The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-07 00:00:00

SLAVERY IN TEXAS.

Texas papers recently received to the end of May give
sonic curious details of the workings of republican
slavery principles. In justice, however, it may be re-
marked that a peremptory denial is given to cer-
tain allegations made in this country respecting slave
importation from the coast of Africa. The Galveston
Gazette observes on this head that—" Sir Fowell
Buxton, the English abolitionist, states in one of his
publications that he has it from high authority which
he cannot doubt,' that 15,000 slaves were imported into
Texas from Africa during the years 1837-8. Now the
whole number of slaves in the country last year, as
appears from returns of the assessors, is only 11,323,
and of this number we do not believe a single
one was ever imparted directly from Africa." These
remarks would seem to evidence a laudable desire on
the part of Texas to bleach herself white of the re-
proach of slavery in time if not presently, but they
contrast strangely with the tenour of a legislati le enact-
ment in the same paper, entitled " An Act concern-
ing Free l'ersons of Colour." By the first section
of this Act it is ordained " that it shall not be lawful
for any free persons of colour to emigrate to this re-
public." By section 2 it is ordered that the sheriff
or any constable of the county, in which such free per-
son of colour shall be found to have immigrated, do
arrest him, after ten days' previous notice, and take
him before the Chief Justice of the county or Judge of
the district, whose duty it shall be to receive the bond i
of the prisoner in the sum of one thousand dollars,
with the approved security of a citizen, for his instant
departure from the territories of the Republic. Section
3 provides that if the person of colour shall not be
able to give the bond security provided, he shall then
be committed to the public gaol, with an order to
the Sheriff- to expose him for public sale to the highest
bidder, with four weeks' previous notice in the journals,
and sell him into slavery for the space of one year,
If, at the expiration of the term, he be able to give the
bond security, he may be discharged, but if unable lie
must be re-delivered to the Sheriff, who shall again
advertise him for sale into slavery for life. Two
years are allowed for the emigration of all free per-
sons of colour actually in the Republic at the passing of
the Act. But if any master of a vessel, or other person or
persons, be accessory to the introduction of any free per-
son of colour in Texas they should be deemed guilty of
a misdemeanour, and
on conviction fineable for not
less than one nor more than ten thousand dollars ;
cooks or other hands on board vessels not being consi-
dered to come within the provisions of the Act. It is
quite clear from the specimen of Texan legislation that
there is at least no immediate intention to provide for
the gradual extinction of slavery, or to mitigate the seve-
rity of servile legislation.

UNPARALLELED ROBBER.Y.—Tuesday night,
at Woburn, at an inn where one of the body guards of
her Majesty and Prince Albert was quartered, a robbery
was committed of an unparalleled description. Mr.
Peter Smith, of Bedford, broker, with another person,
occupied a room adjoining one in which John Hough-
ton, a private in the 11th Hussars, or Prince Albert's
Own, slept. A detachment of the above regiment es-
corted the Queen from Windsor Castle to Woburn Ab-
bey on Monday, but were quartered in Woburn, one of
which escort was the said J. Houghton. The companion
of Mr. Smith went to bed early, and was awoke when
lie went to bed. Smith soon fell asleep, but his cempa-
nion having had a nap did not fall to sleep. Whilst ly-
ing he saw a person conic into the room in his shirt, and
go towards the chair where Smith had wrapped up
his watch and the guard in his waistcoat and laid them,
and then retired. Mr. Smith missed his watch, and
search for the soldier was made, but he had gone to the
railway at Leighton Buzzard, with despatches from her
Majesty. The rural police hearing of the circumstance,
came on Wednesday to have the soldier searched, but
found nothing. On looking between his mattrass and
bed the watch and guard were found. lie was then
taken before the Rev. H. D. Ward, who was visiting
'
Woburn, and fully committed a for trial to Bedford gaol.
Another charge, of stealing lady s bracelet from an-
other room andhe house, is likely to be preferred against
Min.—BedfMercury.
USE OF. THE BIRCH.--A writer on. school
discipline says :--" Without a liberal use of the rod, it is
impossible to make boys smart."

SALE OF SLAVES IN VIRGINIA.
The following advertisement and account of a sale of
slaves are noticed in a late Report of the American
pAnti-Slavery Society :
' Monday next, at nine a.m., a; public sale, the slaves
whose names follow, all negroes of the first quality:—
Namely, Betsy, a negro woman, 23 years of age, with her
child Caesar; three years old—an excellent cook, washer,
and ironer; warranted healthy, Julia, a mulatto girl,
aged thirteen, robust and active, a good field labourer;
with the exception of a slight defect in the left eye she is
without fault.

