The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-17 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

of those in slavery in the other West India colonies of Hol-
land, but it was probable the whole number might be from
100,000 to 120,000. it was a most intei,,ting inquiry to
enter upon to know what were the actual circumstances of
that large slave population ; upon that point he was obliged
to confine himself to that in the island of Surinam. One of
the most striking circumstances respecting that colony was
that it was generally understood that the average decrease
of the slave population was not less than five per cent. per
a,,num.—(Hear.) A very small portion of that decrease
might be attributed to running away, but from good autho-
rity be was assured that it was an extremely small portion ;
neither could the colonists say that the slave trade had
been recently abolished there. He found from inquiries
that ten years ago the number of male and female slaves
was very nearly equal, as also those of younger years, and
they remained so. The immense decrease was to be
mainly attributed to the essential murderous nature of the
system pursued in the slave cultivation of sugar, and par-
ticularly during the crop season.--( Hear, hear.) The
excessive labour during that period was of such a nature
that no human being could endure it without shorten-
ing his existence.—(Hear, hear.) Another circum-
stance was the treatment suffered by the females while
placed in a situation which required the utmost attention,
and to the large number of children who died in early
youth, doubtless from the want of that care which a mother
only could supply. He regretted that they had been
unable to obtain information respecting the means used
for coercion in the coiony, for no doubt they would do
much towards hastening the abolition of slavery if they
could have an exact account of all puroshments, such as
used to be kept in the English Colonies. It was, how-
ever, known that the whip was used to both males and
females, and he was informed that no slave in the colony
was allowed to wear shoes; he only mentioned that in
order to show the state of degradation in which the slave
was kept. Lately there had been some ameliorations
made in his condition. They were no longer to be sepa-
rated fro:n those whom they considered as their wives.
But with respect to marriage it was hardly known—it
would be sufficient for him to say that in 1830, in a slave
population of 50,000, there were only two marriages—
there was no legal marriage for slaves in the colony, it was.
not recognized. Then with regard to instruction, very
little had been done—at least, if any it was very little, and
as regarded religious instruction—there had been a
Moravian mission established for a long period, but for 40
years after they were allowed to establish themselves they
lied no opportunity of seeing a negro ; they were not
allowed to visit one of the estates. At the end of 100
years they had made some progress, but it was very little,,
for then they wore allowed to visit only 14 out of .500,
plantations. Lately there had been established at the
Hague a Society for preaching the Gospel amongst the
slaves, and that Society had access to 100 plantations;
but to them they had only access monthly, and then groat
difficulties were thrown in their way with respect to their
seeing the negro. Thus very little had been done for the
population. In the Society to which he had alluded at
the Hague, he was sorry to say there were some proceed-
ings to which he could not lend his sanction. Amongst;
their preachers they had 18 slaves, many of themselves
belonged to the colony, and were proprietors of slaves;
and he was afraid that very little would be done to
carry their object into effect, and all other Ministers
of religion were prohibited from visiting the island.
The people in Holland, especially in Amsterdam, were
very far from being in a satisfactory state in re-
spect to the abolition question. He had met with a-
very few instances of cordial support in a populations
exceeding 200,000. He was most sorry to say also that
on the part of some ministers of religion there had been
a most striking unwillingness to take any part in. the
good work. It was true the subject was perfectly new,
and let them hope that when it became better known
and more studied their consciences would tell them what•
their duty was. The next place they visited was Ut-
recht, and in that city he only saw one gentleman wl
took any interest in the question—that gentleman raaa
Professor Ackerdykes, and he indeed took a lively in-
terest in the matter, He then went to Leyden,, and.
among the few he saw there, he was most happy to say
there was no difference of opinion whatever as to what
their duty was with respect to the abolition of. slavery,
and he begged to mention with every respect the name
of Professor Tiedemann. They then procoeded to the
Hague, and there, through the uniform kindness of a
fe sv ministers of religion, he had an. opportunity of meet-
ing about thirty persons of distinction, to whom he had
explained the principles and objects of the Society, andi
he fully believed that considerable good had been don's.
