The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-21 00:00:00

ROYAL NAVY, &c.

. [From the Hampshire Telegraph.]
The Iphigenia frigate, Commodore Sir. Robert Mends, lately
arrived at Portsmouth from a six:months' cruise on the, coast
of Africa, during which the slave trade received a greater'
blow than at any period since the Abolition Act (as it is called)
was passed. Sixteen vessels captured, and 24810 unhappy
slaves emancipated, are proofs of the activity of our naval force
during Sir Robert's command, and of the efforts sa praise-
worthily made to crush this most inhuman traffic ; whilst, it
must be confessed with grief and indignation, it, is still carried
on to a very great extent. On running 'down the prohibitory
line of coast to the . northward of the Line (from Goree to the
Bight of Biafra), the Iphigenia boarded upwards of forty-six
vessels, completely fitted out for the slave trade ; and though
under very strong proofs of the guilty purpose of their equip-
ment, she was unable to capture them, from the circumstance of
not having their slaves actually on board—which proof, by the
Treaties, is absolutely nefessary to the condemnation of the
vessels in the Prize Courts. Thest vessels were under the
flags of France, Spain, and Portugal : the majority of them
under those of the two first-named nations. It is only by the
most sedulous activity and spirited enterprise any of these ves-
sels can be detected in the act slaVe-trading, as their practice
is to anchor off the mouths of the rivers, and wait to a favour-
able moment to embark their cargoes, which information is con-
veyed to them by partisan§ on the neighbouring coasts, and in
two hours the poor defenceless victims of these hard-hearted, re-
lentless barbarians,- are lashed together, dragged on board the
vessels, and sent, across the Alantic ; soon .filth, disease,
and the extreme of wretchedness, generate, and the poor
slaves, in this afflieted state, are often found almost bereft, even
of the appearance of the human shape. The Iphigenia left
Sierra Leone on the 26th June, when the rainy season had just
commenced. The Colony was then:perfectly healthY,tand,by the
unwearied exertions of the Governor, Sir Charles 31'1:artily,
was daily improving in civilization, and extending its commerce
with the nations in the interior. Since the expedition sent-into
-the Fate country, the people of that nation had been much in
the habit of frequenting the Colony, bringing gold7dust and all
the cattle required for the use of the Colony,, in exchange for
British manufactures. These natives, 'who are a warlike people,
occupy a fruitful tract of country on the borders of, and extend-
ing to the north-east of the'Colony, the capital of which, Tern-
boo, is about ten days' travel from Sierra Leone.
Another amicable expedition was preparing to visit the in-
terior of this country, by means of which, it was hoped, inter-
course would be opened with other nations, yet more distant,
and that civilization and commerce would prove the beneficial
result. It is a pleasant circumstance to hear, that the Fullas
have, in a great measure, abandoned their trading in slaves, for
the more peaceful occuparion of bartering with the English
merchants for their commodities. The ships left on the coast
of Africa were thus employed :—Driver, 18. Capt. T. Wolrige
(senior Officer), and Bunn, 18, Captain Phillips, in the Bights
of Benin and Biafra ; Cyrene, 20, Captain Percy Grace, on
the Windward Coast, with the Thistle, Lieutenant Hagan,
and Snapper, "Lieutenant Rothery. The Pheasant, 111,
Captain Clavering, 'had proceeded to Ascension, with the
scientific Captain Sabine, R.A, who is making experiments
and astronomical observations in low latitudes, for the purpose
of comparing them with those he made in high latitudes (when
he went to the North Pole with Captain Parry), and thus as-
certain the true figure of the.earth, and other matters connect-
ed with astronomical and mathematical science. The Phea.
sant was to take'Capt. Sabine from Ascension to Marnharn and
the Amazon RiVer, and return home by the way of the West
Indies. Mr. Gooolden, Master of the Pheasant, and Mr. Ellis,
died at St. Thomas's on the 16th of May. The Morgiana,
18, Capt. C. Knight, had left the Coast to return to England,
via the Brazils: •
The Iphigenia having left Siera Leon on the 26th June for
the West Indies, arrived at Barbadoes the 17th July, where she
found lying the Pyramus, Surinam, and Icarus, healthy. She
arrived at Jamaica on the 25th July, and sailed hence for the
Havannah on the 6th August, where she arrived on the 15th.—
Trade was completely at a stand at Jamaica, but it was hoped
that a free trade would soon be declared with America, which
mist produce a favourable alteration. The low price of the
produce, the danger to the coasting trade from the pirates and
the general uncertain state of mind of the Black population of
'the Islands, all tend much to diminish the planter's prospects.
During the stay of Sir Robert Mends at the Havannah, he
frequently gate protection to.the British trade,-and ordered the
Tyne, 24, Capt. Walcott, to see the Jamaira ships safe through
the. Gulf of Florida, and, as the best .means of decoying the
piratical vessels which infest the neighbouring seas, the Com-
modore sent parties of men on board the different merchant
ships to protect them, and with a view of capturing these lawless
robbers. On one occasion a Colombian privateer, a remarkably
finelschooner, with 12 guns and 70 men, was taken possession of
by Lieut. Stokes, first of the Iphigenia, who had 24) men under
hind, by boarding. She was then in the act of boarding an English
schooner; but as the privateer's papers, were .regular (she was
under the Independent Columbian flag), and she had not mo-
lested our trade further. Lieutenant S. did not think himself
authorised'te detain-her longer than until there was no English
vessel in sight. The privateer was manned by Americans and
English, who said they were bound on a cruise off Cadiz—pro-
bably to blockade. it. The pirates of the island of Cuba are
chiefly Havannese, who push out of their harbours and creeks
on the approach 'of every unprotected merchantman, and com-
mit the most boundless depredations, often attended with acts of
extreme cruelty. The Royalist party (or the King of Spain's
Authorities) have neither equal means nor sufficient energies to
suppress the practices of these daring marauders : 2 Spanish cor-
vettes, 2 brigs of war, and a schooner of 10 guns and 70 men, un-
der the command of Admiral Tregan, were lying at the Ha-
vannah ; but suck had been the dastardly conduct of the Com-
mander of the schooner, that he had just ran away from a small
priate vessel, having no carriage guns, and only 20 men in her,
at the very mouth of Havannah harbour, and almost under the
guns of the fort. So difficult had the navigation become, that
it was almost impossible for the Jamaica merchants to trade
Cuba ; and, in consequence, the Spanisn merchants were greatly.
distressed ; the pirate vessels surround the island, and cut oft
the trade with the neighbouring islands, and the Independent
privateers) and other vessels of that denomination, intercept tke
communications with the Spanish Main. The importation of
specie from the Spanish Main had of late been extremely limit-
ed froth this cause.

