The Sun.
London, England, 1831-01-22 00:00:00

COVENT-GA

There was a good supply at t;
trade was dull, at little if any
day se'nnight, with the exeeptif
derably dearer.

s. d. s.d.l
Potatoes (cwt.)
C:o.bages (12 heads) 0 9 2 0
Ditto Red .... 1 3 2(i
Horse Radish(bundle) 6 0 (2 0
Celery
Turnips ,12 bunches).. 2 0 30,
Carrots 3 6 701
Coleworts or Greens... 1 9 3 0
Leeks 1 3 I 9
New Oranges (100)
Seville Oranges S 0 12 0
Lemons S 0 14 (,
English Walnuts

HAY MARKETS.—(At per Load of 35 Trusses.)
CUMBERLAND (LATE ST. JAMES'S.)
Coarse heavy Lowland Meadow Hay ..£`) 0 to ..C.l 5
New Meadow Hay 0 0 0 0
Useful Old Ditto

Fine Upland Meagow and liye-grass Hay 3 15 4 0
Clover Hay 2 15 5 5
Oat Straw .£ 112 to ..£1 14 1 Wheat Straw... 116 118
Best Meadow Hay ss. per load lower, Straw 2s. per load
higher, than last quoted; prices otherwise stationary. A great
supply, and a very dull trade.
SMITHFIELD.
Coarse heavy Lowland Meadow Hay £2 5 to £2 15
New Meadow Hay 0 0 0 0
Useful Old Ditto 3 0 4 0
Fine Upland Meadow and Rye-grass flay 4 0 4 5
Clover Hay (extra tine)....f25 5 „Generally
Oat Straw .Z 1 Bto £1 10 I Wheat Straw 1 I'2 I 16
Supply moderate, trade dull, and prices stationary.

It is reported that the Directors of the Bank
are more urgent than ever with Ministers for a settlement
of the money transactions between both.

•
It is reported in the city: that Government
have ordered some increase of the naval force of the coun-
try, and that the increased, expenditure arising from its
equipment will tend to hasten the funding of Exchequer
Bills preparatory to a fresh issue to meet such expenditure.
THE POST-OFFICE OF IRELAND.—We
understand that his Grace of RICIIMOND, since his ap-
pointment as Postmaster-General for Ireland, has been
indefatigable in making himself acquainted with all the
details of that department, so far as he can do by corres-
pondence. His Grace, we hear, is in daily and active
communication with his Irish Secretary, Sir E. Lacs.—.
His Grace has called for numerous returns, and Las
evinced an assiduity in the discharge of his important
functions which affords the best-;rounded expectation
that the many imperfection* in the arrangement
of this branch of the public service, so strongly com-
mented on by the Commissioners of Inquiry, against
which it would appear, from their nineteenth report, Sir
E. LEES so long and so arduously remonstrated, will be
speedily and effectually remedied by this independent and
bigh-ruiuded Nobleman.

WEST INDIA COLONISTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

slavery,
by Lord Na-
pier SlR,—Your very judicious observations with respect to
the question of proceeding with the West India colonists
emboldens in. to beg room for a few words. lam one of
'hose who did not until lately distinguish between the abo-
lition of the slave trade, as advocated by Wilberforce and
as advanced
IC.ylamik:noyn,atanpdretsehente.ntilret
wasabo welllition of
observed
pier in Parliament, that many came to make
i representa-
tions on the subject of slavery, " with a he n their right
hand." I was present at a meeting convened at the Hems'
Tavern, Kennington, to get up petitions to the Govern-
ment for the immediate abolition of slavery, and heard
such statements of the treatment of negro slaves, which,
if true, must, as admitted by many near where I sat, soon
depopulate the colonies; consequently, ruin the planters
who cannot now import new slaves into theßritish colonies.
But the most extraordinary statement made was, " that
nothing had been done for the amelioration of slaves since
1823 or 1824 !" although no longer ago than February,
1830, an order in Council was promulgated that "slaves
should be permitted and encouraged to marry," (which,
indeed, the planters must desire, if they hope to keep their
estates stocked with labourers,) instead of living " in
sin," as one of the speakers with doleful countenance told
the young ladies at the Horns—planters generally do.
The said order in Council also provides, that the property
which negroes acquire shall be secured' to them, except
property in other negroes (the greatest punishment a
planter can inflict on a refractory negro being to sell hint
to one of his own race), also exemption from Sunday la-
bour, and some other day to be appointed for marketing
instead of Sunday; that negro evidence should be admis-
sible, and that they should be eligible under certain regu-
lations to serve on juries, and many other similar arrange-
ments. Now, Mr. Editor, w:iat are all these but civil
rights, and what must that man have in " his right hand"
who denies that the negroes are at all in a condition of
iniprovement ? How has the yeomanry of this land be-
come free? How long is it since " Gurth was the bont
thrall of Cedric the Saxon." What has in other countries
been the work of ages, some of the sanguine movers now-
a.days want to effect in a few years, before the parties can
ap; reciate the benefit. A much wiser and more humane
measure would be to urge the Government to put down
the slave trade, which, it appears from papers before Par-
liament, is at this time carried on to a greater degree than
when this country was engaged in it, " one commander "
alone having recaptured more than 20,000 ! The con-
tinuance of this traffic is a disgrace to humanity, an injus-
tice to the British colonist, a prevention to the improve-
ment of the negroes in the neighbouring colonies to where
they are imported, and a bar to the civilisation of Africa.
A great deal of the feeling on slavery which exists at
the present time is excited by making it a religious ques-
tion, whereas it is strictly a civil one.

ANTI.HUMBUG.

COURT CIRCULAR.

Prince LEOFOLD returned to town on Wednesday even-
ing from Brighton, where his Royal Highness had been
staying, on a visit to their MAJESTIES. His Royal High-
ness left town yesterday for his seat at Claremont.
The conference of the Representatives of the great
Powers respecting the affairs of Belgium, held at the
Foreign Office, on Thursday afternoon, lasted till past
nine o'clock in the evening.
Another conference was appointed to be held yesterday
afternoon. About ball-past three o'clock yesterday after-
noon the following Ministers assembled at the Foreign
Office:—Prince EsTEttitszv, the Austrian Ambassador;
Prince LIEVEN, the Russian Ambassador; Prince TAL-.
LEYRAND. the French Ambassador; Baron BuLow, the
Prussian Minister ; Cennt MaToesnEWITZ, and the Baron
on WarssrNnuan. The Ministers were engaged with
Viscount PALMERSTON till eight o'clock last evening,
when the sitting concluded.

Previous to attending the conference yesterday, Vis-
count PALMERSTON had an interview with Earl Gast at
the Treasury.

A Cioinet Council was held at four o'clock yesterday
afternoon at the Foreign Office, which was attended by
the Loan CHANCELLOR, Earl GREY, Viscount MaL-
BOURNE, Viscount GODERICH, \'i count ALTHoRP, Lord
HOLLAND, the Right lion. C. GRANT, and Sir JAMES
GRAHAM. The Council sat in deliberation upward■ of
two hours.

Mr. FREDERICK C. lawn has been appointed engraver
of drawings to his MAJESTY.
Despatches were sent off from the Colonial Office on
Thursday evening for the Earl of DELMORE, the Governor
of Jamaica, and Sir JAMES LYON, the Governor of Bar-
badoes.

Despatches were sent off last evening from the Foreign
Office for Lord PoNsoNar, at Brussels.
The KING'S ADVOCATE-GENIRAL transacted business
yesterday at the Foreign Office.