The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-04-16 00:00:00

by choice, from discreet feeling towards their sorereigat and
their country, or by the ban of er.ile, have given to this
kingdom that honourable preference which we trust Eng-
land will never crave to deserve among nations. Feeling
thus, we rejoice to know bow usefully some fereignera have
employed their time and their talents, since their sojourn
amongst its. ‘Ve arc invited to remark this the more
pointedly from the concurrent otawreation of our brother
journalists, that an enlightened Portuguese (who it is said
was the Presillynt of the last Corks) has been anxiously
acquainting himself with the administration of the criinival
law in this country, during the present sessions, at the Old
Bailey. The courteous attention with which Mr. Denman
introduced him on the occasion deserves great praise. We
ourselves can bear testimony to the visits of timeline Den
.Joaquin de Moira to our Courts of Chancery and King's
Bench, and have frequently remarked the polite courtesy
with which the Bar have always assigned him a situa-
tion which might best enable him to bear what was pa,s-
ing before him, and the readiness with which they gave
•him such expLanations as might make bun fully un- 11
• .dersosnel the whole course of the proceedings. Our courts
%ay he defective in some particulars, but we defy any man
to be present at the publk administration of the law in
this Country (guarded, we will add, by die notoriety
which follows through the free press), and to compare it
with any system of foreign judicature:, without a proud
feeling of national superiority. We will go further, we defy
any foreigner to pass his time amongst us, attending to our
habits, customs, and modes of civilization, without having,
it in his power, on returning to his native land, to benefit
it by some improvement, some amelioration, which his
judgment and intelligence, by comparison and by contrast,
will have seimested him. The purpo::•s of foreign travel,
so rarely made available in youth, is thus, by the force of
circumstances, become accessible to mature•r age, and we
rtjoice that the opportunity has not been lest. It is grad-
fiing to remark, that while the hospitality of England has
w:rened by the resort roller shores of men of ether nations;
so due an estimate has been formed by any enlighten«l
foreigper of the advantages her laws and institutions may
yield to them, that nothing that is worthy, nothing that it
valuable, escapes the persevering curiosity and the philoso-
phic pursuit of information which has mat ked the steps of
the very intelligent individual to whom we have alluded ;
and we cordially hope the known moderation of his polities,
with the benevolence of his heart, and the extent of his
experience, will,, on his return home, once more place him
in a situation of usefulness to his country, and of benefit to
mankind.