The Iphigenia sailed from the Havannah on the sth of Sep-
ember, landed specie at Sandy Hook, ,and sailed thence on the
21st. She has brought.gold dust and ivory from_the coast of
Africa; and cochineal from Jamaica, to the value of 100,000
dollars. She would have gone into Portsmouth harbour on
Saturday had the wind moderated, for the purpose of being re-
fitted for the Comm&lore to return to his interesting' and im,
portant command at the 'proper season. The Iphigenia lost,
during her presentcruise, Messrs. Buller, Hamley, and Good,
Midshipmen ; but,As a remedy to the deleterious influence of
that climate; we are not Without hopes that a more salubrious
station will be fixed upon' for the ships—at Fernando-Po, a
most pleasant island, at a healthy distance from the main land,
and more contiguous to the scene of embarkation of the slaves.
.We.are sorry to. hear" that the Scout, 18, Capt.
which was left at the Havanna, had Jost Lieut. Mills,- two
Midshipmen, and thiity-eight men, by fever. '
'•

The Conway, 26, Capt. B. Hall, sailed from Sari Blass on the
26th of June, for England. The Glasgow sailed from Trin-
comalee June 17, for Calcutta.
The Prince of Wales, 93, has been taken into Dock to be
surveyed, and if found in a good state, will be reduced to a
two-decked ship.
The Forte frigate, Capt. Sir Thomas Cochrane, having been
refitted at Spithead, is now ready for sea, and expected to sail
to sail in the course of a few days, to cruize in the Channel.

