The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1838.

of the planter, but that of the slaves. After the recital
which I have given I ask how far that character has been
sustained 1 In addition to the opinions of other statesmen
whom I have quoted, there is that of Mr. Burke to show
that there is no intermediate place, no transitory state, be-
tween slavery and freedom. The more you legislate on this
subject the more mischief you will do unless you confer
on the negroes immediate freedom. It is far better to
lay aside legislation altogether than to resort to this
kind of interference, which only tends to irritate the
planters to the exercise of their overwhelming power over
the slaves.—( Hear, hear.) I will now endeavour to show
that from giving the apprentices unconditional freedom on
the Ist of August in the present year no danger is to be appre-
hended. But in the first place I shall make a few remarks
on that strange species of legislation which consists in say-
ing that the non-predial slaves shall be released in this year,
but that the predial slaves shall be retained in servitude for
two years longer. Was there ever a piece of legislation
which gave greater promise of dissatisfaction, irritation, and
discontent ?—( Hear, hear.) Is it in human nature that one
portion of these negroes should look on contentedly while
their brethren were released from darkness and bondage to
the light of day and freedom, though they continued two
years longer in a state of slavery ? But I revert to what I
alluded in the previous part of my observations. I wish
to point your attention to the great experiment which was
made in Antigua and Bermuda. There we see 45,000 ne-
groes at once set free without any intermediate state of ap-
prenticeship, working industriously, increasing prosperity,
raising the value of land, and working for wages in a man-
ner equally industrious as the labourer of any other country.
But there is this strong feature in the case of Antigua, that
whereas, for thirty years before the proprietors of slaves, to
their eternal honour, gave immediate freedom, martial law
had every year before the Christmas festival to be proclaimed,
upon the emancipation taking place the whole colony was peace
order, and subordination.--( Hear, hear.) If anything were
wanted to show that this people are fit for the adoption of
freedom, I would refer to the evidence of Admiral Fleming,
who throughly understood this subject, and who always main-
tained that there was no danger in immediate emancipation.
I wou'd next refer to the beautiful account given by the Mar-
quis of Sligo of the manner in which the negroes cele-
brated the Ist of August, 1834, which they considered as
leading to their happiness, freedom, and all the blessings of
liberty.—( Hear, hear.) It is an extract from the Marquis
of Sligo's Report, and is as follows:—" The Ist of August
was devoted in many parts of the island to devotional exer-
cises. In the sectarian chapels the service was performed
several times in the course of the day ; in fact, as often
as a fresh succession of auditors presented themselves.
It has been generally remarked, that hardly a drunken man
Ives to be seen in the streets on that day ; the Saturday was
divided between business and pleasure ; they were fully
aware that the next Sunday's market would be abolished.
At night in some of the towns there were fancy balls, in
which the authorities of the island, past and present, were
represented. On Sunday the places of worship were again
unusually crowded, and the day passed over in the most or-
derly and quiet manner. My reports from all parts of the
island, except St. Ann's alone, state that on Monday the
apprentices turned out to their work with even more than
usual readiness, in some places with alacrity, and all with
good humour." But it has been said that these wretched
blacks can never be roused from a state of indolence. Hear
what the Archdeacon of Barbadoes says on this point :--
Strange that it should be said that the free blacks are
predisposed to idleness, when they have driven the free
whites from some occupations in our own island of Barba-
does ; for instance, as carpenters and masons. The lower
class of the white population are in the greatest destitution and
diatrese. The number of white persons receiving relief is far
greater than the number of persons of colour in the same
situation. Indeed, the poor blacks contribute towards the
elief of the poor whites, while the poor blacks maintain
entirely those of their own colour who are poor." Now,
looking at the present aspect of affairs, I beg to ask the
mast strenuaus supporter Of apprenticeship, or slavery, or
whatever it may be called, whether there is not now sonic
danger in attempting to continue this irritating distinction
between non-prmdial arid prasdial slaves? Let me, however,
for one moment, ask what the French are now doing ? They
likewise have colonies in the West Indies. Shall England,
after all her boasted generosity in giving twenty millions for
establishing perfect freedom, allow France to take precedence
in the work of emancipation ? What lam nom going to quote
is a petition which has been presented from the prcprietors of
slaves in Martinique to the French Government at home :
‘‘ We learn with the profoundest interest that the Government
is determined to put an end to slavery, because it is cantrary
to the fundamental principles of all society, and useful neither
to the master nor to the slave. When there shall be no more
slaves it will no longer be necessary to transport a great mili-
tary force at an enormous expense. The emancipated slaves,
having become soldiers and citizens, will be interested in
maintaining the public order, and in defending the soil which
gave them birth." These are the sentiments held by the
planters of Martinique. I know I have trespassed long
on the time of the House. I regret having done so, for I feel
that I have very imperfectly performed the task imposed on me.
I cannot help reflecting that I fill the same situalion, that I
follow, at however immeasurable a distance, the footsteps of
that good, that eloquent, that enlightened, that humane and
religious man, Mr. Wilberforce. And after age and infirmity
obliged him to retire from that ;laborious situation, the county
of York called to its representation that individual who, by
his varied and splendid talents, by his great services in this
cause, has distinguished himself above all other men, Mr.
