The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-18 00:00:00

and how important it becomes to watch the proceedings of
a Power so liable to sudden impulse, in • violation of its
most sacred declarations, and so systematically false in the
pursuit 'of its sinister policy. We shall not be surprised,
therefore, to hear that mischief has been meditating against
south America, though we trust that the Bourbons will
spare their fame the foul blot which must fall on it, should
fesradre tics rratitit,hy, as this fleet at C..iliz is tactedly
called, in imitation almost, as it were, of the certh.n saa-
taire, turn out to be a squadron intended for a descent on
South America.

'outi:cil

The regulations imposed by the late Order in Co .t,
respecting the treatment of slevi s, have been carried into
effect at Trinidad ; and it has been found that they are in
practice as full of difficulties and impediments as the
planters had anticipated. In many respects these regula-
tions. which it will be borne in mind were framed in this
country, have been discovered to be so ambiguous, that
numerous applications have ir.en already made to the Go-
vernor for explanations of their apparently unintelligible
provisions. 'I he experience of a few days has demon-
strated the impossibility of legislating, in detail, at such a
distance, with regard to the mode in which the negroes
shall be compelled to labour. Obsolete devices have
been revived, and new punishments invented, to coerce
the female slaves, on whom it is no longer permitted,
for any olknee, to use the whip. Amongst the
substitutes sanctioned by authority, and recommended
in a Proclamation by the Governor, are solitary con-
finement, field stocks, handcuffs, collars, and padlocks.
Some of these revolting instruments of coercion had
been generally laid aside, and are now again resorted to,
only because some means of compulsion are absolutely
necessary. While slavery is allowed to exist, the master
must have the power of inflicting such a degree of corporal
chastisement on his slaves as may be requisite to compel
them to labour. All beyond that is mere cruelty, and
should be rigorously prohibited ; but we do not understand
how slavery can be continued without the arbitrary right
lof punishment being invested in the master; and it mat-
tens little, we think, whether the punishment inflicted
be of one description or another, provided it be not
contrary to public decency, nor extending beyond. the
necessity of the case. But the main evil of this kind
of interference by the mother country is, that disscn-
oblong are thereby sown between the negroes and the
proprietors, and the former are, as at Jamaica, induced to
believe that the British Government intends to grant their
freedom, or, perhaps, has actually declared them free.
Hence arise insurrections, and a long train of consequent
crimes and outrages. The new regulations had not been
in force at Trinidad four-and-twenty hours, when the slaves
Oil some estates manifested a disposition to insubordination.
The delusion they had embraced was, that they had ceased
to be the private property of their owners, and were now
" working fin- Me King." Indeed, this notion is not very sur-
prising nor ridiculous. 'they probably knew that these regu-
lations were imposed by some Power which contronlcd the
authority of their masters ; anti, dull as their faculties
may be, we dare say they thoroughly comprehend the pro-
position, that that cannot be the property of one man which
may, in spite of his wishes and remonstrances, be law-
fully disposed of or destroyed by another. We are
anxious to see measutes of practical improvement carried
into execution in our Colonies, according to some well
digested plan, by which the welfare of the negroes,
and the safety of the proprietary, will be equally con-
sulted ; anti it is therefore that we regret, that these
immature plans have been adopted, and with such undue
precipitatien forced upon the colonists. These regulations,
after producing much confusion and mischief, will finally
be found abortive, and the great work of amelioration
LE chaps abandoned in despair, or forgotten amidst the
dangers that will result from the rash attempts making to
compress into the space of a few years, what must, in the
nature of things, be spread over the face of ages.

We have given in another column some articics of
general intelligence we have received from Russia. Our
correspondent excuses himself for not sending any political
news, by stating that he has reasons for his silence which
he will explain in person. Ile atlas, that be has judged it
necessary, for his own safety, to destroy a letter he had
lately received from an friend ; and he begs that
no political remarks may be made in any other communi-
eitions from borne, lest they should give offence to the
Russian authorities. We may juilgi, from his warnings
and apprehensions, what is the kind of prying vigilance
exercised over the subj, cts of the Autocrat of all the
Russian, who we know has endeavoured, in his own domi-
nions, to approach as neerly as possible to that beau ideal of
good government which, through the Holy Alliance, he
would establish in every kingdom in Europe.

Yestenlay morning Mr. llego, an Italian courier, arrived
at the Foreign Office, with dispatches for Mr. Secretary
Canning, from Kr Wm. A'Court, our Ambassador at
Madrid, dated up to the 6:h inst. Mr. Bego also brought
dispatch(' for the Right Han. Secretary, from Sir Charles
Stuart, our Ambassador at Paris, at which city he stopped
on his way to England.
Despatches dated the 19th of June were received yester-
day at the Colonial Department, from Sierra Leone. The
Colony, we are happy to say, was in a healthy state. Ilia
Makuty's ship Thetis, ('apt. Sir John Phillimore, having
ou board a number of officers for the Royal African Colo-
nial Light Infantry, and gel West India Regificent, with a
Detachment of 100 non-cominimaioned officers and privates
of the former corps, arrived at Sierra Leone on the 13th of
June, and sailed from thence on the 17th, for Cape Coast
Castle.
The new Brazilian loan was brought out yesterday. It'
is said to he for one million only, at 75, yielding 5 per
cent.: the first instalment of 10 per cent. to be paid on thel
loth instant. In the early part of the day bargains were
made at 1 I premium, but it afterwards fell top anti I. The
state of the premium denotes rather an unfavourable opi-
nion of the Loan, when we consider that the contractors
art• men of wealth and tespertability.
Boston Papers to the 19th ultimo, and Charleston Pa-
pers two flays later, have reached mi. One of the latter
~ contains some further particulars of the hurricane of the
Isle of France, by which twenty-five sail of ships and
brigs were sunk or driven on adore, and the plantations on
• I the island destroyed.
Letters were yesterday received from Ilarannah to the
11th ult. but they bring no political intelligence. The
vessel despatched with specie from Gibraltar had arrived
safely there. Through the American Papers we learn, that
the yellow fever raced at the Ilavannah. One vessel which
hail arrived from that place at New York had lost several
of crew by the malady. •
A letter was received yesterday from Cadiz to the fed-
lowing effect:—

('Anti, Jr 11. T 27.

I think it necessary to inform you. that on Sattirda. last a French
squadron arrived here, under the command of a Vice..ttlinital,
amounting to six frigates rend a line-ot.hattle ship, amt on Sunday
morning they were joined by the squadron under the command of
the Item-Admiral, whose flag has been hoisted here some months
since, on board the Santi Petri. They remained at anchor the
whole of Sunday, and at four o'clock in the afternoon of Monday
they weighed anchor end steered westward. The poor Spaniards
were surprtsed to see such a large French Abet before their once re-
nowned city ; and they cpttlil not be persuaded but that England was
going to unlace war against France ! It Is said this squadron is
going to Toulon. to be inepected by the Minister of !:urine, but
many believe they have sealed orders, and that their ulterior desti-
nation is not yet known. There yet remain in the Bay of d'ad'a
duce fr;gates„ and several smaller vessels. The ships which as-
rived on Saturday were very busy on Sunday and Monday in buy.
iMg up provisions; which induced many to suppose that Toulon
was not be their plate of rendezvous.