estate, and that she besought Mr. Smith to e,..0 home, which
he did. Not a sentence is stated of any expostulation ad-
dressed to the negroes assembled io open revolt, by the
Nlisstouary; or a word uttered by bim to dissuade them
from continuing their fatal purposes. No advice or assist-
ance arc mentioned to have been afforded by him to the
managers, or overseers, to supl•ress the insurrection. '
cf revolt being organized, and merely begs that
" Jacky need, of Dackfour" wou:el not be concerned in it;
and lee subsequently fuels the negroes in arms, and coolly
goes hen:•. Was it not natural that the strongest suspi-
(ion should follow on such conduct as this ? or where is
the Jury throughout the empire, that on this very affidavit
could have se-quitted the Missionary of a previous know-
ledge of the insurr, ction, arid the concealment of it from
the authorities in the island? It is acknowledged in the
adieiavit, that :ix negro Quamina, the leader of the revolt,
was st Mr. Smith's house after it had broken out, on the
emit of August_ Mrs. Smith, it is true, denies that *he
had been, directly or indirectly, induced to see either
Quatenina, or Bristol, another negro rebel, by her husband,
but that the wish sprung from herself alone ; from what-
ever cause however the two migrates rcere on the Yuth at
Mr. Smith's house, and the conversation is stated to have
consisted between Quatnieta and Mr. Smith. " of inquiries I
respecting the health of the negm, and a passing observa-
tion from the Missionary, that he was sorry and grieved
to and that the people had been so foolish, and wicked, and
mad, as to be guilty of revolting, and hoped he was not
concerned in it," to which the 11%70 made no reply. Mrs.
Smith admits her desire to have Quatnina's visit to their
li ruse kept a secret. Site says, she was alarmed at what ber
husband stated as to the negro being implicated iu the revok,
and that she might have told the little girl, Elisabeth,
that she was not to mention his having been there, or that she,
Mrs. Smith, would punish hoe." If the Missionary was
terious in his eppoaitiou to this insurrection. would he have
trifled in frivolous inquiries about Quamina's health, or
' not have remonstrated strongly and seriously with him on
the criminal undertaking iu which he had embarked?
Would not any other man in Mr. Smith's situation have
exerted his whole influence to crush the insurrection in the
bud, and, failing in his efforts, have instantly communi-
cated with Governor Murray on the subject? We acquit
Mr. Smith of all participation in the revolt, or of having
used any means to inflame it; but it is but too plain that he
was apprised of its existence, and took no measures to ex-
tinguish it, and that when it ;tad broke out, he remained
completely passive. 'this is established by the affidavit of
hie widow. Such a conduct was not sufficiently criminal,
we admit, to entail on him the heavy sen:ence, under the
effects of which he subsequently sunk ; but it leaves him
any thing but free from suspicion, which we do not see
how any investigation now urged in Parliament can clear
away. We have argued the case on Mrs. Smith's own
showing, without at present going through the voluminous
I evidence on her husband's trial. Prejudice, we are con-
vinced, ran high against him, and he never should have
been capitally convicted by his court-martial ; but he does
not appear to have been suited to the important mission in
which he Intel engaged, and bad he lived, we could need
no other document than this affidavit to convince us that
his further residence among the negroes of Demerara would
been most imprudent and dangerous.

