The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-26 00:00:00

BRITISH GUIANA

Mr. E. TENNENT begged to ask the Noble Lord, the Secretary at
War, whether her Majesty's Government had received ally official in-
formation relative to the recent military occupation of a large portio❑
of the Brazilian territory and British Guiana by the French troops, aria.
jog out of the non.settlement of a question of boundaries ?
Lord PALMERSTON s id her Majesty's Government had not re-
ceived any information on the subject. He understood, however. that
some movement had taken place among the French troops in British
Guiana, connected with a dispute which had existed for some time.
He had directed enquiry to be made into the matter, but the time had
not yet expired when an answer might be expected.
SEIZURE OF THE VIXEN.

Sir STRATFORD CANNING had a petition to present re.
lative to the capture of a vessel, taken on the north east coast
of the Black Sea some months ago.—(Hear, hear.) The petition was
signed by the owners of the vessel and the merchants who
chartered her--they complained that they had suffered injury from
the irregular proceedings that had taken place relative to the seizure,
and also owing to the Government not having interfered in their behalf
at the time the capture took place. As it was his intention to found a
motion upon the subject, he would now merely move that the petition
be printed with the votes, and he would call the attention of the House
to the subject on the 7th of June next.
Lord PALMERSTON said the Hon. Baronet had had the courtesy
to shew him the petition before he had presented it, and he would just
observe, that there was one allegation in it which was totally and
entirely untrue. It was stated that the expedition had been sane.
tinned by him (Lord Palmerston) in his official capacity, and that
certainly was not the case.--(Hear.)
REDUCTION OF POSTAGE.
Mr. WALLACE presented a large number of petitions from
various places in Scotland, praying for a reduction of the rates of postage.

NEGRO EMANCIPATION.
Lord J. RUSSELL rose for the purpose of asking the Honourable
Baronet the Member for Warwickshire when he would be prepared
to give notice of his intention to bring in a Bill in conformity
with the resolution passed by the House the other night, and he would
now state, that if the lion. Baronet were prepared to do so, he should
propose to the House that Monday next be taken for that purpose.
Sir E. WILMOT had come down to the House for the express pur-
pose of answering the question of the Noble Lord. He deeply felt the
justice and propriety of giving the earliest possible notice of his
intention, and he should always bow to the wishes of the House
in that respct. in consequence of the Noble Lord having expressed
himself decidedly opposed to any measure which he might introduce to
carry that motion into effect, and in consequence of his having thus
given one of the strongest arguments that their agitation had in a great
measure prevented the voluntary manumission of the slaves, not only by
private persons, but by the Legislature, he would state that it was not his
intention to bring in any Bill, thinking that the motion would be stronger
and snore powerful, and, in fact, induce them to do that voluntarily
which the Bill would compel them to do—he should therefore bring in no
Bill, reserving to himself the right at any other time to take whatever steps

