The National Register.
London, England, 1818-02-15 00:00:00

THENATTOWAT. REGIS'

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we had before made her. With respect to any rialto-rime nr
opinion, if ally should arise, he hoped Gentlemen would
not mix the subject of the Slave Trade with that of AMCI ica,
and that nothing would be said to embitter the bond of 'ninon
on this subjec►. upon which all hands were agreed. It was,
kicked, a question embracing such a variety of policy, and
so many topics for disenssien, that he should deplore any
attempt at disturbing the unanimity which should prevail.
The Noble Lord roneladeil with moving, that the committee
should take the regalations adopted in consequence of the
Treaty entered into with Spain into a consideration with a
view afterwards of moving to bring in a Bill to carry these
regulations into erect. After which he shonld propose in a
Committee of Supply to a vote a sutu of 400,0001 A Reso-
solutiou to that effect was then read.
Sir G. REATIICOTE could not avoid observing, that so large
a stun as 400,0001 might, in the present distressed situation of
the country, be better applied in relieving nor fellow subjects.
At the rate of 251. per family, relief could be afforded to
W,OOO families.
Mr. Wiraunvouce thought the Honom able Baronet had
not fairly stated the question hi respect to the appropriation
of the 400,0001. It fealty was u great national one, and he
would put it whether the individuals, subjects of this country,
would not rather pay at the rate of ltd. or 3d. per man to
abodisii Slavery, than to vote for the application of the sum
among 16,000 of their fellow subjects. The Hon. Gentleman
thought the question of the Slave Trade was one of the great.
est importance, and the Noble Lord was entitled to his gra •
titude for his very great attention, and for his assiduity and
eat nest labours in bringing about the subject, and putting an
end to the abominable traffic in slaves. With respect to the
gum of 100,0001. it was to be applied to raise a superstruc-
ture which. in time, might become sot only the glory of Great
Britain, but the admiration of time world.

Sir 0. Most.E% supported the proposition for emancipa-
ting Slavery ; but if the trade was to he abolished in eight
years. why not let the time run not, rather than pay a sum of
100.0001. for the abolition of Slavery.
Lord Casrtettettat observed that he had beers mistaken
In having been supposed to say, that Spain had entered into
stipulations to pot an end to the *nude within eight years.
no such stipulation had been made.
bit.. 3. MACKINTosH was disposed to concur with the Hon.
Gentleman who supported the proposition in a formal point of
view. He was glad to nod from the statemeuts of the Noble
Lord,that a guarantee for the performance of the stipulations
of the Treaty for abolishing the trade of Slavery, had beets
taken. lie rejoiced that our national pride had bent itself
to procure redress for the wirings of those who perhaps would
not be able to appreciate fully the condescension this country
had evinced in that respect, however their gratitude might
repay the benefits conferred. Such conduct, much as we
prided ourselves upon our national maritime superiority, was
highly honourable to our feelings, and would eventually be
productive of the greatest beretits to the Country. Ile
voted with pleasure liar the Resolution, because it suctioned
the maritime right of search and visitation, its order to put as
end to the-traffic in Slavery.
Mr. C. GRANT supported the Motion.
Mr. 11 RN ETT supported the proposition but reminded the.
Noble Lord and the House, that though the Ordinance of toe
French King abolished the Trade in Slaves, in the French
Colonies, yet there was nothing in the Ordinance warier pre-
vented them from tratiking. He wished to know from the
Noble Lord whether any security had been taken at the
Congress for the presentiou of the Tunic, because he be-
lieved it was mere delusion to suppose that Slavery was at an
end.

Lord GASTLEDE %GI? observed, that it was impossible for
him to say what the legal point of view was in which the
engagements would be taken in the French Law Courts. He
could positively say that the orders to the Colonies were per-
emptory. The GinvernoroftheColony ofßonrbon wasdisplaeed
because he had not taken measures to repress Slavery, in con-
formity with the ot der' he received. With respect tothe laws of
Franee on Slavery, he had a remninnieation with the French
Minister uponthesubject,who had reecis ediactructions from his
Court, to inform him (Lord C.) that it was the wish of France
to assimilate the Slave Laws of that kingdom with those of
England, and to completely put the trade down.
Mr. GORDON opposed the Resolution.
_ .

Mr. Nlxititsi AT alluded to the abolition of the Trade in
slaves by Franco ; lie knew that instructions were sent out to
Martinique, and arrived there six days after the Treaty was
signed ; and the truth was, that no ship had sailed fron► that
port after the notification.

