The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-16 00:00:00

wilitee went through the clauses of the Bill, and their
•ea't with the schedule. This was so where the matter
in the schedule only was in the schedule which really
belonged to it. But the change in the present Bill,
Teferriag to schedule A. ought, consistently with
the ordinary course, to have named the certain ho.
roughs that were to be disfranchised. This principle was
adopted in some parts of the Bill in regard to
certain places ; for instance, the • places where
Members were to be given, such as Yorkshire, Lincoln-
shire, and so on ; therefore his (the Speaker's) first difficult':
was the impossibility of the Committee deeidlet, on the
first clause without previously deciding 'on schedule I
A. Schedule A. would have to he ta'ken as so many
lines in the first those, and the boroughs being ar-
ranged alphal,etically, he :hoer ht the Committee would hsv-.!
to begin with the fire; ►.tot taking any out of their prece.
dence, and decide upon the whole going regularly through
with them. This being done, if the names of any boroughs
were left in the schedule, then the question would he '
whether the clause ought to stand or not—if none Were
left, then there would he no necessity for the clause.
PROVISION FOR THE QUEEN.

Lord ALTHORP moved the Order of the Day foe
the House going into Committee to take into consider:eon
his Majesty's most gracious Message, that the Th:mse would
appoint a provision for the Queen, in case her Majesty
should survive the King.

The SPEAKER ha-ring le't the Chair, and the House
hari•og resolved itself into a Committee,
Lord ALTHORP thought there would be no difference
of opinion upon the proposition he was about to bring for•-
ward. Whatever differences might have existed respect-
ing some parts of the Civil List, no differences had been
manifested respecting any thing that related to his
Majesty's personal comforts and conveniences. This hav-
ing been so, there could not but be the same unani-
mity of feeling towards her Majesty, than whom
Ito Queen bad ever conducted herself more satisfactorily
to the subjects of this country.—(Cheers.) The propo-
sition should be in strict accordance with precedents. The
dowers granted to Queen Caroline and Queen Charlotte
were each 100,0001. a year, besides, in the latter instance,
appropriate residences. In the present instance no diffi-
culty could occur, either with respect to dowry or the
country residence; for it would occur to all that the
amount ought to be as much as on former occasions,
and that Bushy would be the place most likely to de
agreeable to her Majesty for her country resi-
dence. The only difficulty arose as to the town
residence. It happened that at present Parliament
had no power to dispose of any residence calculated to ac-
commodate her Majesty ; but the house he should
propose was Marlborough House, though that house
was at the present time let under lease to the
Duke of Marlborough, which did not expire till
1835. Should however circumstances require it, provision
could be made for her Majesty in some other way prior
to the expiration of that lease. He should therefore
wove that a provision he made to the Queen in
case she should survive his Majesty, amounting to
the suns of 100,000/. per annum during her life, with
which to support her royal dignity—that the said sons
should he paid out of the consolidated funds of Great Bri-
tain and Ireland—and that Bushy House, lands, and park,
and Marlborough House, should he set apart for her Ma-
jesty's use,
After a few words from Mr. C. PELHAM, which were
not audible in the gallery,

. -
The resolution was agreed to ; and the House having
resumed, the report was ordered to be received on Monday
next.

NEWFOUNDLAND.

Mr. ROBINSON tonk that opportunity to ask the
Noble Lord (Howick) whether Government contemplated
any medsures with respect to Newfoundland? He knew
that the inhabitants of that island required a separate Le-
gislature, but he did not ask the view of the Government
on that question.
Lord HOWICK said that the state of Newfoundland
was under the consideration of the Government ; but he
did not think it would be necessary to apply to Parliament
to sanction any of the measures which they might deter-
mine to carry into effect.

Mr. HUME presented a. petition flan Glasgow, signed
by all the most respectable merchants and trailers of that
city, in favour of the Reform Bill.