- -
At Spithead—lphigenia, FOrie—ln the Harbour—Queen
Charlotte, Rathilies, Albion, Ganges, Topaze, Phaeton, Myr-
midon. .

Messrs. J. M. Madden, J. Wilson, Roe, Greenish, and
Rogan, Assistant-Surgeons, are promoted to be Surgeons of the
Navy.—Eight Medical Gentlemen have been 'taken into the
service as Assistant-surgeons.
Captain J. W. Plumridge has been promoted to the rank of
Commander.
The Equinoxes have blown with considerable violence in
the last week. Above 20 sail of merchant shipping came into
Portsmouth from the Downs, Hozeley Bay, &c several of them
with the loss of anchors and cables. These having been sup-
plied, and their other defects repaired, such as were outward.
bound were enabled, by a change of wind, to proceed on their
respective voyages on Thursday.
On Wednesday the ,Russian frigate Kruizer, of 36 guns,
Capt. Lazaroff, arrived at Portsmouth from Cronstadt, in in six
weeks, to replenish her supplies, and wait the arrival of a store,
ship, with which she will proceed to California, both vessels
being destined on a visit of inspection, and to land stores, to
the Russian settlements in the North Pacific Ocean. They are
victualled for three years. It is expected they will sail at the
latter end of ,next week, touching at Rio Janeiro. The store- j
ship arrived pn Saturday.

FOR THE SUN.

CANADA.
Mn. EDITOR—The British Settlers, thi Loyal-

Isis, their Descendants, and the Mercantile Body in general,
labour under many grievances and privations which the present
Provincial Institytions of Lower Canada cannot redress. The
present Laws and Political Constitution of this Piovince, partly
from original defects, partly from the natural and necessary