Sir Vi . BURROWS concurred in the proposition of the Noble
Lord, and agreed that great merit was due to him for negoti-
ating the subject so advantageously for the interests of hu-
manity. He hoped the Hun. Baronet would withdraw Ins
opposition..
The House then divided—Ayes 56 ; Noes 4—Majority 32.
Adjourned at Hull past Nine o'Cloek.
TI:ESIAY.
CITY OF LONDON NEW PRISON.

Sir W.CLRTIS moved for leave to tiling in a hill to enlarge
the powers given by Act ut Parliament to the city for build-
ing the new prison in Landon.
Mr.HOLME S(MNER and \lr. BE NNETT expressed their
intention of apposing the Bill. The conduct at the city was
defended by Sir James slum and Mr. Alderman Wood, alter
which leave was gluon to bring in the bill.
SALT.

Mr. CURWF.N presented apetition from farmers and othars
at Workington, praying fits some relief to enable avicultur-
ists to make n more advantageous net• of salt.
Ordered to lie ow the talste and to be printel
ENIPLOY NI ENT OF CHILDREN IN 111ANUFAC..
oMU IS.

Sir R. PEEL presented a petitinu from losbourers above 1(
years of age, at Manchester and its neighbourhood, em-
ployed as spinners, sue. It stated, that they were at au 1..41i
age of lift enfeebled ley overworking iu places badly venni.,
led and over Istaied. It 'stayed for a regulation to ri due.
the hours of wink to 10 bents and a half put day, and for the
improvement of the regulations of Sir Robert Peel s its
Mr. Cr:RW EN observed, that tee hail visited several of the
manufactories, and must say, he never found children in bet-
ter health and looks. fle had no concern in 110111111.4 C (Mies,
*WI could have no interest in expressing Isis opinions.
Mr. Crottions: hail quite a cowrie y impression of the evi-
dence from the Honourable .Member. It seemed impossible
to say that labour for It bouts a day, and the steam-engine
ceasing fur only 40 minutes, was connected with no iiiliii-
manity.--(Hear.) It was even slated that debit.a of six
years of age were employed at thiac labours. When 3or 100
boys attended Sundry schools, those were oistinguislied by
there looks who were employed constantly in the
ries.— (Hear.) He thou7ht the House and the country %vete
iudebted to the iiououlablt; itarouet for las beaevaLtat tact-


:YEB

tions. Atter having made a large fortune by the labours of
tittle people, it war Manly becoming his characier to !oake
diem lite best return. (he ar.) The count y was (toiler obliga.
tions to lino for it.—(Hear.)
Mr. PHILLIPS stated, that he had on a Sunday, gone round
for the purpose of viewing the effects of employment in the
manufactories on such children as he could see. and of con-
trasting their appearance with that of children %Ili° were
otherways employed. The appearance of those who had been
employed in the manufactories was found to be fully as good
as the appearance of others who had not been so employed.—
He gave credit to the Honourable Baronet for acting from
humane feelines : but the Honourable Baronet's own factories
were so ill regulated, as as to call forth the observations of
neighbouring MaAistrates.
The Hon. Baronet atterwai stated before the Com-
mittee, that they were not improved in consequence at the
examination. Examples of improvements were, however, set
in other factories. and those examples were followed. The
factories nailer the Honourable Member's own in:iiiaenteat
tee' e well regulated, and all employed by him were comfort-
able.

fir It. Peet. had felt no wish to interrupt the Honourable
Member, but he conceive that he hail travelled ont of
his was' to attack hit character. The petition he presented
referred to all the manufactories in question, His own were
as faulty as any. On finding the r vile that did prevail, and
their pernicious effects, he was so struck, that he n as resolved
to bring the subject before Parliament, for he was convinced
that nothing but an Act of Parliament could apply a remedy.
Mr. W. SMITH rase to show nity the petition should be
received. He had seen the persons who came op with it,
and who looked ansionsly for the interposition of the house.
He had inquired of them, and found that the petition had
arisen from the spontaneous desire of those who signed it.—
It was agreed b,v. 6,000 persons in the town of Manchester.—
They were all acquainted with its contents hefore they signed
it, and their petition was therefore entitled to attention.