NEGRO SLAVERY.
Mr. FOWELL BUXTON then rose, and spoke to the
following effect in rising to submit to the House
my motion respecting the abolition of negro slavery, I
beg, in the first instance, most sincerely to declare that I
do so without the slightest feeling of hostility towards the
West India interest, and without the slightest disposition
to cast reproach upon them, or indeed upon any other per-
sons. The West India planters are involuntarily entingled
in the existing system. They are engaged in it not by
choice, but by inheritance. Far be it from me to charge
them with being destitute of the ordinary feelings of
humanity. I know among them many gentlemen of as high
honour, of as great integrity, of as warm humanity, as any
of those whom I address. There are many of these gentle-
tn,n who see the existing evils as clearly as any man; and
who are anxious to remedy those evils as far as they can
be remedied without inflicting personal ruin upon them-
selves, and beggary upon their families. In what I have
to say then I do not mean to say anything painful or re-
proachful to the individuals to whom I allude. I complain
of the system to which they belong ; and on that point I
have no alternative hut to speak fairly out. Sir, the com-
plaint of the West India proprietors is that we take a single
net, and that we infer from that a general and almost a
universal system of oppression and cruelty towards the
Owes. That, however, is not the argument which I
mean to use. I utterly disclaim all reference to indivi-
dud cases of atrocity. if it were necessary, I might cite
an abundance of cases which would excite the astonish-
ment and call down the loud approbation of the House.
But this I disclaim. Nor will I allude to the painful
fact, that when any act of enormity has been committed, it
has seldom happened that the West India proprietors have
not adopted the cause of the criminal, and made his case
their own. Those who have attended to this subjcct well
knots how prolific the West India Islands have been of the
most enormous abuses. But it is not on those—it is not
on the fact that those abuses have been vindicated and ap-
proved by the West India proprietors, that I rest my case.
My case is, that the whole slave population of the West
Indies are in a miserable condition. My case is, that the
whole system pursued in the West Indies with respect to
the slave population is so destructive of their moral and
physical welfare that it ought to be abolished. I repeat,
that it is not on those particular cases of cruelty which
we all know do exist, that I ground my motion, but on
the general condition of the negro. Sir, it cannot be con-
cealed that there is considerable difficulty in arriving at the
truth with respect to the real condition of the negro in the
'West Indies. One class of witnesses on the subject de-
dare that the negroes in the West Indies are in a state of
surpassing happiness; and that although thei,retieally
speaking, they may be subject to some inconveniences,
those inconveniences are of no great amount, and are amply
compensated by the positive and practical blessings which
they enjoy. On the other hand, it is stated by witnesses
of the highest character that the compensation is nothing
and that the slave (even in his Present improved state) is
in the lowest state of moral de'raseinent, and of physical
Nvretchedneits. Under this conflicting evidence, it would
be extremely desirable if we could obtain any test on the
subject; if we could obtain any full, fair, and unequivo-
cal proof of the real state of the negro population of the
IVest Indies. There is this test—the rate at which that
population has increased or decreased. It is a doctrine
admitted by all parties that, under all circumstances,
except those of extreme misery, population must
increase. Such is the law of nature, and it is con-
tsrinable to the experience of all mankind. That law of
increase may be interrupted, but it can be interrupted
only in cases of extreme misery. Now I beg the atten-
tion of the House to this test. I presume it wiil be a sa-
tisfactory criterion to the lion. Gentlemen opposite. They
complaincase of the difficulty of obtaining a hearing of their
It must be advantageous to them, therefore, to fur-
nish a test, the value of which cannot be comprehended
by the unthinking, and can be estimated only by the
thoughtful. It is besides
Indies alone, but one of invariable it applicable to the West
ioathine'reference. Sir, it bas
been said that the strenglthao:fpeumr ease depends on popular
feeling. I deny this. ;
will to reason alone. I will
attempt no excitement
• • • I will refer myself to no use no ad captandum. to•
popular impressions On
pies ,
facts, and on facts only I rely. sir, w " -•
'have in the West
however, sugar
Indies twenty colonies. They are not alei,
colonies. Four of them produce no sugar! another
a very small quantity. Whether or not the mortality in
those four colonies was greater or smaller, I will not •
inquire. Fourteen colonies, however remained. Time
question is, whether in those colones the slave population
hJY increaesd ? lire answer is, it has not increased, it haa
not been stationary, it has decreased. Not only has it de-
creased, but it has decreased at a rate so rapid, that I con-
fess it surprises me, and I,.am sure will astonish the House.
In the last ten years the slave population in our fourteen
colonies has decreased by the number of 45,800 persons.
The Hon. Gentleman opposite shakes his head. I only
wish he would investigate the fact. I will let Jinn see the
documents from the West Indies on which I rely for my
year; fourteen t ,
declaration, that during the last ten y
colo-
nies have lost 45,800 of their slave population. If Ido
not prove that there has been a great decrease, and that