The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-18 00:00:00

ABORiGINES PROTECTION f the opportunity of announcing that Mr. Tooke, before
-SOCIETY. I leaving the room, had left a handsome donation to the
Yesterday the Fourth Anniversary Meeting of this Society.
Society was held in Exeter-hall. .. The resolution was then put and cal Tied unanimously.
Mr. Thence MY, I.4l.P.ehaving been voted to the Chair, Mr. BELL, in proposing the next resolution, expressed
said tiler, it 34 ets while:e,' gret he undertook the office, in a hope that the next meeting of the Society would. be in
the absence of the President, Sir F. Buxton, who would the large room. It slidtild never be forgotten that all
be somucln more able to discharge the duties- If the So- the accounts from the colonies proceeded from persons
cioty had.,not been as well supported as it ought to be, who had class interests opposed to the interests of the
Ore re'son was that its objects were not sufficiently un- aborigines, who were entirely without protection, et-
deretood. Many people indeed did not know the mean- cept what they derived. from the Society. It was essen-
rig of the word Aborigines, and he wished that every tial that the question of compensation to the aborigines
-friend el the cause would explain their object to be, to for their grounds should be probed and thoroughly tin-
-Protect the native and original owners of the various derstood, and that the bargain made with them should be
lands in which EUropeens had made settlements, from regulated by the circumstances of the natives themselves.
enetrage and we ' ong.—(Hear hear.) Mr. Bell then entered into the details of the injustice
The Seeeteerane then readd letters from Mr. Thomas committed by Sir Francis Head upon certa in Canadian
'Clarkson, and from Mr. Henry Reid (a merchant con- tribes whose lauds were new possessed by he Canada
elected with Van Dieman's Land), expressing regret for Land Company ; and after alluding to the state of the
their inability to attend, and their high approbatioo of aborigines in New South Wales and New Zealand,
the institution, expressed a hope that the Government woo ld eventu-
The Benoit of the Committee/sof Management for the ally adopt some plan for the more efficient protection
lett year was then read. It was very voluminone, and lof the natives. He concluded by proposing a resolution
ecesisted in a great measure of correspondence relating of thanks to the Auxiliary Societies, and to those cor-
-t the treatment of the aborigines in all the colonies of respondents who had contributed their assistv:sce.
the world. The efforts of the Society in their behalf The Rev. Mr. GURNEY, an American gentileman, se-
conded the resolution, and expressed his belie f that if the
Wece attended with .treat success, and the prospects of
,_.
those mach injured pew& were everywhere improving. Societe, were known in America, he doubted riot but that
it would receive support from many of his eeuntrymen,
me coednict of Lord John Russell in the department of
hie colonial duties, which affected them, was spoken of in and he pledged himself that on his retuzn to the
strong terms of prais,:., which elicited great applause. "United States he would lose no opportunity of urging
a a
During the reading of the Rerort Mr. O'Connell cp- the claims of the Society upon his fellow-ctiantrymen.
peered on the platform, anti was greeted in the most en- In their name he thanked the Society for f: e compli-
thesiastic manner. meat paid them in the resolution. The resobetion was
line-. Md. Boiler= in moving the first resolution, then put and carried unanimously. •
widele was to the effect—" Thit the Report which v-as ' Thanks were then voted to Mr. C. Hind! and Dr.
:
jug rend be adopted be the meeting, and printed for eir- Bowring, fur their conduct in the Chair, aMI the corn-
et:dation, and thee the gentlemen whose names had been Aliment having been acknowledged by Dr. Bo WRING, in
cull nitted should form the Committee for the ensuing a very neat and eloquent address, the meeting 'separated.
year." lie wire then it ought to be matter of regret to Mr. Srunou, a gentleman who ha.s resided a consider-
sill of thorn that the present Society had been iii exist- able time in Brazil, and devoted much time to the el-
ecoo only four years. As it was a .Soiety which had to vilization of the Indians, distributed at the close of the
do with every sea and continent, and almost every island meeting several neatly executed medals, representing
iii the world, as they had to do with every community, Pocrane, an Indian, who had been reclaimed from ib n-
and every parallel of latitude on our globe, it would have wage state in that country.
been but tustice, and nothing bat justice, to have such an
institution to watch over the movements of our coin-
- nitre:ai eaterorise in every direction, lest that enterprise
while it serred us might be found to indict irremediable
losses on the original inhabitants of the countries which