Mr. Su Aw rose to belt testimony in consequence of his own
personal observation about two years ago in Manchester, that
he never did see any persons more healthy, contented, anti
better satisfied, than in the manufactories of the Honourable
Gentleman (Mr. Phillips) who spoke on the opposite side of
time House. •

The Petition way then brought "nand laid on the table.
STATE TRIALS IN SCOTLAND.
_ _ _

Lord A. HAMILTON rose to submit to the }fosse a motion
of which he hail given notice on the first day of the aesstosi.—
The charge he had to bring forward involved in it somethitig,
very near subornation of perjury,---(hear, Lear.) The case he
was to submit to the house :nose limn the trial of M`Kinlay.
He scketed this case because it was the strongest that had
occurred, and because the part which be had to animadvert
upon involved no legal technicalities. His complaint was,
that the trial was neither fair, just, nor impartial. At the switch
time he disclaimed any concern with the inuocenee or thin
guilt of the persons accused. The most guilty were entitled
to a fair, just, and impartial trial.• —(mar, hear.) The Learned
Lord's exaggerated statement had precluded the possibility
of juries lacing unprejudiced. Public and convivial societies
on political subjects, in the places were disaffeetiou was said
to exist, were, in the Noble Lord's judgment, productive of
hicalcnlahle mischief in that part of the kingdom. Rut the
ground of his complaint was, that the ollicius of the Crown,
instead of confining themselves to the line prescribed to them.
had committed what really amounted to, but what he hesitated
to call, subornation of perjury. The Noble Lord proceeded
to detail the particulars of the trial alluded to,:and concluded
by moving for "a copy of such parts of the journals of the
High Court ofJosticiary in Scotland, as cold:titled the libels,
evidence, and proceedings in the case of Andrew APliinlay,
tried July 19, 1817."
The LORD-ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND said, he should endea-
vour to show himself innocent as to the charge which lied
been made upon him, of having practised upau die good sense
of the House last session of Parliament by making a statement
which was overcharged, or which bail not been shire fully
sustained. What lie had laid before the House at that time
was precisely what the Noble Lord had stated it to be.--
He had stated, that there had been an oath requiring the
takers to commit high treason, administered to inaily people
in Glasgow and its vicinity, and the terms of that oath lie had
had the honour to read to the House. The Noble Lord had
said, that that was uncalled for: now, on that point, lie u as.at
issue with the Noble Lord. He might app:ail to the House
if the production of that was not required, when they were
'then considering the report of the Committee, in which were
statements of transactions that had occurred at Glasgow , avid
if, such being the case, any one would take upon Mai to de-
clare that he had made the statement which he bad matte, un-
tweessartly or uncalled for. lit his own mind he would have
been guilty, if he knew he had such a statement to make, and
had withheld it at the time. He was nut going to enter upon
the evithatee that had been produced on the trial, ner Hoe
the tie posit tom of those who hail been examined, nor into the
whole of what had been said by the party accused but he
should bristly state what was the charge, toad what hail been
the issue of the trial. The indictment was, that the panel had
been guilty of administerine an illegal oath to a great autuber,
to many hundreds of persons, in time neighbourhood of
Glasgow anti it particillatized tne names of numbers to
to villeins that hail been administered. The result of the trial
had been a verdict by the jury of tint proven. That was the
verdict, cud lie spoke in the hearing orpersiais who &hew the
distinction whit it was daily made between verdicts iii scot-
land, which verdicts sat re frequently heard by theta ; and
there were gentlemen who were behind him who were in the
habit of being acquainted with such verdicts.--t Hear, hear.)
He was, therefore, open to contradiction if ennui„ when l:e
inviitioned the distinction to be this :—When the jury were
satisfied of the corpus delicti and il; .Were being 'evidence to
Iced them to the understanding that the prisoner had Leen
in the guilt with which he was charged, there should
min be legal evidence, such as would lead to a conviction,
thu n Aliey brought in a verdict of nut proven ; but when they
were convinced that ther.c was no carpus delicti, that the
ge-
rat charge was 1101 proved, there coital of course, be no protic,
if the °lleum: was not established, and then the verdict would
be found, not guilty. What. then, was the result of the trial
iu the present instancer It was, that the accessed had a ver-
dict from b,3 country not of not guilty, bunt of.not pi oven.—
And the deduction 110111 that verdict was, and lie would state
it without tear of contradiction, that the people had been
abound to commit high treasmi, and that an illegal oath bad
been administered to many people in the neighbourhood of
Glasgow.--(11e..r, heat.) 'the Learned Lord entered into
iung and initiate statements of the whole proceedings, and
cited various authorities to prove that the course which had
been adopted Wes COIIbOUEUt to the practice of the Scotch
Courts.

Mr. J. P. GRANT, (one of the Counsel on the trial) catera