived in Liverpool in January 1815,
after the preliminaries of peace had been %ivied. The Court would
nut rasnme that there had been a contract during the war, but
would suppose the ship sent upon apecutai ion in hover round oar
coast, and enter a port -,rter the signing of preliminaries. With
respect to the Joachim, winch landed goods at Havre, be hopeti the
Court would not hold With hi. Learned Friend, that an action of
trover could not be maintained if the goods 'had remained unscised
by the Crown until the peace. The Nils were held by Mr. Wad.
dington until the peace, at least they had not come to maturity
until that time, and he therefore trusted the Court would find that
an action could be maintained upon those bills. The money had
and received was, in fact, • new contract, upon which they sued,
and entirely free front the taint of contract with an alien enemy.
The LORD I:turn Jr axlCE—The Court will consider of the
CM, and return an sneerer to the Vice.Chancellat.