we visited. Many of the friends, he meant the friends of
'nee and of humanity, had not perhaps entered fully into
the merits Of the Aborigines Protection Satiety, because its
very strange name did not convey to every mind the ob-
jects it ' had in view. Some, however, who found fault
with the name, would have found as touch difficulty as
the Society itself did in getting another name as a sub-
stiteto fur it. ,They durst not have called themselves a
Society for the Protection of Barbarians, as they wished
to protet,t, the inhabitants from the barbarians of our own
country—against the supflior power which art and
science gave us, and by which alone we could crush them
la their tveakness. It was deeply to be regretted that civi-
lizrion was so much .c7;nnected with the grossest bar-
teethe. 'they coald not conceal from themselves the fact,
selutt Om- :;aiors and other individual—settlers in dif-
ferent porta of the world—cmong the South Sea islandere,
and wait-xis uncultivated nations throughout the
earth—tbought no more of shooting a human being than
of shooting a wolf or a bear. They eared no more about
the tree thaa about the other. and why ? Jest because
no sash Soc'ety 38 the present existed to watch over the
pt ogress of those individuals—and to seize on those deeds
o anf-Christian and anti-English cruelty--end to hold
them up to the exteration of the world, arta ask the Legis-
latures-el-the different countries of the world from which
tinge civilized barbarians had gone forth, to protect by their
on-n law, the poor and helpless iehabitants from the cem-
iiiereial cupidity end tyranny of their own subjects. It
erou!d be seen, then, that snob an institation as the
Aborigince Protection Society was loud* called for.
There was a civil way of promoting civilization as well as
a berbaroue way. It was not necessary when one of
those poor ignorant savages took up his tomahawk that
the eettler should take un his musket. It would be easy
anti much better to show him the foly of adopting that.
mode ocondnet. Ile (Mr. Burnett) had always ibund
that those whose hearty were open to the course of hu-
mrnity at home, were able to extcnci their humnne feel-
ings :on-awls distant contries. If the humane course he
referred to had been adopted, they would not now have_
to deplore the dcath of the missionary, Mr. Williams,
win fall by the clubs of the islanders of Aramango, in
revenge for the treatment they received from some Chris-
tisas who had a short time before come to plunder them
of sandal-wood. The Rev. Gentleman, after a few fur-
ther observations, concluded by moving the resolution.
ilkw". Mr. CARLISLE seconded the resolution in a few
anivopriste observations-
Yr. O'Beirne proposed the second resolution, which
u:su its the effect " That the native inhabitants of our co-
lean.., in whatever state of civilisation or barbarism;
1-. not so be outraged by a system of colonisation
s*, i did not adequately compensate them for their
is 14
Ff;
. or secure to them -die protection and privileges of
leraesish stilsjects ;'d and, in doing so, took obcasion to say,
Ike* be deeply iregretted his not having hitherto taken
a nate in the proceedings of the Society. If colonization
ia'e Properly unttcrstood and well regulated, it would be
found to be net prejudicial, but beneficial to the abori-
ginal inhabitants of whatever country colonists_ from
Mt-aslant! might settle in. Theirs was a country tosvhieli
e,hey ought CS be proud to belong—a country which, as
it nete the test in the career of civilisation, was likewise
the first to come forward to protect the unprotected.
lie trusted that the individuals, whose benevolence and
htunanity brought them to the present meeting, would
Fir the ruture co-operate with the Society in working
out its ()Wets.
Mr. ()Vox:min, who was received with loud cheers,
seconded the resolution ; the subject was little under-
stood and little appreciated, and it was not by the desultory
xi-termer in wlmieh the subject must necessarily be treated
in the course of a speech, that much impression could be
produced upon the public mind. Had the subject been
properly I ppreciated, there was no room in the British
mettorAie which would hold the numbers which would
then have been congregatecitogethen—(Cheers.) Wherever
colonies hail been settled, there the aborigines had been
trampled ten and oppressed. Himself and his Hon.
Friend, Mr. O'Brien, were both aborigines. (Cheers.)
el Buv he did i tot then intend to enter into the details of the
"
- sufferings od Ireland—(Cheers)—but wherever the white
man had co me, there the aborigines had been first ba- '
nishcd, next: pursued, and at last exterminated. There
was no coitntry possessed of colonies which had not
Frticipatm in this guilt.—(Cheers.) Great Britain,
rance, raid America were all alike implicated.—
(Cheers.) The Hon. and Learned Gentleman then went ,
into a de tailed statement of the cruelties of the Ameri-
cans in forcing the Indians to emieate beyond the Mis-
