The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1836,

used it irresponsibly, and placed in hands that were respon-
sible for its application to the Government and to the Par-
liament. In the Bahamas the lash was totally disused, unless
in cases of theft, or offences of that description. In Jamaica
the number of corporal punishments was greatly and progres-
sively on the decrease. The black population of that island
was 312,000, and in the last year only 712 persons were sub-
jected to corporal punishment, out of a population amount-
ing to nearly half the entire negro population of the West
India colonies. In British Guiana, where the lash was
used with the greatest severity, corporal punishments were
also very much decreasing. The Right Hon. Gentleman
proceeded to vindicate the special magistrates from the charge
of partiality in the discharge of their duties. He also read an
extract from a despatch of Sir Carmichael Smyth, descriptive
of the increased prosperity of that part of the
i West India colo-
nies under his government, as manifested n the greatly-in-
creased exports of colonial produce, and he also mentioned the
spread of moral feeling amongst the negroes, which would in a
very short time altogether put an end to the system of concu-
binage. The Right Hon. Gentleman contended that the flog-
ging of women was very rarely resorted to, and stated that in
Jamaica during the last year only one instance occurred of the
flogging of a woman under the order of a special magistrate.
He admitted that the Legislature of this country should closely
watch over the working of the measure, and the manner in
which it was effecred by colonial legislation. The vindica-
tion of the former Government by the Noble Lord
opposite (Lord Stanley) was sufficient, and, therefore, he
(Sir G. Grey) did not feel called upon to add to it. The Hon.
Baronet, after adverting to the proceedings of the Colonial
Legislature, went on to say that not only should the proceed-
ings of that assembly recognize the contract which had been
made with Great Britain in the Negro Abolition Act, but also
the contract which had been entered into with the negroes by
the same Act.—( Hear, hear.) Government had already taken
some steps upon the subject, and he hoped the House would
on Thursday allow the Bill on that subject, of which notice
had been given to-night, to pass.
Mr. O'CONNELL admitted having said that the state of
apprenticeship was worse than the previous state of slavery.
In the latter state it was the interest of the slave-owner to
keep the slave in such a condition as would enable him to -get
the full quantum of a slave's labour, which was calculated to
be about twelve or fourteen years. Now the apprentice labour
was at his disposal for only six or seven years, and it was the
owner's interest to work the apprentice to the extremity of
his power. Thus the indulgence likely to be granted to the
slave was lost to the apprentice.—( Hear, hear.) There was
evidence that many instances of severity bad taken place, and
the proposed committee would serve as a test to ascertain
whether the evidence was true or false.

Mr. W. GLADSTONE said that in the very worst of
times the value of slave property was estimated at forty-five
millions, and surely a compensation of twenty millions could
not deserve the title of enormous.—(Hear, hear.) It was
wrong, too, of those who in reasoning on the condition of the
negro population, made abstract freedom the basis of their ar-
gument, and it was equally wrong to take the opinions of the
colonial legislature as a fair specimen of the general feeling in
Jamaica. Complaint was made because of apprentices being
compelled to work for eight hours per day, and this, too, at
the very time when a Bill was laid on the table of that House
by the Right Hon. the President of the Board of Trade, com-
pelling children under 12 years of age to work in factories for
12 hours a day.—(Cheers.) Now with such a Bill before the
House, was not the complaint with regard to the eight hours
of the apprentice a misdirected philanthropy ?—( Hear, hear.)
The Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to quote from some of
the recent publications of the anti-slavery party to show that
their object was to obtain immediate emancipation, and to
abolish the apprenticeship system as one which put off the date
of that to which the negroes were entitled at once. He should
like to know if these were the sentiments of the lion. Gentle-
man opposite. He feared much that the course now about to
be pursued would, without great caution, tend to revive old
grievances, and to renew old sores. He did not accuse the
Hon. Member for Weymouth of being a party to misrepresen-
tations, but he did accuse many of those Gentlemen who acted
with him of being far too credulous in listening to statements
relative to the conduct of the colonists. lie complained of the
statements condemnatory of the conduct of the stipendary ma-
gistrates made in the publications of the Anti-Slavery Society,
whereas Lord Sligo, and all the various functionaries who
knew anything of them, had highly praised those magistrates
for the kind, impartial, and conciliatory manner in which they
had performed their very difficult duties. The House had
taken the power of punishment out of the hands of the mas-
ters. Of that he approved. They had sent out magistrates
depending wholly on the Crown to administer impartial jus-
tice. Of-that he approved. But did this justify gentlemen
in sending forth to the public garbled statements, and making
solemn adjurations in the name of God, calling upon the people
of England to rise and put an end to that which they so un-
fairly represented as the state of things now existing in the
West Indies ?—( Hear.) It was painful for him to make a
charge of want of candour against any body of men, but the
peace of the West Indies was the question at issue. Much
had been said of the progressive disuse of the lash. That
progressive disuse might in a great measure be attributed to
the progressive disuse of agitation ; and when he found now
that an attempt was made to renew and perpetuate this system
of agitation at any expense of candour and of truth he felt it
his duty earnestly and sincerely to deprecate the continuance
of a system which could not but be attended with the most in-
jurious results.—( Loud cheers.)
Sir J. R. REID was quite convinced, strange as it might
seem to some Hon. Gentlemen, after the statements which had
been made, that no population of any country on the face of
the earth, not even excepting the British people, were happier
than the negro population.
Mr. BORT H WIC K supported the motion fora Committee.
Mr. F. BUXTON replied.
The motion was then agreed to.
Mr. BUXTON would postpone naming the Committee.
Sir J. C. HOBH 0U SE hoped that, from the unavoidable
absence of the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Home De-
partment, the Hon. Hember for Finsbury would postpone his
motion (a repeal of the Septennial Act), which stood for that
evening, as it was one in which his Noble Friend, from his po-
sition in the House, would take an active part, and there was
a very important question, the Irish Corporation Bill, the
continued consideration of which was to take place that