appeared advisable; and as the Noble Lord had intimated that he would be
prepared to state what the Governnkent meant to do, he would now call
upon the Noble Lord to state what the intentions of the Government
were to the House.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL—If the Hon. Baronet had stated to the
House that he intended to bring in a Bill in pursuance of
the resolution, I should have asked him to name the earliest
day for that purpose ; and as I have already declared, the Govern-
ment would strenuously have opposed the introduction of that
Bill. If the Hon. Baronet had declared he was ready to abandon all
intentioli of carrying out that resolution, or of pressing it to any fur-
ther consequences, I should have stated that the Government would have
taken the responsibility on themselves of carrying -into effect
the existing law, and of declaring in the Colonies, as it would have been
their bounden duty to do, that the existing law remained in entire force
as to all its consequences—whether it were to the sanction which it gave
to the proceeding, or whether it were to the punishment of those persons
acting in violation of it. But the Hon. Baronet having taken neither
of these courses, but having declared he does not at present intend to
take any measure in consequence of that resolution, but reserves
to himself the right of taking any measure hereafter, it is incumbent
oti us to ask this House's opinion whether or not it is prepared to agree
to the tits: or second decision of the House ?—(Cries of " Hear")
—whether they are content with the law as it at present stands,
or whether they mean to alter that law ?--(Hear, hear.) If they
are content with the law as it :it present stands, that law must be exe.
cuted. If that law is to be altered, that alteration must be carried into
effect in the proper way, and that law, as altered, atirfinistered. With these
opinions, I ant ready to state, either on Monday or Tuesday, as it shall
he thought best ; and my lion. Friend near me, the Under Secretary for
the Colonies, will propose resolutions of which I will now state the ge-
neral effect to the House, and will afterwards be at liberty to
alter any particular words which it may be deemed expedient
to alter—my Hon. Friend will propose, in the first place, that the
resolution proposed by the Honourable Member for Yorkshire
(Sir G. Strickland) and the decision of the House on
that occasion shall lie read, and likewise the resolution of
the Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir E. Wilmot). Then he will propose, in
order to prevent the injurious consequences which may follow from the
intentions of Parliament being left in doubt, and in order to maintain
the peace and welfare of their colonies, that it is necessary to declare
that in the opinion of this House it is not advisdble to adopt any pro-
ceedings for the purpose of giving effect to the resolution of May 22;
and, secondly, that this House declares its (*Mimi that every measure
which can tend to secure the negro population the privileges secured to
(hem under the Act for the abolition of slavery ought to be adopted;
and, further, that the most anxious attention of this House shall
be directed to strengthen the condition of the negro population
when the expiration of the term of apprenticeship shall have entitled
them to the full enjoyment of freedom.—(Hear, hear.) I think myself
it will be better that we should take Monday for the consideration of
this subject, but I hope in that case the House will not object to my pro.
posing that we should sit on the Tuesday (the 29th day of May), because
I think it extremely desirable that we should not lose a day.—(Hear.)
%Ir. IRVING trusted the Noble Lord would bring the matter on the
first thing on Monday, and not allow any other subject to take pre-

Lord J. RUSSELL said—l shall now move the entry on the votes
of the 29th and 30th of 11arch and the 2'2d of Niay ha now read, and I
shall then propose that they be taken into consideration on Monday, in
order that the House may be aware of the intention to propose theca
resolutions.

The entries on the votes were accordingly read, in order to be taken
into consideration on Monday next.
KING CHARLES' DAY.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved that the Chaplain do preach be,
fore the House on the 29th of May.— Agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL then moved that the House at its rising do
adjourn till Monday.—Agreed to.
ROXBURGH ELECTION.—(ADJOURNED DEBATE.)
. . .

On the Order of the Day being read for resuming the adjourned debate
on Sir James Graham's motion for disqualifying Hawick, as a polling
place,