siseipi, ,and even beyond the nearer branches of the Mis-
souri, and introduced to the meeting Oseolu, an Indian
youth belonging to the tribe of Seminole Indians, the
ratu;der of whose uncle, by the Americans, had occa-
sioned the Seminole war, in which the Indians had at
length terrified the white man, and might perhaps pro-
cure from his fears that for which they could not from
his justice.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman then an-
inlailverted in severe terms on the conduct of Lord Pei-
meenton, in acknowledging Texas, and said that he was of
opinion that. Texas was not so safe as was generally ima-
gmeeL es the Commanchu Indians who were their near
neighboure, had passed from the hunting into the pastoral
state, and as they were possessed of horses, it was exceed-
ingly eleobable t)mt the attempt to extirpate them would
be unsuccessful. There was one region to which
the attention of the Society had not been directed,
and which contained 120 millions of inhabitants,
he Incant British India, where, with the exception of one
small district, the native possessed no right to the
house which he occupied, or the land which he tilled.
The consequences of the system pursued in India were
horrible. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman then went
into a detail of the sufferings produced in India by the fa-
mines, Which were the consequence of misgovernment,
and expressed a hope that India would not be overlooked
by the Socitely: He then passed a high eulogy on the
conduct of Lord John Russell since he had been at the
bead of the ' Colonial Department, which was received
with loud cheering, and concluded by expressing an ar-
dent hope that the Society might succeed in carry-
ing out its objects, which were to make the pro-
gress of civilization not what it had hitherto been, a
cure to the aborigines, but a source of blessing, comfort,
and prckperity.—(Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRM IN said that British India was ender the
esn'iTial care of a Society which was an offshoot from the
penennt—ehe Blitish India Society.—(Cheers.)
Mr. J. S. BUCKINGHAM considered that with regard
to their conduct to the aborigines, England, France, and
Auntieswere all equally pulty. He denied that the sa-
vagq. races IbbOUYOd under any mental deficiency,
anti quoted As a proof to the contrary ; the instance•
es the cheneneees, who, without any aid from the Whites
had inVonted a written language, established a printing
pre*, gild various manufactures. He considered the Bri-
tish.flovexurnout not entitled to much credit for their not
foreterg. the Indian tribes in Canada to emigrate. It was
out of no regerd to the Indians, but to secure their ser-
vioey in case of a war with America. The Indians were
eluereeterized by a superior perception of justice and a
stria adherence to an obligation. The treatment they ex-
perienced from Penn formed a splendid exception to the
egeaeral course of conduct pursued towards them, and the
treetv entered into with him had never been broken. With
regard to British India, he had 20 years ago drawn theat-
tention of the British pliblic to the state of that country,
and he had never ceased to advocate the claims of the
injured aborigines of that country.---(cheers)—and he
'hoped they would be brought within the pale of the pro-
tection of that Society. He cordially supported the re-
solution.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously.
Menem-. Dr. CAMPBELL, in moving the next resolution,
. „add ho considered this not merely a question of huma-
mten
;but a question of religion, and as such ail the
friends of missions should oive their aid to this Society.
It was most satisfactory- that this Society should have
originated In England, the country of colonies and of
ernasiona. 'lle Rev. Gentlemen then alluded in eloquent
terms to the efforts of Sir T. F. Buxton, and said it must
be gratifying to him to find those principles, to the
advocacy o .which he had devoted hie life, steadily ad-
eancing. The people of England, when acquainted with
the objects of the Society, would come forward and support
it. They must, however, make more din, ortheywould be
lost among the ditty of contending institutions, . He
hoped that all the religious periodicals would lend it their
swistanee. The Rev, Gentleman then proposed the re-
solution, which after expressing the gratitude of the So-
ciety for the disposition manifested by those in authority,
pvxtieulariy Lord John Russell, to render colonization a
bleeeing instead ofa curse to the aborigines, stated that in
thedpinion of the Society, the plan of legislation for the
aborigines, drawn up by-air. Standish Mote and a Com-
mittee of the Soviet
e:, was well deserving of attention.
Dr. COSTELLO se`conded the resolution, and in doing
50 paid a well deserved tribute to the enlightened sole-
nial.policy of Lord .T. Russell. -
The SZCAETA.RY, before the reselutiOnt
was - ut, took

