The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-19 00:00:00

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of die popolation of the West India Islands ; but in his opinion,
there was no sentiment more fallacious. The fact was quite the
contrary, and might be proved by the examples of all the Islands
from Demerara and Guiana to Jamaica.
Mr. GORDON said that it was with some surprise he had
heard the Honourable Member (Mr. Sykes) state that he was not
an enemy to the West Indies, when the whole tenor of his speech
contradicted the assertion. Let those who objected to give the pro-
peed and usual bounties to the West Indies, bring the subject be-
fore the House as a distinct motion, and give regular notice of it;
a fair-opportunity might then be given to oppose them. If those
• bounties were not continued, the Negro population would be re-
duced to a state of great misery. He (31r. Gordon) would call
upon those who defended the West India Slaves to enable their
proprietors to maintain them in comfort, which they could only do
by means of those bounties.
Mt. ROBERTSON said, that the only way to give effectual
relief to the West Indies was by emancipating the slates. This
was the real bounty which would be of service to the population.
Colonel MABERLY observed, that it would be more to the
interests of this country if it were altogether unconnected with the
West Indies. This he knew to be, since the days of Adam Smith,
the sentiment of all who had enid any attention to political eco-
nomy. He maintained that Legland was carrying on a losing
trade with those Islands, and that the sooner she got rid of them
the greater would be her gain, for with them she would get rid of
considerable expense and much trouble. Sugar might then be
procured from other places to greater advantage, and a greater
quantity of home produce would he taken in exchange.
Mr. BLAIR made a few observations, which were inaudible in
the gallery.
Mr. R. ELLIS said that the compact entered into between the
Mother Country and her Colonies should never be forgotten. On
this principle he objected to the:course pursued by the Honourable
Member (Mr. Sykes) who itsd introduced the debate, and con-
tended that we ought not to deprive the West India Colonies of the
protection afforded them by those bounties. He did not know how
the llonourable Member could complain of this protection, when
all our other Colonies were equally protected. The Hon. Gentle-
man then argued, that if they wished to make the Ilandoos culti-
vators, to a great extent, of sugar, still they had not the 'dime claim
upon the protection of Parliament; because, if the manufacturers
and cultivators of England are maintained in the possession of psi.
alleges for the protection of their industry, to tho injury of the
West India Colonies, so the West India Colonies should be main-
tained in the possession of theirs to the injury of the East. If
they proceeded upon a system of favouritism from reasons of blood,
language, habits, or interest, the West Indies were clearly entitled
to a preference over the strangers of Hindoetan. Again, it had
been said that it was wicked to continue receiving or Did
the
produce earned front the sweat and blood of slavery. Did any lion.
Gentleman know to what that argument would lead ? Did they
recollect that the cotton of America was the produce of slavery--
that the cotton of Brazil was the. produce of slavery—that the mines
of Mexico were worked by slaves—and that in all these countries'
the slaves were replaced and recruited from the continuance of that
very trade which they bad successfully exerted their efforts to abo-
lish ? Were they then one whit lees guilty ? was there one shade less
criminality in their using that produce which came to them indirectly
from the crimes of strangers, than in encouraging that which might
be called their own, and which was produced by a slavery no-
toriously milder and gentler than that which they would wink at,
or by connivance support? (Hear, hose.) Let them but putsue
this principle of rejecting all slave labour as far nit would lead
them, and they must finally put an end to all commercial inter.
course—a sacrifice which he did not believe the President of the
Board of Trade, or the manufacturers of Lancashire, would be
very willing to adopt. (Hear, hear.) The bounties on refined
sugars, he contended, had been encouraged by various Acts of
Parliament. Great Capitals had been sunk upon the faith of their
continuance, and it would be gross injustice to take these away
without an equivalent. All they asked was, that the refined sugars
in Jamaica and in this country should be placed upon'an equal
footing. If it was supposed that the repeal of the duties upon
rum offered any material compensation, he could tell the House,
that unless the measure underwent a great alteration, it would be a
nsaterial injury. He did not, however, mean to go into that ques-
tion at present, as other opportunities would be afforded ; and beg-
ging pardon of the House foe troubling it so long, he would repeat,
that the West India interest had not received an equivalent for
what it had lat. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. F. BUXTON had hoped that some reply would have been
made to the speech of the Member for Cricklade (31rOordon), who
had charged his Hon. Friends with a design to oppress the West
India interest. That charge he denied. lie never approached the
subject without pain and reluctance—certainly never sought
it from any interested motive of prejudice or passion. At that
hour he would not trouble the House to any extent, hut be would
just explain why. as it had been said, a rise in the price of sugar
injures and a reduction benefits the negro slave. ll'lten the price
of sugar is reduced, so as not to afford a fair re:nunerating price, the
planter either grows less, or cultivates something else ; if he grows
ess, there is a reduction of labour to the slave, a cessation of
oppression, and above all, a discontinuance of the necessity of
employing women. The condition of the slave is therefore better.
In the other case, when a planter grows something else, it is most
probably, provisions; and do not all who have written or '
thought upoirthe inbject agree, that nothing Is more to be desired
than that the negro should be employed in purposes of agriculture,
because he gets mote provisions, and is subjected to much less
hardship ? High prices and large bounties, by creating an artificial
demand, injured the slave; low prices gave a diminution of toil
and increase of provisions. In Barbadoes the negro', raised, on
an average, two and a hallhundred weight per man ; in Jamaica,
five ;in Demerara, seven. Let them look at the consequences.
In the first, where there was more of provision and less sugar raised,
there had been a small increase in the number of the negroes ; in
the second, a slight diminution ; and in the third, a mortality
almost equal to a pestilence. Ife contended, therefore, that the
encouragement of high priced sugar was injurious to the slave.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. TRA NT thought these discussions had a very bad effect
upon both East and West India interests.
Mr. li RIG I I T said, the argument of the Member for Weymouth
(Mr. Buxton) was most extraordinary. He seemed to consider
that all the Islands were equally fertile. There was no analogy
whatever in the cases he produced. He might as well compare the
Jamaica negro to the slave in the mines of Mexico. His argument
of low prices was equally unhappy. How could the planter feed
or clothe the creatures over whom he had power, unless he had it
himself? (Hear, hear.) The slave, where the price is low, would
be only urged to produce the more--the very reverse of him position.
(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentlemen opposite bath called them-
selves the friends of the West Indies. Let them show themselves
so, and let his Majesty's Ministers, who seemed unwilling to take
any part in the debate, do the ll'est Indies justice by putting them
on the footing from which they lied been pushed. (Hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he had
not merited the reproaches of the Member for Bristol. His reasons
for not taking part in the debate were, tent there was no obection
contained in any thing he had heard to the third reading of
that hill which he had moved. Honourable Gentlemen had taken
occasion to throw out certain suggestions and opinions in a general
way, to which lie was not called upon to give any answer, and he
therefore thought there was nothing disrespectful in his silence.
His opinions, he would say, were contained in the Bill—that Bill
was the very same u lest year : and as he had not proposed an
, scale of duties different front what existed before, he did not think
himself called upon to answer abstract principles of political
economy.

After a few words from Mr. W. SMITH, the Bill was then
read third time, and passed.
Mr. WYNN obtained leave to bring in a bill for tegulating the
Transportation of (Mender from St. Helena.
Mr. HERRIES presented • petition from the Journeymen Car.
penters in favour of the Equitable Loan Bank.
Mr. HERRI ES gave notice of his intention to move the Civil
Contingencies on Monday.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of--and the
House Adjourned at HALF-PAST TWELVE.

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