The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-20 00:00:00

BRITISH WEST INDIES.

The following is a copy of a Petition to the House of
Commons from the Planters and Proprietors of Estates in
our ‘Vest Indian Colonies:—
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.
The humble Petition of the undersigned Ploi,ters and Pro.
prietors of Estates in the British it act India Colonies
Sheweth—That your petitioners are planters, proprietors, and
owners of lands, slaves, hereditament+, and other property in the
British West India Colonies; that they have become possessed of
this property by inheritance or turchue, not only under the autho-
rity of various Acts of Parliament passed for that express purpose,
',but also in regard to the old British Colonies, by the original pro-
clamatiors and conditions lacier which they were first settled; and
as to the conquered Colonies, by virtue of the treaties under which
they were subsequently annexeu to the British Crown.
That Great Britain, for the purpose of rendering her Colonies
valuable and productive, promoted the 'lave trade, and encouraged
the Colonists to become the proprietors of slaves; and on more
than one occasion, when attempts were made by the Colonial As.
semblies to restrict and limit the importation of slaves, the Royal
Assent was refused toßills passed withithat view by the local Legis-
latures ; and the Ministers of the Crown declared that it" would
not be allowed to the Colonies to check or discourage in any degree
a traffic so beneficial and necessary to the Mother Country."
That in consequence of this policy an increased cultivation took
plate, owing to the continued and increased importation of negro
slaves, by whose labour alone the lands in the West Indies can be
regularly cultivated ; experience having shown that slaves when
emancipated have never been found to become efficient labourers,
and that the European constitution is incompetent to the task.
That the property of the masters in their slaves and their issue
is as completely and as solemnly recognized by the law, as the
title of any of their fellow-subjects to any other species of property
whatever, and that it ha.. uniformly been so treated by repeated
ktal decisioqs; fur the several courts of law in this country have, by
repeated decrees relating to inheritance, devise, settlement, con.
veyance, and securities of money, regarded and decided upon the
property in negroes and their issue, according to the laws and cue.
toms of this kingdom and the Colonies; recognizing in the proprie-
tors by such decrees a vested. interest iu the slaves, their future
issue and increase.
That if Parliament, altering the policy of the country in this
respect, choose to invade this property for a national object, it has
a dear course of proceeding, as in all other eases where the property
of individuals interferes with a public object, by offering them a
fair compensation for the surrender of it. If that object is one
which is required by a high moral duty, the same sense of duty
commands that it should be accomplished by the fair purchase of
that property, rather than by a forcible violation of it. If the
right to compensation be admitted in ease of injury (which in
justice cannot be denied), yet If it be maintained that the object
can be accomplished without injury to the planters, the State has
also a clear course, by offering a distinct pledge, and making pro-
vision for a costiegent compensation. If no loss should be Incur-
red, this will cost the State nothing; if the injury should be in.
flitted, it will be onty the satisfaction of a claim previously admitted
to be just: on the other hand, a refusal to abide the issue of the
test will be considered by the planters as a practical proof that
their fears are acknowledged to be well founded, however they may
be asserted to be groundless.
That the petitioner. feel themselves authorized to declare, that
the opinions, which in 1823 were expressed to his Majesty's Minis.
ten by several possessors of Colonial property, resident in this
country, and which have often, in discussion upon this subject, been
referred to. were directed solely towards measures of amelioration,
and did neither contemplate any compulsory emancipation of the
slaves, nor any constraint upon the independence of the Colonial
Legislature, in which sentiments your petitioners coincide; and
while they admit that Great Britain, if she have the will, possesses
the power to crush her Colonies, yet recollecting the care and pro-
tection with which the mother-country has heretofore fostered her
West India possessions, your petitioners cannot believe that her
ancient policy can now become so totally altered, as to visit them
with destruction; more particularly when they consider the increased
political importance of the Colonies, and also the amount of wealth,
which directly and indirectly, through them, centres in the mother
country, and which would not exist if Great Britain drew her
Colonial supplies from dependencies in the East, or from Colonies
not her own. On the justice of the mother-country, end of your
honourable House,your petitioners therefore confidently rely. They,
however, beg to represent that the value of their property has
aiready been greatly depreciated by the proceedings of your honour.
able House, and by the excitement which has been prodpeed in the
country, through the means or organized societies ; in consequence
of which so great a distrust has been created, in regard to the stn
bility of their property, that it has become almost impossible to
raise money by mortgage, or to effect a transfer of securities.
Your petitioners also complain that those Acts which were ex.
petted to have benefited the Colonies, by allowing a free intercourse,
as it was called (more especially with America), have not realized
those expectations, in consequence of the restrictions and duties
with which those Acts are fettered. And further, that although
many millions of taxes have been repealed, as affecting the inha-
bitauts of Great Britain, no effectual relief of that kind has been
extended to the Colonies ; but, on the contrary, the war duty on
the staple article of their manufacture is still kept up, even at a
time when the bounty is about to be withdrawn.
Under these circumstances, your petitioners pay that your
honourable House will not in any manner sanction or authorize any
Acts which may further impair the value of their property, so re-
peatedly and so solemnly recognized, unless a fund shall be pre-
Timbal y provided for a fair and ample compensation ; and moreover
that your honourable House will abstain from adopting towards
the local Legislatures in the %Vest India Colonies any measures
which may be at variance with those rights of internal legislation,
which they have ever claimed and exercised. And lastly, that
your honourable House will adopt such other measures as to your
wisdom may seem most expedient fur restoring that credit, value,
and prosperity, to which their property (obtained under the ex.
press sanction and encouragement of the Mother• Country) is justly
entitled.

