The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-16 00:00:00

PENINSULA.

Mr. HUME moved for a return of the expense of Captain
Mitchell's mission into the Peninsula, with all the contingent
expences ; and also how many plans and maps have been pre-
pared by him, for what places and districts, and where depo-
sited. A question had before been raised as to the possession
of those documents, and, as they were collected at the public
expense, it was right that the public should know that they
were carefully preserved.—Ordered.
The SPEAKER observed that the Hon. Member was pro-
bably aware that these plans did not belong to any of the de-
partments of the Secretaries of State.
Mr. HUME replied that Captain Mitchell, being an engi-
neer and an officer in the British service, must of course be
paid from some public department.
COLONIAL ANDAUSTRALIAN BANKS.

On the motion of Mr. FINCH, a Return was ordered of
Copies of the Charters which had been granted to the Colo-
nial and Australian Banks.
SLAVE COMPENSATION.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EX-
CHEQUER, the House resolved itself into a Committee on
the Slave Compensation Bill.
The SPiAKER haying left the Chair, and Mr. BErtNaLt.
having taken it, on the second clause being put,
Mr. HUME wished the Chancellor of the Exchequer to
explain what was the purport of that clause.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the Slave Compensation Fund was provided for partly in
money, and partly in stock. Before the Bill passed certain
claims were paid in money ; but there was now a surplus •f
stock, and a deficiency of money, and the object of this clause
was to allow stock to be sold out to replace the money.
Mr. HUME said that the same statement should have been
laid before the House with respect to the amount of the
money paid.
Th• CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
under the provisions of the Slave Compensation Act, no ac-
counts could be laid before the House without an order for
the Committee, countersigned by the Secretary of State.
Mr. HUME said, that as the lion. Member for Dublin had
moved for an account of the payments made, he should think
those details would be laid before the House.
Mr. BAINES wished to ask his Right Hon. Friend the
Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the money
voted for the liberation of the slaves had been already distri-
buted; and secondly, whether any inquiry had been instituted
AS to the conduct of the masters towards their apprentices, and
if it should be found that they ha‘e been treated with cruelty,
whether it W3S the intention of Gm:run:cut to withhold the
remainder of that sum.

Mr. AG LIONBY only rose for the purpose of stating that''
the greatest interest was felt in his part of the country on this
subject. He had received many letters, urging that the at-
tention of the House ought to be called to it, and he hoped,
'ere long, the House really would take the matter up, and see
that justice was done.
Sir G. GREY could only say that the Government had
alwa3s tendered, aed were sill r ady to tender, every infor-
mation as to the working of the measure ; and not the slightest
opposition would be made to the re-appointment of a Corn-
mittee, before which every document, if required, that could
throw any light on the subject, would be laid.
Mr. BAINES did not know whether he understood the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to say there bad been a compact
made, and that if the slave-owners violated that compact, they
would not be entitled to receive any part of the money ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
question which the lion. Gentleman had put to him was,
whether they could withhold, or had withheld, any part of the
money ? His rnswer was—They had no power of withhold-
Mg it ; by law it belonged to the parties to whom it was ad-
judicated ; and no less authority than an Act of Parliament
could take it away from those individuals. —( Hear.)
Mr. BRINE S-begged to confirm what his Hon. Friend the
Member for Cocke:mouth (Mr. Aglionby) had stated, as to
the strong impression that existed in the country on this sub-
ject. It been represented there had been cruel injustice
committed towards the negro apprentices, and it would become
a matter of serious consideration how far the subject should
be brought before Parliament. Though he could not entirely
concur in all the proceedings the Government had taken, (who
undoubtedly were entitled to the credit of having removed the
stigir a of negro slavery), and doubted the propriety of coming to
the decision of asking for a termination of the negro apprentice-
ship on the Ist of August next, yet he did think they were
entitled to the best consideration of Parliament, and that no
information ought to be withheld from them that would satisfy
their minds. After the enormous sum that had been taken
for the liberatisn of the le grecs, they ought to see that that
part of the contract which belonged to the planters had been
t'airly and conscientiously fulfilled ; and if it had not, there
would be an impression in the country generally that groat in-
justice had been done towards the people of this country and
the negro population. He hoped the Government would in
some way or ether take care that the planters fulfilled their
part of the contract, and that the money was not paid to those
who violated their contract, as had been stated, contrary to
every principle of justice and humanity.
Mr. HUME thought, after the statement that had been
made, his Hon. Friend was bound in justice to the public,
who had paid so large a sum as compensation to the slave
owners, to bring forward these charges in a specific manner.
He had undoubtedly seen it stated that gross abuses existed,
and he therefore considered it necessary that those who
made the charges should bring them forward in an open
manner, and let them be enquired into. He (Mr. Hume)
for one would go to the extremest letter of the law to
compel the slave proprietors to fulfil the bargain made with
them. He was not one of those, however, who would raise
an outcry, as had been done against the Poor-law-Bill, with-
out good authority. He had seen a report of a meeting
on the subject, which had been attended by nine Members of
Parliament; and let those Hon. Members bring forward their
charges in the House, and let it not be stated that these cru-
elties existed, when no foundation was laid for the charge.
It was a gross calumny on the parties, to make such assertions
without some proof.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. BAINES did not exactly understand what his Hon.
Friend meant.

Mr. HUME—It had been stated that gross abuses existed
on the part of the owners of slaves, and that they had not
fulfilled the bargain for which that country had paid twenty
millions of money on condition that the period of apprentice-
ship should expire in August 1838. Now if his lion. Friend
was cognizant of any individual act of cruelty, he (Mr.
Hume) would say, that he was bound to bring it forward. It
was his duty to the planters generally to do so, because if any
individual acts of cruelty existed, the whole body should not
be charged with them. That was the only way to do justice
to both sides.—( Hear.)
Mr. BAINES—His lion. Friend had stated that it was
his (Mr. Baines') duty to bring the matter under the consi-
deration of Parliament. To that he could only say that be had
waited to see if the matter would be undertaken by
some person of more weight and influence in the House
than himself.—( Hear, hear, hear.) But if no other Hon.
Member did, he (Mr. B.) would take up the subject.—(Hear,
hear.) He thought that justice should be done as well to
the planter as to the negro—he did not wish to traduce the
one without establishing the charges he had brought against
him, nor did ho wish that the other should be oppressed with-
out showing him that Parliament was disposed to support and
maintain his rights.—( Hear, hear.)
The clause as amended was then- agreed to.
The remaining clauses were then agreed to, and the House
resumed.