The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-13 00:00:00

sort will be wrung from the fears of the tyrant
and his satellites, and not voluntarily conceded.
The Journal des Decals states the recognition of
a debt of thirty-four millions of francs by Spain
to France ; but that it has not pledged for the
payment of this debt any of the sources of its
revenue. The acknowledgment, this Paper as-
serts, is a simple one, without mortgage of any
sort—without (the French Paper adds) even any
prospect of future discharge.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
The benevolent Howard discovered in the part
of Germany belonging to the King of England,
prisoners remaining some months untried, but with
this exception—he found that the practice of
punh,hing untried,anel, therefore, to be presumed
innocent men by an imprisonment of many months,
nay, sometimes of several years, before trial, and
starving them while in prison, was peculiar to
England. "I do not remember," he says, " any
prison in Germany (nor elsewhere abroad), in
which felons have not, either from the public al-
lowance, or from charities, somewhat more to
live on than bread and water. " In England," he
says, "at the Quarter Sessions, you see pri-
soners covered (hardly covered) with rags, almost
famished, and sick of diseases, which the diseased
spread wherever they go." When the keepers" re-
presented to the Magistrates the wants of their pri-
soners,and desired for them necessary food," they
were "silenced with these inconsiderate words,' let
them work or starve,' when these gentlemen knew
that the former is impossible." The Judges
thought they did enough if they faced the gaol
fever (a disease, by the bye, then unknown out
of England) and probably admired the humane
provision of the English Law, by which, in some
counties, they were exposed to this danger only,
once a year, and in some places, as Hull, only
once in seven years*. So much for the humanity
of Magistrates and Judges, and what we might
expect if Public Opinion did not watch over
the unfortunate inmates of prisons. Inno-
cent men may still no doubt be starved if
they have any foolish repugnance to mount
the Tread-mill along with convicts, or dislike
the company of thieves and prostitutes. And
there is no part of England in which an innocent
man has now more. than nine months imprison-
ment before trial, which is only a period of im-
prisonment about nine times longer than accused
persons are subjected to before trial in any other
part of Europe. This is certainly a groat ad-
vance. Yet there are persons who are not satis-
fied with what has been done. Sir Francis Bur-
dett,- on presenting a Petition from Mr. Martin
Stapylton, a Magistrate of the North Riding of
Yorkshire, had the hardihood to complain of the
practice of the Magistrates of the North (tiding,
in sending persons before trial to the very
degrading and laborious punishment of the
Tread Mill. And, more strange still! Mr. Peel
allowed that there could not be the slightest
doubt that such a course was improper, and ad-
mitted that between him and the Hon. Baronet
there was no material difference as to opinion,
and that " he had not a moment's doubt of the
inexpediency of placing persons on the Tread
Mill before they had been found guilty of any
crime."

* Peacock,- a murderer, was three years in prison in Hull,
and before his trial the principal witness died, and the criminal
was acquitted.

[sew TIMES.]
We have received Gold Coast Gazettes to the
13th of December. give us the satisfac-
tory intelligence that r-Sritriey Charles iNl‘Carthy ar-
rived at Cape Coast op the 19th of November—
a circumstance the more gratifying to his friends
in England, as the length of time which had
elapsed since his sailing from Sierra Leone had
created serious fears for his safety. The more
immediate object of Sir Charles's voyage was to
bring to a decisive close the differences with the
King of the Ashantees. This savage Chieftain
had long exercised an oppressive tyranny over
the neighbouring tribes, particularly the Fan-
tees ; and at length he had carried his insolence
so far as to murder a Serjeant in one of the
Negroe corps in our service. In consequence,
the English have extended their protection
to the oppressed tribes : a strong confede-
racy of Native Chiefs has been formed against
the Ashantee tyrant ; and two British Offi-
cers, Major Chisholm and Captain Laing,
have conducted military operations against him
with great success. It is by no means the wish
of the English Government on the Coast to
make conquests ; their only aim is to induce
the Ashantees to adopt habits of moderation,
and to eugage them, if possible, in peaceful
traffic, for which their country is well suited.—
The arrival of Sir C. M'Carthy appears to
have spread terror and dismay among the
Ashantees, many of whose dependents have
already deserted their standard, while the Con-
federates in the cause of independence are pro-
portionately animatd by the presence of his Ex-
cellency. The Gold Coast Journalist states for
the information of those disposed to speculate in
plantations of Coffee, Indigo, Sugar, kc. that a
large tract of fit land can be procured on that
coast, that the price of labour is lower than in any
other of his Majesty's Colonies, the people friend-
ly and well-disposed, and that full security
may be expected both for person and property.
These papers notice the interesting- fact of a
black slave having been sent from Brazil by his
master, an Englisman, to he brought up as a
freeman at Sierra Leone, and instructed in the
Christian religion. We regret to add that they
mention same vessels still carrying on the Slave
Trade, under the French and Spanish flags.

[MORNING itEttALn.]
Something like a dead set has been made
against the Vagrant Act—and it is admitted on
all hands that it requires some alterations and
amendments. It may be suspected, however,
that the clamour against the provisions of the
Act and against its authors have been exagge-
rated and misdirected. Its great defect is in the
execution, not in the objects and spirit of its pro-
visions ; and the chief aim in any alterations
should be, to tie down the hands of those who are
to enforce it. It is evident that the watch-
men and the Magistrates--particularly the sti-