Mr. HORSMAN, and Mr. G. W. HOPE, rose together, and
cell Honourable Gentlemen continued standing for some minutes,
each apparently determined not to give way. At length, after cries of
" Chair, Chair",
The SPEAKER said it was a question on which the House itself
must decide. The Hon. Member for Cockermouth (Mr. Horsman),
had made a motion last night for the adjournment of this debate, and
it was for the House to say whether he should resume it.
Mr. HORSMAN wished merely to state the position in which he
was placed. He bad commenced his speech last night amid the inter.
ruption of the House. (Loud cries of " Order," " Chair," and much
confusion.)
Mr. WARBURTON moved that Mr. Horsman be heart.
About a dozen Members rose to second the motion.
After a few words from Lord J. Russell and Mr. Wynn,
Mr. HORSMA N proceeded to address the House. He contended
that the Right Hon. Baronet ha I made out no case. Even takina it
upon the evidence laid by the Right Hon. Baronet before the House,
there was no ground for the. motion. There were, he admitted iso.
fated cases of assault, but they were fully justified by the provocation
that had been received. The Hon. Member then read a letter from a
person named Oliver, who, it bad been stated, had suffered much per-
sonal injury—whose case, in fact, had been set forth as one of the worst,
and yet that person, in the letter alluded to, stated that he had only re-
ceived a few slight bruises —(Hear.) As for the disturbance itself it
was not to be wondered at, for he contended that great provocation had
been given by the constant presence of a military force, and by the cir-
cumstance of placing the polling-booth at the door of the head.quarters
of the opposing party; thus keeping before the people's eyes a subject of
great and constant irritation. The Hon. Member then read several
extracts from the evidence, showing that those persons whose de-
positions stated their having received personal injury and attack,
had in no case been seriously injured, and that it was neverthe-
less upon these slight circumstances that the Sheriff had been called
upon to close the polling booth, and to institute proceedings upon which
the opposing parties might afterwards found a petit ion to that House.
The Hon. Membeiproceeded to refer to the evidence of the Rev Mr.
Barton, who he contended was upon his own showing a violent partisan.
He thought that there was nothing to justify the Right Hon. Baronet in
seeking for so extraordinary a remedy with respect to this case. The
Right Hon. Baronet himself had in former days been an advocate for the
utmost freedom of election, and in those days more heads had been
broken at one election than in the entire of Scotland since its first en-
franchisement. In conclusion he earnestly called upon the House not
to consent to apply so extraordinary and unprecedented a remedy in a
case where there had been no extraordinary abuse.
Mr. G. HOPE ►aid the Hon. Member had referred to the evidence,
with the view of charging the Hon. Baronet with having unfairly se-
lected parts of the evidence which he had referred to, in the speech with
which he opened the debate, but this charge came with an ill grace from
the Honourable Member, for he (Mr. Hope) would be able to show that
the llonote able Member hail selected passages from the evidence, which
he quoted with a view to suit Isis purpose. The Hon. Member (Mr.
Hope) proceed, d to refer to the evidence of witnesses whose evidence
had been quoted by Mr. Horsman for the purpose of showing that it had
been unfai,ly quoted by that Honourable Member, and then conti-
nued. The Honourable Member for Cockermouth seemed inclined
to deny that there had been any riot. Perhaps there might
not have been according to the notions which the Honourable
Member bad formed of what constituted a riot; but surely
upon that point, atter , reading the evidence, no reasonable man
could doubt that there was a riot. Why, did the Hon. Member forget
the case of Mr. Pardou, who was generally supposed to have died of the
treatment he received on that occasion ? Was there not, amongst many
others, the case of Lord John Scott, who had a bull-dog set upon him,
and the excuse for that frightful outrage was that some of the people had
been assaulted by his Lordship's servant, ass allegation which was posi.
tively denied. The Hon. Member for Roxburgh had stated that there
was no riot. Why, was that the opinion of the Judge who tried the
case, and who stated that " some attempt had been made to represent
the riot as trifling, but no eloquence or ingenuity could sustain that view
of the case."—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Cockermouth had
condemned the conduct of the magistrates, and called upon the Noble
Lord the Secretary for the Home Department for an expression of
his opinion with respect to that conduct, but in his opinion the ma-
gistrates had taken the only caurse which, as honest men, they could
have adopted.—(Hear, hear.) The Honourable Member opposite
had contended that the disturbances were confined to some cases
of assault. But it appeared that there were 211 constables in
attendance, and surely that force would have been able to afford protec-
tion. The Honourable Member then was placed in this dilemma—
either he must admit that there was a necessity for calling in the aid of
