The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-06-04 00:00:00

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man (Mr. Hume) the best that could be adopted. He also thought
an harbour at Reeve soul I be of great public service.
Sir ISAAC COFFIN thought neither place to be fit for an har-
bour.
Mr. BERRIES, in reply, observed, that the whole sum which
had been expended about the harbour of Lyme was 67,0001., and
not 106,0001. as stated by the Hon. Member for Montrose.
Mr. HUME observed, that admitting it to be 67.0001. yet that
was too much to throw away, and they were now called upon to
vote 13,0001. more without any reasonable evidence before them of
its being necessary.
An lionnurable MEMBER, whose name we could not hem
observed, that an Hun. Friend of his, who was now a Maim
of the House, had many years ago been overtaken bye storm of
the western coast, and had b. not been able to obtain shelter in thdl,
harbour, of Lyme, be would mat probably have been driven to
sea and perished.
Mr. COOPER YOU to confirm the statement of his Hon. Friend.
Many years ago he was sailing on the western coast when a gale
came on, ind had it not been for the port of Lyrae he should not
have had the honour of addressing them now. He should moat
, conscientiously vote for any sum proposed for the repairing of this
harbour, as its existence had been the sole moans altering him
and hie.
Mr. HUME then proposed tolenove a Resolution, u an amend-
ment to the one moved by Mr. Hernia
The CHANCELLOR orate EXCHEQUER thought it would
be quite unprecedented and contrary to usage to move such a Reso-
, talon as that of the Hon. Member (Mr. Hume) in a Coniunittee of
Su
rly'
r. HUdIE said be did not think that there was any irteguludy
in moving such a Resolution. He would endeavour to effect his
object by a motion, and would for the present move as as amend-
ment, " That the Chairman report progress, and obtain leave to sit
again."
The House then divided--
For the Amendment . - 15
Against it - 66
Majority - —SI
The original Resolution was then agreed to.
The next Resolution was a rate of YAWN. to indemnify Ame-
rica for the capture of certain dues datiag the war, and to defray
other charges slue, according to contract, from this country to
America.
Mr. STERNAL, on our retain to the gallery, requested to know
from the /tight Hon. Secretary (Mr. Canning) what had become of,
or what was to be done relative to, the slaves to whom this vote
ererred
Mr. CANNING replied that this vote was drawn up pursuant to
the terms of the Treaty of Ghent. In the adjustment of the affairs
after the war between this country and America, a difference arose,
which difference was submitted for adjustment to a third Power ;
that Power was Russia. She decided against this country and in
favour of America, and the sum now proposed was to satisfy these
claims. As to thequestion what had become of the slaves, that was
a consideration into which Government could nut enter, nor could
the captors he made accountable for them. The demand on this
country was one of pecuniary compensation, and as it was a matter
of contract it ought to be satisfied..
The Resolution was then agreed to. The Report was ordered to
be brought up on Monday.
MAURITIUS TRADE BILL.
Mr. W. HORTON moved the second reeling of the Mauritins
Trade Bill. , .
dlr. BERNAL objected to this Bill, as it proposed to place the
Isle of Mauritius on the same footing with our Wes, India Colo-
nies. This was a proposition to which lie was the more unwilling
to accede, as, up to the year 1021, slaves were illegally imported
into the Isle of France; at a lane too, it should be remembered,
when our plantations in the 'West Indies were cultivated by Creole
slaves. 'I here was besides a greater facility afforded for the impor:
tad= of slaves into this island by a few rocky islands on the east
aide of it. He alluded particularly to the Secheyelles, , where an
armed feud iris continually obliged to cruise, even to this day, to
prevent the illegal imliortation of which he complained. The in.
habitant's of the Isle of Mauritius first merely sought to be admit.
ted to the benefits of the East India Charter; but after they had
enjoyed 'the privilege of a tree port fou: or lire years, they turned
round and sought to be placed on the same footing with our West
India Colonies. In the Bill before the House, it appeared that
sugar from China, or freniany other country, might be brought to
the Mauritius, and re-exported thence as the produce of that island.
Mr. W. HORTON intimated that the oversight suggested by
the Hon. Member had been provided against.
Mr. BERNAL resumed, and expressed his satisfaction that it
had been so provided against, as, according to the Bill in its present.
shape such a traffic might take place. ('so, no.) Ile would coo-
clude'by opposing the Bill, because sufficient reason had not been
stated for withdrawing this island from the East India
which it originally enjoyed; and secondly, because it afforded
tides for the importation of slaves, from which our West India
Colonies s'erecrohibited.
4

Mr. W. fleiliToltlTtaid that the principle on which this Bill
was founded was, that the Island of the Mauritius should be placed
so the same fooling as the other Colonies of Great Britain. The
Obstasetien of that island with this country, under the East India
Clatter, west smatter of accident, and was by no means intended
ho permanent. Besides, the nature of the produce of
tbeiliond was better understood now than it was at that time. It
=taew, that from the hurricanes that occurred these, and
ee souses, sugar was the only species of produce that was
*tellable and profitable in that island. As to the importation of
slaves into the Mauritius, he denied that such an importation
existed, or the facility for their admission to the extent stated by
the Honourable Member. There need not be any great apprehen-
iioll on the part of the 'West Indies, as the supply from the Mau-
*ns bore so small a proportion to the produce of the West India
' Islands, that the competition would be inconsiderable. He it ould
sapper' the Bill, en the principle that this island was entitled,
squally with any other of our Colonies importing 'sugar, to the
advantages of our Colonial system of policy.