In addition to the voluminous minutes cf the evidence
given on the trial of Mr. Smith, the Missionary at IN:me -
rata, extracts from which will be fennel this morning in
our columns, the Directors of the London Missionary So-
ciety have published an affidavit of considerable length,
front his widow, sworn before Major-General Murray. the
Governor of Demerara and Essequibo, at thorge Toy ,i, in
November last. We have read this document through
with considerable attention, anti we are compelled to say,
we cannot think it by any means either satisfactory or con-
clusive. One of the charges made by the Judge Advocate
at d his assistants against the unfortunate Mr. Smith on his
trial was, " that he, the said John Smith, on the 17th of
August last past, and fur a certain period of time thereto
preceding, having rome to the knowledge of a certain revolt
and rebellion intended to take place within that colony, did,
won wake known the some to the proper authorities, which
revolt and rebellion did subsequently take place, to wit, on or
about the 18th of August then lastpast." Now Mrs. Smith's
affidavit admits that on the very day of the insurrection
four of the negroes actively interested in it, viz. Quamina,
of Succors plantation ; Seaton, of the same place; and Peter
and Shute, of Le Resouvenir, all came together to Mr.
Smith's house ; that she (Mrs. Smith) heard her husband
speak to Qnamina in particular, who was a leader of the
revolt, and that the latter laughed and said, " 0, nothing,
Sir ; we were only saying it would be good to send and tell
the managers to go to town and gut the new law," and that
thereupon her husband reproved the said Quamina for so
talking. Here were the first symptoms of insurrection dis-
tinctly intimated. The new law was that expected by the
!agrees for their emancipation ; yet a passing reproof ap-
pears to bare been the only opposition then made by Mr.
Smith. it is not stated that he made any immediate inquiries
to discover whether anything further was meditated by the
negroes on the plantations around him, or exerted his influ-
ence in the slightest degree to suppress the tieing discontents,
or calm the feelings of the slaves. The affidavit further states,
" that she (Mrs. Smith) beard nothing from her husband
concerning the cotivcisation with Quamina on the 17th,
until the following Monday, the IStli of August, when, as
she and her husliand were going out to walk, a negro of
the name of GuiellMrd, belonging to Duchfour Plantation,
made his appearance, 210 handed Mr. Smith a note or let-
ter, which he. re,: b and asked severs] questions respecting
its contents, and who had carried a certain inclocure therein
to another negro, deeply implicated in the revolt, called
Jackey Reed, of Dockfour. That Guildford returned evasive
and unsatisfactory answers, which Mrs. Smith attributed
rather to stupidity than design ; that her husband there-
upon desired the said Guildford to make haste hack, and tell
no. ,
paTyheatDduilatte2eitc Duchtm
uished usis, of
dßetudinfogrddwieillhordtraminata
tzrrrieroses
Jackey Reed, of Dock:our, that he, Mr. Smith, knew
thing of the matter to which the cements of the note re- Wouurn Abbey.
at dinner yenta.
furred ; but that it there was an) thing going to happvu, d,:yi.,haeilitunt:4,7: in tilyl earteerntawilied a large party
e.
he begged that be, Jackey Reed, would :lot have anything Lord .klelvill:: entertained a distinguished party at dinner, yew
to do with it." 'Phis note, it is plain, intimated that the "Illie'Ll',:jr,pl4l:l7,ll,,Y,i'his issued cards o invitation for a dinner
revolt was about to break out. t lmilit not Mr. Smith to patty on Wedneso. ay neat, at his house in St. James's-square.
have immediately gone among the negroes, and exerted all crreal lardt.S4unturnianthrliratetc!idner party Yesterday', at his house in
his influence for its suppression, and failing in that effort, The Duke of Rutland arrived yesterday at his house in Arline.
have instantly communicated with the authorities in Geor 100-sttort.tirosniwkpbt.is *rat, Behan. castle, for a few days, on his
ge
Town, ao as to have secured the ringleselers, and quelled The Dowager Du thess of Richmond, and the Ladies Lennox,
the insurrection at once? He would thus have averted all arril 1 _eaurtii at their house in Waterloo-place, Irons Reittinss•
The Anions of Linsilown left town yesterday, tor Baresnes,
the dreadful consequences that followed—the many lives Sussex.
a yr.,: erddza,, forna the
their Earl If
lea in the unhappy contest, and the blood subsequently I.;,lrdeeiand Illtilulbtayndealeyfi:. townor
spilled on the scaffehl. put did Mr. Smith ruakt any ex- the Duke Ist' Bedford's, IVoburn Abbey. way
ration of this sort, thengh he was, in fact, apprised that Surrey,aPor !he iuttlY.l:ft town yo.ttrilwy, for their seat, Ockham,
the revolt was organized ? No; the affidavit states that telr William and Lady Jane Houston left town yesterday, for
he merely wrote a short note in reply to the important their A
Lord and Lady ' se .
N'tiuyisenl,:ft town yesterday, for their seat,
communication made to him, which he entrusted to the Liner. Bucks.
Di .11 lintel. St. Jatnew's.street • qir John
negro Guildford, and then coolly set out on his walk. In Ili ella.riluarte:7Lten hi:l.T' in Sussex ; Col. Jones, fur. his mesa in
fact, the insurrection had then commenced, for while they %Vales; and John Saville Lumley, Lml., for Brighton.
Right gilt:: titrin,..t.tut cc
(.I.iintlirr..lz .14...PA:lit:In f,..anitly ldt town yester_
were walking up the front middle walk of Le Resourenir,
going towards the sea shine, and consulting as to what were lion. Mr. and Mrs. Agar Ellis have left town on a visit to the
the best steps to be taken by her husband, they heard a Dti",fainaedit „ho:d%i•lgitei. uhkrii2j),eyj yn-s t :—Lord and Lady
great noise at the buildings of Le Resouvenir, and there- Arbuthnot, Crum oxford. Departure:—Sir Witham and Laity
upon immediately returned, with an intention of going'
1 wlrefr at attoetelluitesint'er iro,doez Atbtv,aeleetreet:—:darer and
directly home to their own house. They had net, how-. laity Barbara Crswfonl, from ltrussa.s. Departure:—Loral 801.
ere:, Proceeded many yards on their return, when John wn;irfo'rvinial4..':,i'!-tmianthirnia,this's two sons, and Mr. Shaw, left Thomas's
Hamilton (an overseer) called aloud to Mr. SII lith to come nowt, I,kriecley-square, yesterday, for the Continent.
and blip him. Mo. Smith and her husband then went to yesterday, ir In' yFrefonulir 3`,,15;,!;:t1' 2ii,gl:4lj:in'ut 4eni' forfr'r ere nle
holidays.left town
the spot where the negroes had assembled, in front of the Arrival. et the St. Petersburg!' Hotel, I )over.street : —Captain
ii.li-at,ecoo-ulb!larl.i l;oitam,frioroar Portsmo
spa inath ; Mr.
dwelling-house, and Mr. Smith went forward to speak to the I anal n
Devon-1
assembled slaves, whothereupon, the affidavit staitts, began to . attire; and Capt. Dun' Penes, from Jtieheohatmr
eet :—Sir Gra
brandish their ctulaases, 'lntl she, ors. Smith, became serer- i.,lll4:o4dAtpw'Rief,d, an.stillioantlllyi:aiwZn (rvjea6r-arr rcay uagpion Luc",
fled, and ran home ; that oho subsequently returned, and near Stratford-upon-Avon. Warwickshire; and it. Slid:nay, Eaq. i
fullud bar lauabaad staalliog at a little distance from the rte- igrfi:htmlil:: scat in
snes sula;%tiLm. EnuelAhur47"-11:44661.7at tit.bitri:A4:i
grog, haviag nearhim the manager, and tw 2 overseers of the and Miss Payne, toe her seat in Hants.