evening.
Mr. evening.
Y was only one of twenty-two members who
had motions ; if they all consented to withdraw their motions
he would not press his.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY had an important motion to make
which he had not an opportunity of introducing before ; and it
was hard to expect him to forego the first opportunity. He
would therefore move that the order of the 11th February be
complied with forthwith.
Mr. BETHELL moved for a Select Committee to inquire
into the alleged deficiency of protection for ships on the north-
eastern coast of England, and the propriety of admitting of
contribution of passing tolls for the maintenance of harbours of
refuge on that coast.
Mr. BO RTH WICK would be disposed to follow the ex-
ample of the Honourable Member for Finsbury, if he could,
without abandoning his motion entirely. The House would
recollect the answer of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to
him the other night—the tone of triumph in which he said that
on his introducing his motion the House was counted out.
That circumstance was a pure accident, yet it was used as a
piece of Ministerial finesse to swamp his motion. Although
he said that his statement would not Occupy half an hour, he
• was treated with disrespect ; he was twitted and taunted most
discourteously. After this example of Ministerial jockeyship
he could not withdraw his motion.
Mr. WAKLEY withdrew his motion on the understanding
that other Members would withdraw theirs. Now the Hon.
Gentleman refused to do so.
Mr. BORT HWIC K was no party to any such arrangement,
and he should go on.—(Cries of " Go on.")
Mr. O'BRIEN and Mr. FRENCH said a few words which were
inaudible in the general confusion that prevailed.
Lord HO WICK thought Mr. Borthwick should withdraw
his motion, as others did theirs.
Sir R. PEEL protested against this course. Mr. Borthwick
had really shown a great deal of forbearance.
Sir G. GREY said that the counting out of the House on
a former occasion, when the motion was to be introduced, was
unavoidable. The Right Hon. Baronet and his party were
absent when it was supposed they would attend.
Sir R. PEEL said his absence was purely accidental. He
came down to the House to hear the motion, and found the
House adjourned. The Right Hon. Baronet, in charging
others with absence, should recollect the numerous absences of
the Kings Ministers—absences that were culpable in them and
injurious to the public service. For his pert, he was as regular
, in his attendance, to say the leas of it, as his Majesty's Minis-
ters.—( Hear, hear, and a laugh.)
Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE said the Hon. Gentleman had an
undoubted right to proceed if he liked ; but as twenty Gentle-
men who had precedence of him waived their right he thought
he might also.
Mr. BORTH WIC K was not precluded from proceeding
on a former occasion by the absence of the Right Hon. Baronet
( Sir R. Peel) or his party, but by the premeditated and
tricking devices of the Government, who availed themselves of
every accident to suppress his motion. To this Ministerial
and unworthy manoeuvring—this political jockeyship—he would
not yield.—( Cries of "Go on, go on," 4, Order," and G 0 Di-
vide." During all the preceding scene there was much con-
fusion and laughter.) Mr. Borthwick then went on with his
motion for a select committee to inquire into the state of the
negro population in the Mauritius, as it affected the claims of
that colony to compensation. The Hon. Member quoted some
documents to show that the sum of two millions granted to
the slave proprietors there was exorbitantly high consider-
ing the number of their slaves on the passing of the Bill. They
were then reduced by the returns to about 7,000, making a
reduction of over 60,000 from the year 1815, the compen-
sation having been given as if the original number of slaves
continued. The Hon. Member concluded by moving for a
select committee to inquire into the state of the negro popula-
tion in the Mauritius, as it affected the claims of the colony to
compensation.
Sir G. GREY said that the policy which the Government
was determined to pursue in regard to the colony of the Mau-
ritius was such as was regulated by Act of Parliament, and
moved as an amendment to the original motion that an address
should be presented to his Majesty for the production of all
documents, copies, or extracts of documents, or correspondence
between the States of the Mauritius and the Secretary of State
for the Colonies since the year 1828, relating to the illegal
detention of slaves.
Mr. BORTH WICK briefly replied, and his motion was,
with leave, withdrawn.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved that the short-
hand writers who took notes of the evidence before the Com-
mittee which sat last session of Parliament to consider certain
petitions complaining of bribery at tiie election for Great Yar-
mouth, might be at liberty to attend as witnesses at the next
Assizes for the county of Norfolk, and prove, if required, any