And your petitioners wal ever pray.

Monday last surveyors were employed to the eastward
of Glasgow, in fixing the line of the Great London Road,
which is to join the Edinburgh road, preparatory to its for-
mation being immediately commenced ; the London Street
Committee having obtained a loan of 8,0001. from Govern-
ment for that purpose, on the security of the tolls. The
proprietors of the ground through which the road passes
are also satisfied with the same security. The road from
Clyde iron-works to Glasgow will be shortened a mile
when the improvement is finished. This undertaking will
be of the greatest utility in giving work to the unemployed
population.

AMEKICAN STATISTIC3.—There are about 10,000 phy-
sicians in the United States, and upwards of 0,000 lawyers.
There arc about 9,000 places of worship, and about 5,000
clergymen ; 1,000 newspapers are published. There are
mote than 100 steam-boats, comprising upwards of 11,000
tons, navigating the Mississippi. There are 5,000 post-
offices, 80,00 u miles of post-reads, and 1.'2,000 miles of
turnpike-roads. There are 3,000 I. giAators.
Mr. EDW•HD GIBBON IVAREFI trn.—The following is
an extract of a private letter, dated Macclesfield, May 17,
1626:—Yesterday morning, Mr. Edward G. Wakefield
arrived here, from London. He breakfasted at the house
of Dr. Davies, and then rode to Taxal Lodge, the seat of
George W. Newton, Esq. the Magistrate, to whom he sur-
rendered himself. lie remained at Taxal Lodge, until this
morning, when Mr. Turner anti his solicitor attended the
Magistrate. Several examinations took place, and Mr.
Wakefield. when asked if he hail any thing to say, always
replied, " nothing." The Magistrates concluded the sit-
ting, by placing Mr. Wakefield in the custody of a Stock-
port constable, and Ise will remain at Stockport until
Saturday next, when he will again appear before the Ma.
gistrate."

limit or TIM MN:cr.—As the climate obliges the
ladies of the harem to wear only very light dresses, there are
some manufactured of silk of so tine a texture, that the
whole dress does not weigh more than an ounce! They
repose in these dresses, which they change in the morning,
casting aside the former as of no further use. Every day
they assume a dress of a dfferent colour. They are
adorned besides with an immense quantity of jewels : the
collar of their robe is bordered with two bands of diamonds
enchased in the centre of two rows of pearls, crossing upon
the stomach. Their ear-riugs and bracelets are of sur-
prising beauty. Their fingers, and also their toes, which
arc bare (the feet being covered with sandals only), are
ornamented equally with the most beautiful rings. All
the wives of the Mogul, and all the Princesses his daughters,
carry on the thumb of the right hand, in the form of a
ring, a small looking-glass bordered with pearls. They
cast their eyes incessantly upon this mirror ; it is with them
the occupation of every moment. Their most becoming
ornament is a golden girdle of the breadth of two fingers,
enriched with jewels. Mantles of the same metal are sus-
pended to it, sewn with diamonds, whose points ter-
minated by knots of pearls. What is very surprising is
that each of these ladies has a change of six or eight sets of
these pearls.—Cotrous Mogul Dynasty.

THE BRITISH PRESS.