Mr. C. R. ELLIS was of opinion that as no case for altering the
present system adopted towards the Mauritius had been made out
the present regulauons relative to the trade in that colony should
continue as they now were. He then read extracts from a petition
which he held in his hand, and whi9h had been addressed to the
Prince Regent, stating the evils which had existed in the lsle of
France previous to the time when his Majesty's standard had been
hoisted there. He then went on to notice the support which the
island of the Mauritius derived from agriculture, adding, %Muff
the statements published on the subject were true, they were con,.
elusive against the colcnial regulations of this country. In every
one of the Reports of the African Institution, from the year
1809 to the year 1820, it appeared that the Slave Trade had
been carried •on most extensively in that colony, and that a
the inhabitants entered actively into the traffic. In 18011,
Sally hundred slaves had been imported from 31adagastme,
and the Europeans, so far from siding in its suppression, weal
forward to advance it. Much had been done to put down that
trade, and much of the success which had ensued was owing to du
exertions of Sir Robert Farquhar. This had chiefly been effected
by treaties with several c the neighbouring Princes, amongst
whom were the Prince of Madagascar aid the Imaum of Muskat.
He would particularly direct the attention of the House to the
moral effect which the Bill before them would probably have upon
the condition of the West India colonies. His strong feel-
ing was that they owed it to their own character, as well as to that
of the West India colonies, not to peas the Bill.
Mr. HUSILISSON wished the House to consider whether it
would not be equitable to give the Mauritius the same commercial
advantages enjoyed by the West India Colonies. There would be
obvious injustice in placing those Colonies on the same footing as
to duties, and yet to place the Mauritius on a mere favourable
footing in other respects than the West India Colonies. On these
grounds he wished to ascertain what the opinion of the people and
the real feelings in the Mauritian were, at the same time that he fully
reserved to himself the right of exercising his own judgment after-
wards ; and his opinion was, that it would be not only unwise and
impolitic, but unjust, to deprive the one Colony of free trade, for
the sake of establishing a principle of equality in the duties paid in
both. He thought that the House ought to try to place the West
Indies on the same footing, without having recourse to such an im-
perfect and unstatesmanlike expedient. A Bill had been reported to
the !loose that evening, which wtut to put the West India Coionies
on the same footing as regarded Feedom of trade that the other parts
of the world stood, and they therefore would have no ground
of complaint es regarded res:tictions upon their own commerce,
and consequently none of any freedom which might in that respect
be granted to the Mauritius. As far as the argument went of
inconvenience to the West Indies, it amounted merely to saytag,
that they suffered in their relative situation with the Mauritius.
Then he would prefer to equalive their conditions, not by laying
additional impositions on one, hot by relieving the other—rather by
removing existing weight than by siiperadding additional burdens.
It had been stated that the Colony, await caine into the hands of
Great Britain, hid carried on an illicit trade in slaves. Ills Hon.
Friend bad stated that before the year 1820, and that during that
penod it could not have produced so much had it not been for that
traffic. He did not deny that occasionally, in some instances, the
trade might have been carried on ; but be was sure his Hon. Friend
and the House would do him the ju‘r:ce to believe, that supposing it
to have been so carried on. it was not with the consent or
concurrence, or countenance of those who would feel it their first duty
to have prevented it. (Hear.) Ile would, however, then say, that
that traffic had ceased to obtain its improper supplies. The rule,
he thought, should apply generally. which went to establish as an
admitted principle that higher duties ought to be paid by a colony
having slaves, whose inhabitants did not conform to certain rules
laid down for those on whom lighter duties had been imposed. He
saw no reason why such a rule should be made to apply parti-
cularly to the Mauritius, and not generally to all the colonies.
His Honourable Friend appeared afraid of the moral effect which
the Bill might have upon the people of the West India Colonies, but
this lie thought altogether visionary. It should not be lost sight
of that the Mauritius, like other of our Colonies, was subject to
frequent hurricanes and other accidental causes, which deteriorated
its produce; for these reasons nue West India Colonies would have
little reason to be jealous of any supposed advantages that island
might have over them in the small supply of sugar it might be able
to yield. If he cnndned hiniself to his own showing—if lie did not
go beyond his own little proclamation, be would see that there was
no reason to dread that inundation of sugar of which lie seemed in
such apprehension. In every view which he could take of the cir.
cumstances, he hesitated not to express his conviction that prohi.
bition would drive the inhabitants of that colony to despair, suffer-
ing as they did, by nature, and from other untoward circumstances.
The Wand was held foe great political purposes, and why deny
it the same advantages enjoyed by ether places 1 It was
near a Preach stilton of much importance, and it would be
unwise and unstatesmanlike to expose it so isry or bard.
As to the Sit/04100 of the slaves in that Coy, he could
thy, how all that he had learned, that they were much better off