the military force, or he must admit that the civil force had not honestly
performed their duty. The Honourable Member thought he had esta-
blished a case of misconduct against the county magistrates; but the
town magistrates had refused to share the responsibility with the county
magistrates, and let them see how the town magistrates had conducted
themselves. He would refer to the case of one of the bailies, who said
ty one of the snob, " Go home, my good fellow ; there is another day
coming, you know." The magistrates refused to interfere for the pro-
tection of the electors, unless they had previously obtained a written
promise from them. Was there ever conduct such as that ? was it not
monstrous collusion ?—(Hear, hdar.) Now, the Honourable Member
for Cockermouth restei his case on the application for the military. He
said that that application had created considerable discontent,
and said it was of a nature to justify disorder. He (Mr. Hope) would
not trouble the House with a single argument in refutation of this posl-
tion.—(Hear, hear.) There was one point more in the Hon. Member's
speech to which he wished to allude. The Hon. Member stated that
the persons who had been assaulted merely went out to make a case;
but did nut Mr. Napier say that when Lord John Scott went up he (Mr.
Napier) did not think he would return safe out of the hands of the
mob ? Was that like making a case ?--(Hear.) There was another
very singular ground of provocation which was treated as justifying the
riots, that was what was called the partial position of the polling places,
they being placed near the Conservative Inn.—(Hear, from the Minis-
tei ial benches.) Now, was it for Hon. Gentlemen who belonged to the
dominant party, who in fact commanded the town, to talk of mipartiality
because by any arrangement a possibility of approach was given to the
Conservative voters? There was only one point more on which Ise would
detain the House, namely, the allusion which an Honourable Mem-
ber (Captain Elliot) had made to his (Mr. Hope's) own family.
It was not his (Mr. Hope's) intention to condemn that family
or the riots; riots had often occurred, and might occur again; but he
certainly must say, that the surest mode of preveation would be if the
great families and persons of influence would take such a tone as would
discourage and deter the disorderly. At a dinner given to the Hon.
Captain Elliot, at llawick, the toast of the non-electors of Hawick
was given, upon which that Hon. Gentleman observed, that "they
had heard much of the Hawick riots, but that they were nothing
greater than what often took place on such occasions, and that
whatever did occur was greatly exaggerated."—(Hear, hear.) The
Honourable Gentleman then proceeded to eulogise the bailies for
the able and impartial manner in which they had performed their
duties, and preserved the town from riot.--(lronical cheers.) The
Learned Gentleman proceeded to say that, except a ducking or so,
no harm was perpetrated, and that if any of his hearers ever saw
an English election, they would be convinced that there was no-
thing extraordinary in the Hawick riots.—(Hear, hear.) There
were other expressions of a similar nature charged to different Members
of the Hon. Member's family, but as they were not in the House he
would not allude further to them.—(Hear, hear.) He did not make
his observations so much with reference to past conduct, as with a view
to batter in future. He would say, that if such language as he had
quoted should continue to be used by gentlemen who were in fact chiefs
in the country, it would be hard to expect that ignorant mobs could be
compelled to keep the peace. After one ohserva!ion more he would
release the House. From his knowledge of this and similar questions,
he could state that the safety of going to polling plaees depended on
general report. It had been said that the magistrates could not inter-
fere for protection until they had proof of the intention to riot, and the
sheriff was blamed for proceeding on hearsay evidence, and assuming
the possibility of a riot. Now, he could say, of his own knowledge,
that the general impression in Scotland was, that these outrages were
exceedingly disgraceful, and that without some remedy being provided,
no one would in future venture to the polling place. The hoped the
Legislature would take the same view and support the motion of the
Right Hon. Baronet.—(Cheers.)
Captain ELLIOT denied having uttered anything disrespectful of the
Duke of Buccleuch. He believed the Lord Lieutenant to be a most
popular landlord, and all he wished was to make him more so. He had
been asked a question which, with the permission of the House, he would
answer. It was asked why his brother (Lord Minto) and himself were
absent from the polling place? Lord Minto's reason was, that from his
peculiar position, his presence at the election would be subject to misre.
presentation—so much for his brother. For hiniself, he was in another
Part of the country previous to the election, and while there he found
that so many of his voters were being lured away by bribery and other
means, that he was afraid to proceed to the polling place.
After a few words from Mr. HORSMAN in exolanation,
Mr. C. FERGUSSON would proceed to follow one Right Hon. Mem-