changes of circumstances incident to a progressive Colony,' are
become totally inefficient for promoting the welfare and deve-
loping the commercial resources and for rendering them an use-
ful appendage to the British Empire. - The first grand error,
destructive of the interests of commerce' and ruinous to native
British Subjects, Loyalists,' and other Settlers, was committed
in re-establishing the Canadian Civil Laws, by the Quebec
Act, hastily passed in the year 1774, after the Province had re-
mained ten years under English Laws and Rules of Proce-
dure adapted to its Colonial situation. The said Quebec Act,
at the present day, can only be understood and- defended as a
measure of political experiment, preparatory to the commence-
ment of strong measures of coercion in. some of the old Colo-
nies; and, on the return of peace, his late Majesty's Govern.
ment might have safely repealed the same, in-compliance with
the urgent representations of the British-born Subjects, Loyal-
ists and Commercial men, throughout the Province. Instead
of listening to those Representations, and, contrary to the opi-
nion of the late Mr. Fox and of some of the ablest Statesmen of
the age, the Ministry for the' time being, in the year 1791,
adopted the partial, inadequate and temporising measure of
dividing the said Province of Quebec, into the present Pro-
vinces of Lower and Upper Canada, leaving to Lower Canada
the possession of both banks of the Saint LawrenCe to a great
extent aliove the City of Quebec, and.a dangeious influence
Over the commerce of Upper Canada by the right of levying
diities at the said City the only port Of entry from the sea, upon
all goods imported for the common consumption of both Pro-
vinces. The inhabitants of Upper Canada, being chiefly- native
Britons and 'Loyalists, established the English Civil Laws,
Rules of Evidence and Forms of Procedure, thus securing to
that Province, the essential characteristics of a British Colony,
whose Laws, Manners,
.apd Language should 14e assimilated
to those of the parent state, as far as circumstances tnay„per-
mit ; and it is owing to the energy and spirit produded by tuose
characteristics, that Upper Canada has been enabled to struggle'
so long under the growing embarrassments and disadvantages
arising directly or indirectly from the measure of division al-
ready mentioned.., The Lower Province not being relieved by
the Constitution:al Act of 1791,
.from the old Canadian Civil
Law, founded upon the Gothic and anti-commercial etistom
of Paris ( Coutrime de Paris ),being likewise chiefly inhabited.
by French Canadians, ignorant and imbued with antiquated
notions and prejudices, was not in a fit situation to derive be-
nefit from the Legislative Constitution bestowed upon it; and
those disadvantages .were aggravated .by an injudicious divi-
sion of the Lower Province into counties, without regard to
-territorial extent, or to the formation of new Settlements,-
the Representation being entirely regulated according to the
actual population which then occupied lands held under the
feudal tenure, so that the new townships held in fee and com-
mon soccage remain without a voice in the formation of those
laws and statutes which bind them in all bases whatsoever.—
The almost universal suffrage introduced by the present Con-
stitution, and the want of any restrictive qualification as to
property or education in the persons eligible to serve as Mem-
bers of Assembly, destroy every rational hope of obtaining in-
telligent Representatives from Constituents, who are chiefly
ignorant husbandman, resembling the Norman cultivators in
the age of Louis the Fourteenth. During a few years, while
some sanguine and most active
_British capitalists exerted that
influence which money and commercial favour could produce
,upon the mass of the ignorant population, a few Members,
friendly to the commercial and British interest, were chosen ;
but in proportion to the extension of population and wealth has
been the increase of the pretensions and of the power of the
French Canadians ; and, notwithstanding great efforts, renewed
at- intervals; the English' and commercial minority has gra-
dually dwindled to insignificancy, exhibiting in a late Session
of the Provincial Parliament, the extraordinary circumstance
of the Provincial Administration being supported in its mea-
sures by only three Members, out of the fifty which compose
that branch .of the Provincial Legislature. But those essential
errors in the organization of this Government have naturally
, produced other bad consequences. For the House of ASsembly
having thus become the organ of the most ignorant and preju--
diced part of this foreign population, has fallen into the hatred
and contempt of the British settlers, loyalists, and -commercial
men. That body neither represents the property, the territo-
rial extent, the varied population nor the dirterent interests of
the country, which is thus virtually deprived of every solid ad-
vantage ascribed to the labours of the popular branch of a mixed
Government. It is owing to this state of affairs that respect-
able individuals feel great reluctance to apply.to'such a body
for the redress of grievances; that the public money is wasted,
and that official crimes go unpunished in Lower Canada:—
When the present Constitution came into operation, some indi-
viduals expected that a spirit of loyal gratitude, and a sense of
public utility would have induced the French Canadian majo-
rity to acquiese in modifying the old Canadian Laws, and in
facilitating the removal of feudal burthens oppressive to com-
merce ; but no such disposition has any time been displayed ;
and, on the contrary, we lately witnessed a bold attempt, on the
part of the House of Assembly, to extend the feudal tenure to
a considerable part of the ungranted lands of the Crown, es-
tablishing therein, according to the Act of 1774, the old Cana-
dian Laws ;' and, during thirty years, commercial men have
been engaged in unavailing efforts to obtain from this anti-com-
mercial branch of the Provincial Legislature various salutary
laws and regulations, particularly a Bankrupt Law and a Law
for the establishment of Register Offices; for the enrolment of
all conveyances of real estate and of all buithens thereon, being
measures essentially necessary to render commerce a safe and
honourable porsuit in Canada.
Among the burthens of the feudal tenure, the following are
most oppressive to commerce : the Seignorial Claim of Lods et
Ventes, or Mutation' Fines, 'being eight per cent upon the pur-
chase-money or exchangeable value of alt lands and-houses- en-
forced upon every transfer except on that of inheritance or tes-
tamentary bequest: Next comes the Droit de Retrait, or the
right of pre-emption, enjoyed by the Seigneur over all such pro.
perty as his Tenant en Roture may dispose of with the above
exceptions. For the law allows to the Seigneur forty days
after the presentation of the deed of transfer, to decide as to ac-
cepting the mutation-fine, and granting 'possession to the pro.
posing tenant, or taking back the property at the price stipu-
lated between the contracting parties.
Those feudal rights and their consequences, more particu-
larly in the cities and villages throughout the province are for-
midable bars to the improvement and circulation of property ;
and, in the present state of Canadian law, the seigneur cannot,
by any act of his, bind his heirs and -successors to a commuta-
tion of those rights for a valuable consideration. Seignorial
lands are thus rendered so burthensome and disadvantageous,
that wherya merchant is obliged to purchase them from persons
indebted to him, he Is quickly driven to sell them - again at a
great sacrifice; and thus two payments of mutation fines to the
seigneur sometimes take place in a few months. -
.To those burthensome vexations, and humiliating claims of
the seigneur, may=be added burthens by mortgage; for, in
Lower Canada, fixed property or real estate is secretly mort-
gaged to different individuals, as often as the necessities or the
boldness of the proprietor may prompt to such courses, which,
however fraudulent,, has not been declared criminal or punish-
able by the law of Canada.. He has only to go from one notary
and his_ colleague to another 'faithful pair throughout. Via ex-
tensive province, in order to continue for many years this spe-
cies of swindling ; for there is no register-office, nor does the
law compel the notaries to lodge copies of their 'professional
acts with any of the provincial authorities for the 'information
of the- public. Snell, in a word, 'is the hardship of the Most
honourable holder of real estate in Lower Canada; that he can
only prove his property to be unburthened and grant a tolerably
safe title to a purchaser, by bringing it to a Sheriff's sale by a
friendly law-suit, which process is very frequent in the said
province.