IViwnsort, APRIL I.s.—Yesterday evening, about six
o'clock, the King and suite arrived at the Castle, from
London ; the royal standard was immediately hoisted on
the Round Tower.—This morning his Majesty took an
airing in his phaeton in li'inilsor Great Park, and in-
spected the improveuteats, &c. making at the 'Loyal
Lodge.
The Princess Attgusta visited the Duchess of Gloucester
yesterday.
Yesterday the Princess Sophia visited the Duchess of
Gloucester.

The Duke of Gloucester, we arc sorry to say, continues
indisposed with a but odd, so much so chat the dinner in-
tends:li to be given to the Princess Augusta and a select
party yesterday was put off in consequence.
Yesterday afternoon Earl Ilathurvt left town for Brighton.
We are sorry to learn, that the Eui of Liverpool con-
tinues to be seriously indisposed. 'l'hough he attended in
the House of Lords on Thursday last, and spoke upon
Lord Darnley's motion, yet he was even then in so taw
a state, that his pulse could not be raised above 49 or U.
It has been stattil to us, on good authority, that Mr.
Lushington goes certainly to India, as tioveriwr of Bom-
bay. Mr. Canning, it is asid, will have the nomina-
tion of the new Secretary of the Treasury.—Eeening
Poptr.
The Duke of St. Alban's, who has been confined six
weeks with a severe fit of the gout, at his house in St.
Jautes's-square, we are happy to hear, is getting better.
Hiss Crachonii, the celebrated Sicilian dwarf, was pre-
sented to his Majesty on Monday last, at C.alton Palace.
This little being is one of the greatest curiosities we have
ever witnessed.

Yesterday morning Mr. Hill, the King's Messenger,
arrived at the Foreign-office, Ifowning-street, with des-
patches from Sir Henry Wellesley, our Ambassador at
Vienna, dated up to the Bth instant.
Dratfen, the King's Messenger, arrived at the
Foreign-aim on Tuesday night, with despatches from Sir
C. fagot, at St. Petersburgh, which place Mr. L./Tartu leit
on the sitath of March.

FiLVIIIONADLE INTELLIGENCE.