Wilberfurce, perhaps, alone excepted. Again, when he was
raised to a high situation in the service of his country the hum-
ble individual who now addresses you was invited to fill that
post, for no reason that I know of excepting that I have, on
some occasions, expressed my unalterable hatred to slavery
aid oppression, whet-ale r they are t be ft und.—(Cheers.)
now conclude by expressing a hope that as long as life and
energy may be spared to me I shall be found to devote them
to the abolition of the horrors of slavery, uncler whatever
name it may be disguised or by whatever nation it may be
upheld.---( Cheers.) I move, " That this House is of opi-
nion that the apprenticeship established in the British colo-
nies by the 3d and 4th William IV. shall determine on the 1:t
of August, 1838."
Mr. PEASE, in seconding tire motion, assured the House
that it was with the greatest diffidence he rose on this oFes.
sion, being fully aware of the vast importance of. the. subject,
and of the great, he might say awful, responsibility which
attached to those who were about so make the gret.tt change
which it was the object of this motion to accomplish. Not
only did he now feel the onerous duty imposed on hen, but he
had a full sense of the difficulty when be was first applied to
for tests of his conduct. At a meeting of his constituents in
the course of the past year, when their feelings and views were
expressed in language not to be misunderstood, he stated un-
equivocally and honestly that he had the most serious doubts
as to the policy pointed out ; and also how far he could in his
situation as representative stand up and propose a modification or
abolition of an Act passed only a few years. He trusted to the
indulgence of the House whilst he endeavoured to state feebly,
but as well as he could, the grounds on which he came to the
conclusion that he could act that part from an honest wish to
vindicate the national character, and from a Christian desire
that the country to which he belonged should be no longer
stigmatized with a system which reflected dishonour on the
empire.—( Hear, hear.) Now he must in the first place dis-
claim the slightest degree of hostility to those who conducted
the affairs of this vast empire, as well as any participation in
the language which was held elsewhere, partly in his presence,
but more partieularly in his absence. He felt bound, too, to
1 express his regret that the Noble Lord the Member for North
Lancashire was not present, as he should have to make some
reflections on his conduct, to which, though not impugning
either his head or heart, he should wish to give him an oppor-
tunity of replying. After having waded through this large
volume of evidence with all the industry which he could, he
concessed be found himself in great difficulty, from the want
of those particulars being given which would enable him to
come to a conclusive judgment. The Act of Abolition hav-
ing proposed to give such extensive powers as would satisfy. the
people of England that all the views which they entertained
with so much fervency and honesty would be fully met, the
course taken by the Government was such as left no doubt that
the final consummation of their efforts would be such as every
Member of the House wished it to be. But to his surprise, ho
found by a.O Order in Council, providing for sundry and gall-
ing defici enciee of the Legislature of Jamaica, the three
great elem ents which bore so large a proportion in the com-
fort and ha,opiness of the negro, namely, clothing, food, and
medicine, were left untouched. This was pointed out by Mr.
Secretary ;3tanley in his first dispatch. The same objection
was made t vith respect to Guiana, where it was obvious that
the regulati ons were not such as justified the grant. In this
colony the s laves had a right to a certain allowance of food, in
accordance t!ith an Order in Council passed when Mr. Can-
ning was Pr'exneMinister, with respect to all Crown colonies.
The und erst ending was that that Order in Council should be
carried. into t effect. Sir Benjamin d'Urban stated that he hail
an intunatio, a that it was the intention of the inhabitants of
this colony to cast off their allegiance ; and the consequence
was, that a discretion was allowed him of making such
modifications as to the time of receiving and species of
their food as be might think fit. The modifications thus
intrusted to his discretion took place ; and from that period
he .(Mr. poise) dated some of the greatest calamities which
and also a certain allowance of fish. In lieu of
afflictedth colony. The weekly amount of food had been
twenty-one r
pints each of wheaten meal or meal from the
Indian corn,
the farinacio us food it was determined that they should get
seventy-five slantains, of which one-third was edible food. In
consequence
of this change the twenty-one pin
reduced to ter g and the fish also diminished one-half. In
1834, it wee t rue, that
directing
gr Jamesthat
the Carmichaelapprenticestssm of mealuitshbodidl weredisgruec
a proelamastio-
ceive twenty.° no pints of Indian corn a week : but two days
after its publi'e'•
atinon, having been waited upon by a number of
the planters ,f Guiana, who represented that there was not
thee in the c otony a sufficient supply of corn to warrant the
issue of this i aereased allowance, he consented to suspend it
for a period of six months, but at the expiration of that
time it was not renewed. The result of the low diet the ap-
prentices rec *shred, coupled with the increased quantity of
labour exact ed by the planters, was to be found in the in-
creased mor sstlity of the colony. He should now proceed to
give the He use some details with respect to the punishment
intieted up on the apprentices in the colony of Guiana.
With respec tto the number and nature of the compensation
claims from die colony he was unable to furnish the House
with informs "-,ion,, because, in many instances, the planters had
had the hardi. Nod to present claims for the bastard children
they bad by tb eir own concubines (in one instance, a planter
laid' claim for e o fewer than twenty-one ofhis natural children),
and these clais ns being disputed, the correct list could not as
yet be aseertai ned. But with regard to the nature and amount.
of punishment inflicted in the colony, he was in possession of
ample details, It appeared that within the year commencing