But a review of the Journals of the Provincial House of
Assembly would furnish many proofs of the anti-commercial
spirit early exhibited 'by that body. Thus, contrary to the in-
terest of the Parent State, and to the practice of the other Co-
lonies, the importation of goods, not excepting British manu-
factures, into Canada, has been burthened with duties to defray
the expence of building Court-houses, gaols, and local esta-
blishments, supported elsewhere by county rates. By similar
taxes on commerce, and under pretence of improving the inter-
nal communications of the province, monies have been lavished
upon the lands of a few individuals, who obtained the appoint-
ment of Commissioners, by assuming the appearance of men
of influence, or by otherwise deceiving or even intimidating
the Executive Branch of the Provisional Government.

Under the present Constitution, which imprudently lavished
political power upon an ignorant and prejudiced population,
this Province has made -no adequate progress in agriculture ;
and the bad cultivation of the soil, and the want of improve..
ment of internal communications by land and by water, have
hitherto prevented commercial men from furnishing that
abundant supply of provisions to the British West Indies,
which, with the assistance of Upper Canada and Nova Scotia,
would have rendered those Islands independent of the United
States for essential articles of subsistence.

In fine, the consequences of original errors have been so long
neglected, and such a state of things has gradually arisen un-
der the present ill-balanced Constitution, that all. the rest of the
population may be truly described as sacrificed to the Gothic