" Let us proceed, gentlemen,' cried the seller of human
flesh, in a stentorian voice, let us proceed. A woman for
sale !An excellent woman—not a fault—and a little boy
in the bargain ! How much for the mother and child ?-
250 dollars. Very well, Sir-250 to begin. Some one
has bid 250. Truly, gentlemen, they sell cattle for a
larger price; 250? look at these eyes, examine these limbs;
shall I say 260? Thanks, gentlemen, some one has
bid 260. It seem to me that I heard 275; go on, gentle-
men •, I have never sold such a bargain. How ! 280 for
the best cook, the best washer, and the best dressmaker
in Virginia ? Must I sell her for the miserable price of
280 ? 300 ; two gentlemen have said 300. Very well,
gentlemen ; I am happy to see you begin to warm a
little. Some one bid 310 ; 310, going-330-335-340
—340 ; going. Upon my honour, gentlemen, it is in-
deed a sacrifice to lose so good a cook ; a great bargain
for 340 dollars. Reflect upon it a little, and do not for-
get there is a little boy in the bargain.'
" Here our auctioneer was interrupted in his harangue
by one of his customers, a man whose appearance had
inspired me, from the first moment, with a feeling of
horror, and who, with the indifference and sang froid of
an assassin, made to him the following observation
As to the negro child, it is good for nothing ; it is not
worth a day's nourishment ; and if I have the mother I
will give away the child very quick ; the first bidder
will be able to have it at a cheap bargain.'
" I glanced at the unfortunate mother, anxious to see
what effect this barbarous proposal would have upon her.
She did not speak, but a profound sadness was impressed
on her countenance. The little innocent which she held
in her arms fixed his large eyes on her, as if saying,
• Mamma, why do you weep?' Then he turned towards
the witnesses of this heart-rending scene with an expres-
sion that seemed to ask—what they had done to his
mother to make her weep so bitterly ? No, never will
this moment escape my memory. It has confirmed me
for all my life in the horror that I already felt at this
horrible traffic. The auction continued, and finally the
crier, striking a heavy blow with a hammer, pronounced
the award to Mr. for 360 dollars. The victim de-
scended from the table, and was led away by the pur-
chaser. The other slaves were sold in the same manner
as poor Betsy. Julia was -sold at 326 dollars, and Au-
gustus at 105. They both fell to the same individual who
had purchased the former lot."'
In what a mean position in the scale of civilised na-
tions do the Americans place themselves by tolerating
and legalising such barbarities ?

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
(LLOYDS.

LONDON, Ann. 6.—Wind this day at noon W.
DEAL, Ann. s.—Wind W.SW., fresh.—Arrived the
Indemnity, Robert, New South Wales ; Combatant,
Quebec ; Barque No. 8,360, and Cornwall (steam-packet)
westward. Put back, Duke Roxburgh, Sydney. Arrived
from the River, Sumatra, for Ceylon ; Robert Scourfield,
Moulmein ; Sir William Bensley, Quebec ; Edward
Barnet, Cadiz.
PORTSMOUTH, Ann. s.—Arrived the Foster, from Hull
to Miramichi ; Anonym' from London for Bombay ;
Gilmore, ditto, for Port Phillip ; Arethusa, ditto, far
St. John's New Brunswick. Sailed her Majesty's ship
Indus, Cork.
COWES, AUG. s.—Arrived the Het Vertrouven,Buenos
Ayres, and sailed for Rotterdam ; N. Phcenix, London to
Jamaica ; Auclim, Creivie, Arendahl, with loss of fore-
topmast. _ _

POOLE, Atm s.—Put back, Louisa for Liverpool, with
loss of foretopmast.
PLYMOUTH, Auc. s.—Wind N.W.—Arrived the Wil-
liam Alexander, from Malta ; British Union, Short,
Odessa ; Vclox, Morris, Cape of Good Hope. Sailed
the Emma, for Miramichi ; Spermacitte, Quebec.

FALMOUTH, Auc. N. to KN.W., fresh
breezes.—Arrived the Martha Jane, from Candia for Hull.
Sailed the Magnet Packet, for the West Indies ; Nimrod,
Rio Janeiro. The Eugene, from Marseilles to Rouen,
was abandoned at sea on the 20th ult., in lat. 38, lon. 12.
—crew saved.

LIVERPOOL, AUG. s.—Wind S. fresh.—Arrived the
Scotland, from Quebec ; Primrose, St. John's, New
Brunswick ; Favourite, Williams, Alexandria ; Princess
Royal, Malta ; Tom Roberts, Marseilles. Sailed the
Arragon, for Calcutta ; Susannah, Collings, Cape of
Good Hope ; Cora, Miller, Bahia ; Thomas Bennett,
Charleston ; St. Lion, Georgina, and B. Aymur, New
York ; Conquerer, John, and Alcyone, Quebec ;
Pandora, St. Andrew's, New Brunswick ; New
Lee, Africa ; Baldassare, Trieste ; James Dunn,
Naples ; Elem, Syrer. The Chester, from London, was in
contact with the Pandora, bound to St. Andrew's, last
night in the Mersey. The former had stern stove, and
mainmast carried away ; the latter lost jib-boom. A
brig, No. 1,374, has arrived, supposed the Reindeer, from
Smyrna.
_ _

OFF NEWHAVEN, AUG. s.—Brougham, Kertlewell,
New Zealand, sailed 4th May.
CARLISLE, Auc. 4.—Arrived Argus, Cottier, Dalhousie.
CORK, AUG. 3.—Arrived the Mary, Nixon, London
for Australia.

SHIELDS, Aua. 4.—Sailed the Sultan, Boston, United
States.

VESSELS SPOKEN WITIL—The Reindeer, from Li-
verpool to Constantinople, Bth ult., lat. 36, lon. 4, by
the Martha Jane, arrived at Falmouth. Ramsay, Ham-
lin, bound to Calcutta, 3d inst. ; St. Andrew's, Lon-
don to Quebec, 14th ult., lon. 33 W. ; Johannes, Bre-
men to Baltimore, 15th, lat. 45, lon. 31, by the William,
arrived in the Clyde. Rope of Alarypert, 10th ult., off
Anticosta, by the Lord Goderich, arrived in the River.
Sir Walter Scott, 6th ult., off St. Peter's ' • Lavina, of
Liverpool, 10th, lat. 46, by the M. Marshall, arrived
at Wigtown. Homer, Sunderland to St. Andrew's, out
31 days, lat. 46, lon. 33, by the Aurelia, arrived in the
Downs.