THE CORN-LA WS.

MEETING OF THE WARD OF FARROGDON

WITHIN.

Yesterday a respectable and numerous meeting of the
inhabitants of this Ward took place at the late College
of Physicians, Warwick-lane, for the purpose of taking
into consideration the propriety of petitioning Parlia-
ment for the repeal of the Corn-laws.

3lr. Deputy WESTWOOD took the Chair.

• , Mr. TAYLOit said he had the pleasure of moving the
following resolution :—" That this meeting is of opinion
that laws which prevent the free and regular importation
of foreicii corn and provisions into this populous island,
are highly injurious to the industrious classes, detrimen-
tal to commerce, and calculated to sap the foundation
of our national prosperity." •It was, he said, imagined
by some portion of the working classes that the abolition
o' the Corn-laws would be unattended by any alvantage
to them and the country. It was said by them that a
reduction in the price of corn and other articles of food
would be neutralized by an equal reduction of their ,
wages. This was a most erroneous view of these ques-
tions, as he should now show.—(Hear, hear.) In 1835
the aver age price of wheat was 395. 4d. per quartet, and
in 1838 it was 795. Bd. per quarter. Now he would ask
the working men, who thought that their wages
would be affected by the price of corn, whether their
wages were lower in 1835, when the price of corn was
under 405., than they were in 1839, when the price of
corn was nearly 80s., almost double.—(Hear, hear, and
cheers.) In 1835, when corn was less than 40s. per
quarter, it took twenty-five millions less to supply the
people of England with food than in the year 1839.
(Hear, hear.) And what became of these twenty-five
millions which in 1839 were all absorbed by the landed
proprietors ?—(Hear, hear.) Did these twenty-five mil-
lions not go to purchase the manufactures of this coun-
try ! At the former period agricultural labourers were
able to spend considerable money, comparatively speak-
ing, upon the manufacturing productions of the country.
Trade had not been so prosperous for years as in 1835,
when the price of wheat was low, whereas, if the ideas
entertained by many working men were correct, it should
have been a year of distress.—(Hear, hear.) But as it
was seen, the very contrary was the case. What con-
nection, he would inquire, was there between food and
wages ? Wages depended not upon the demand for la-
bour, but upon the price of food.
Mr. LEAF seconded the resolution, and, in doing so,
said he felt that it was the imperative duty of every man '
to put his shoulder to the wheel on the present occasion.
However weak his voice—however small his influence—
he should exert them in endeavouring to get rid of the
cruel and, oppressive Corn-laws. If they were true to '
themselves in carrying out this great work of reform, the
Government had expressed its willingness to assist
them.—(Hear, hear.) They had all felt the depression
of trade of late years, and the evils arising from it
might be traced to the working of the Corn-laws.—
(Hear, hear.) He did not hesitate to say that he was
for a total repeal of these obnoxious imposts, but he
would be grateful for a modification of them.—(Hear.)
The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. ASHIIRST, in a good speech, moved that this
meeting, without admitting that justice will be done to
the people of England by any plan short of the total and
and unconditional repeal of the Corn-laws, considers the
proposal of her Majesty's Government to place a fixed
duty on foreign corn as a great improvement on the ex-
isting laws, and as calculated to confer a great benefit
on this country.
Mr. Wanwicet seconded the motion, and some excel-
lent speeches were made on the occasion, for which, we
regret, we cannot find room.

All the resolutions were carried by acclamation ; after
which it was agreed to forward petitions to both Houses
of Parliament—that to the Lords to be presented by
Lord Fitzwilliam, and that to the Commons by the City
Members.

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