The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-16 00:00:00

THE SLAVE TRADE.

Mr. BUXTON asked the Under Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs what steps the Government had taken to-
wards the punishment of the parties privy to the fitting out
for the slave trade, in Liverpool, in Nov., 1860, of the slaver
Nightingale ; what had been the result of the application
which Earl Russell instructed Sir Arthur Magenis to
make to the Portuguese Minister for the Colonies on the
14th of August last, relative to the practice
of sending slaves, as domestic servants, by the
Portguese mail steamers and other conveyances from the
province of Angola to the neighbouring island of St.
Thomas, under the representation of their being the pro-
perty of passengers going there: What answer had been
returned to the recommendation made to Senior Collantes
at Madrid, by Sir John Crampton, on the 10th of
December last, at the request of Earl Russell in his de-
spatch to Sir John Crampton of the 12th of November
preceding, that, with a view to suppress the slave trade to
Cuba, the slave trade should be declared piracy, and the
m Isters, crew, and all concerned in the navigation of
slavers, be subjected to martial law, a recommendation
made by the present Captain General of Cuba :
What reply had the French Government returned
to the representation Earl Russell instructed Earl
Cowley to make to it on the 19th of December last,
relative to the continued shipment, as engages, of slaves
from the Comoro islands to Reunion and other French pos-
sessions, "contrary to the orders of the French Government,
and also in violation of the engagements contracted by that
Government towards the Government of her Majesty on
the subject :" and, what explanations had Mr. Consul
Sunley, at Johanna, tendered on the subject of his employ-
ment of large numbers of slaves on his sugar plantations,
ns,
in reply to Earl Russell's communication on that matter of
theyen
esit,hs
complaint,
Novembermpl
eiotthat
t last,w hai ;ledconsequencesao iey opposesorfmM the
h the Tehon
pro-
secution of the French immigration system from
at
Ani
ouan,
Co-
moro isles, he does not scruple to collect slaves
wi hatohoeouco.ontsent of the chiefs, and to employ them on his
own
Mr. LAYARD said, with respect to the first question,
and the
there vesselwalludedt
ht
ion
gw at
os soasitliifnyg
her under
Majesty'sA me ran
ofuce colours,rs
de-
taining her. From the information received subsequent to
leaving Liverpool it was discoverei that she was a slaver,
and she had boon seized.' With regard to the
second question, he regretted to say that a considerable
slave trade had sprung up between Portugal and Island of St.
Thomas. Her Majesty's Government had made representa-
tions to the Portuguese Government which he trusted would
lead to the latter adopting steps to put an end to the slave
trade alluded to. As related to the third question he was
sorry to say the Spanish authorities countenanced the slave
traffic in Cuba, and the Government of this country had made
fresh remittances to the Spanish Government on the subject,
which he trusted would be attended with beneficial results.
With respect to the next question, Lord Cowley had been
instructed to make representations to the French Govern-
ment on the subject, who had issued a commission to inquire
into the matter. Considering the French Emperor's desire to
put an end to the slave trade, he hoped his Government
would take the steps necessary to carryout the desire of the
Emperor. In reference to the last question he wished to
say that he had received information from Mr. Consul
Sunley on the subject. That gentleman was a man of great
humanity. He employed 300 slaves on his plantations, but
so far as he was concerned they were free and paid for their
labour. (The hon. member read a letter from Consul Sun-
ley, which was to the effect which he had just stated.) He
added that the slaves on his estate were under no circum-
staßces compelled to work. However, it was under consi-
deratien of Government how far Consul Sunley was justified
in employing slave labour.

THE BOY THOMAS CONVICTED AT MAID-

STONE.

Mr. DIGBY SEYMOUR asked the Secretary of State
for the Home Department, whether his attention had been
called to a statement in the newspapers that a child of
the name of Thomas, aged nine years, was lately
fined £5 lls. by a bench of magistrates at Maidstone for
being found in possession of a snare for catching rabbits,
and in default of payment was sent to prison for three
months; whether he had taken steps to ascertain the facts of
the case; and particularly, whether any evidence was laid be-
fore the magistrates to show that the child was acting at
the instigation or was under the control ofothers
Sir G. GREY said that the chairman of the bench of
magistrates had been communicated with by the Home-
office, amd had made a report on the subject. From that
report it appeared that there was no doubt the offence
with, which 419 boy was charged had been committed, The

magistrates in considering the amount of fine to be in-
flicted on the boy were influenced by their knowledge of
the fact that he was the instrument of his parents, and
that members of that family had been frequently fined
for similar offences, and actually lived by poaching. The
fines inflicted on that family within a certain time amounted
to £24, which were paid. The fine on the boy in question
was paid the morning after he was imprisuned by his
mother, and she said she would have pa 'd the amount li,ol
it been three times as large. (Laughter.)
THE CADASTRAL, SURVEY.
Sir F. HEYGATE asked the Secretary of State for War,
whether it was the intention of the Government to act upon
the report of the Cadastral Survey Committee ; and, if so,
whether he would bring in a supplementary estimate this,
session, to enable their recommendation to be carried into
effect.

Sir G. LEWIS said that he had not come to any col-
elusion on the subject ; but he might state that he had not
any intention to bring in a supplementary estimate to carry
out the recommendation alluded to.
THE BREHON LAW PUBLICATION.

_ _..
Mr. STIRLING asked the Chief Secretary for Irehrnd
what progress had been made with the Brehon Law Publi-
(cation : and, whether the surviving editor, Mr. Curry, is
prepared to continue the work.
Sir R. PEEL t., ,i,I that !he papers in the publication in
question had been tral,itel, and that the Government bad
corm-nun lel ted w; t h the eni nent philological scholar alluded
to on the subject.
THE 13 'JUTISH MUSEUM.
Mr. GREGORY /,ked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether, before tho second reading of the bill fer the re-
moval of certain collections from the British Museum, he
would be able togivethe house an estimate of the cost of the
alterations of the present structure of the British Museum
and of the proposed addition, and of the cost of the building
and fitting-up of the proposed New Museum of Natural
History at Kensington. •
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied in
the affirmative.

DELHI AND LUCKNOW PRIZE MONEY.
In reply to Mr. DEEDES,
Mr. BARING said that some portion of the prize money
had been paid in India, and steps had been adopted for the
payment of those officers and soldiers who had returned
from India.

THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT.
The house went into committee on this bill.

clauses from 1 to 21 were agreed to after som o discussion.
On clause 22,
Mr. GIBSON agreed to the suggestion of Mr. HENLEY
of allowing a second nautical assessor.

Lord HOTHAM moved the omission of the 36th and
37th clauses, which related to pilotage. On a division the
clause was retained, the numbers being—for the clause,
138 ; against it, 27.

Clauses 62 and 63 were postponed.
Mr. LOCKE moved an auiendment to the 65th clause,
but was rejected on a division, and the chairman reported
progress.

The Inland Revenue Bill was reconstructed, and clauses
introduced allowing a drawback of 7s. per cwt, to all per-
sons who shall have in stock one ton of hops of markotabl
quality on the 15th of September.

The Peace Preservation 13111 was read a second time,
after a division, the numbers being—for the bill, 78 ; against
it, 13.

The Landed Prperty Improvement (Ireland) Bill was
read a second time.

The second reading of the Poor-law Officers Superannua-
tion Bill was postponed until Monday week.

The Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Bill passed through
committee.

Sir ROBERT PEEL brought in a bill, which was read
a first time, to amend the regulations relating to the ap-
pointment of county surveyors in Ireland.
The house adjourned at 2 o'clock.