001,
~pbirtie)onndoicfesaoffeawn ignorant majority,
demagoguesor, taostsiulipe
rage itetrzidee
dl
avisrrneutiondhgseter
intruders,
towtwhi
with
all
spoil,c toh'amavteoui
ntr sodu
anxietya pillage
en
tune,
niiereetkrtece se;
riint:ittli.
tom' A',.
„„,iwr
ily
Majesty's loyal, industrious, and enterprising
Labouring under such complicated ffnrgigicaerisawtrillardYto,lill'
part of the population of Lower, Canada look for
the r
r eventual passing of the Bill, lately introduced Canada,
Parliament,, for the Union of Lower and Vl'Per_,;',-3(ly 'l6l
mcponoerasteiliouniraetoewfthoßuarrliduswselhtrifaksreeenatwitmitthheentthr,oeoipent
toeuirm.f. tlan:nencet:inilia:aires,sctis:deasso:
by throwing into the popular branch of the LeTenterri'e'
might insure the prosperity and happiness ef the
of tiic
tish Empire.
Montreal, Sept. 1, 1822.
ERRATA.—In the Letter on CURRENCY,
Thursday last, lineprincipal
eadse4o,mfoprarative—l i
nreca7d6P:il.on re' ro,,,,,,ecrtevidersJ,
read overweighted—line 90, for effected read !11"ti, t 4,
115, for subjects read renders.-2d column, I'll! or or
norable minded read honorably-minded—line of
tage read disadvantage. in
Pefe°l'4
In the Letter in our Paper of Saturclay,cof
Bishop BURNET and the Bishop of Winell spte 'r •s•
paragraph, line 11, for.therefore read becaus-;
subject wil: be continued in THE SUN to-niorro

PRICE OF STOCKS
Tills DAY AT ONE OCLOCK•
Lndia Stock ''''''''''''''''''''
India Bonds took ••
South Sea Stock ....
Old Annuities .. ............
Ex.' Bills ........ , ...........
Ditto Small . ..........
Ec India
ounnsk. for
tfob
rr
Lont,
cc
I.A.
n.
c.t.c.

Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Red. 8151
3 per Cent. Cons. 8244
31 per Cent
4i
4 per Cent. Old 99 1
New 1022
5 per Cents: 1797
Bank Long An.:2o 11--I6tha9
Imp. 3 per Cents.

3)
—.IP-- ,ins, OC1"
PRICE OF.FOREIGN STOCKS IN IJOlsim-
J)..l' ONE O'CLOCK• ' •
Five per Cents. 94 i•
Stx per Cents. 82. 84
Russian
1
Neapolitan Five
per Cents. (Metallic) •
Ditto New 90.
FscivriepruCent. Bonds, a
{
Austrian Five per Cents. (Metallic) —'
Five per Cent. Bonds, 86:1*
Spanish New Ditto, 73.
Scrip, 5/ premium. ,
Prussian j Five per Cent. Bonds, 89-§!
t Ditto New, 90. .. Ai
{ NOF ilevdwe
BpLeo ronadCsn :, nBo:o4.B.onasingv"
Chili 88.
PeruvianCDoalnoishinbian Six per Cent. Bonds, P'''
Ditto Scrip, 961.
Bank Shares 121 Ios..
American Six per Cent. 92-96:1.
Five per Cent. 963.
Three per Cent. 651.

'French

..v
. .-4.-....
i'• cr• '
PRICE OF IRISH STOCK, Oc 1, 4l''
nati
Bank Stock 250,5 Grand Canal *--,. cot, '
Gov. Deb. 3A per cent 94- folio 3 Pe' ••.'" ,
I —__. i ~.,4...... ~
Stock, 3i per ct 9li —DittoSty, k
~....1, /
Gov. Deb. 4 per cent Royal: Canal
stoc , ,fla c,
......
Gni. Deb. 5 per cent - Wride-streek Cert. °,l:4ec." ,
--Stock, 5 per cent 1i Do. Deb. with G° per 0: ."
Treasury Bills, 5 per cent — Pipe Water PO! „et cc,9"
City Debentures, 5 per Do. ............ ur t. ''''',"
.: (..as
cent.
Lying in Hospital 4 per ct. 5 per cent. .. i
Exchange on London, Oct. 16, liv of'
00 6"
-• rr.3l .tter
4 BRIDGE - --:::7_,....,>,.
no
Evening, 50 nu

HIGH WATER AT LONDO
Morning, 25 minutes after 6.

THE

1 S'2'3.

ed c
tone