They then went to Rotterdam, and there found seine
very zealous friends of the cause of abolition. They con-
sisted of the Episcopal Minister, the Independent. Mi-
nister, and two Scotch Ministers. Through their
instrumentality a meeting was held, which was nuanarously
attended. He addressed the meeting, and pointed out to
them the very beneficial results which had followed the
abolition of slavery in the English Colonies. After the
meeting the junior Scotch minister said he was very sorry
the proceedings were over, because he would have had.
much pleasure in proposing to form a society in connections
with the British and Foreign Abolition Society of Londora.
He (Mr. Alexander) said if they wished to form a Co at"
mittee it was not then too late. A Committee 0'5.4 in-
stantly formed and the work begun. He had hesod e-
quently from Holland since his visit, and the gesieral im-
pression on his mind was that the subject of slavery had
made considerable progress—that it would roceive the at-
tention of the people of Holland, with a view to its. -aboli-
tion. At the same time be did not conceal irosn him.sr If that
great doubts existed as to the prope.etr of intynediato
emancipation ; and he was extremely anxious 'that the
public mind in Holland should
pbeerefenelStc:teengedreoant
I,tvhoe)ks,ubs.
Sect. Still he looked at
r,siah,kiaadnt,dla.a
hope,
doubte
had
a dnt
to
withstanding all he had
all
n'"ddT
That was hhsav gd rlo e
s e
many would be raised up to,
had been the case in En
say in regard to Hells Wand.
The Society were anxious to
extend their inquiri.es into the slave system as related to
S eden,
'Vit'ain a few weeks
Holland k- •after returning from
that the Diet was ;
then sitting, and
thal its sittings occurred once in five years, be thought
than. that was a good opportunity fur carrying out the
objects of the Society, and immediately set out for
Stockholm. Very little Lad been known with respect to
the slaves supposed to be held under Sweden. It had
generally been supposed that they amounted to between
8,000 and 9,000. On inquiring in Stockholm, he was in-
formed that the general belief was that they amounted ter
from 2,000 to 3,000; but many people in Stockholm be-
lieved that there were no slaves at all in Bartholomew's
Island ; however, before he left, he had good reason to 'oe-
lieve that the numbers wero between 800 and 900. Of
course, his statement showed that the question h'sd ex-
cited very little attention in Sweden ; but upon his in-
forming them of the objects of their Society, a great deal
of what he might call English 'feeling was immediately
excited with reference to slavery. He was present at the
formation of an Anti- Slavery Society, and he had the positive
promise of Professor -- thatthe question should imme-
diately be brought before the Diet, and he had very good
reason to believe that the Crown Prince was decidedly-
favourable to their cause, so also was the Archbishop of
Sweden. There was, however, one peculiarity about the
island, for although nominally belonging to Sweden, it ',501
the actual property of the King. The Diet, therefore,
had no power in the matter, but, no doubt, if they were
heartily engaged in the cause, and if' they were willing to
promote any plan for carrying out the principle of abolition,
—no doubt that would have great effect upon the King's
mind. The Convention would readily apprehend that he
had but very little information to give as to the condition
of the slave, but, as in all other cases, they were exceedingly
neglected. He could not boast much of his efforts, but
still his humble opinion was, that those visits abroad hadi
been of very great good to the cause of abolition. He
believed that the period was fast approaching when slavery
would cease throughout the world. The exertions of the
abolitionists would be crowned with success, assisted as
their cause had been by the glorious abolition of slavery in
England.—( Hear, hear, hear.) A slave-holder told hire
that formerly they were afraid of the blacks, but now
they were afraid of the whites, and good reason they
would have. Believing that the blessing of God would
continue to rest upon their labours, he could not join in
the despondency expressed by some of their members. He
firmly believed that the period was fast hastening whets
slavery would cease, and an immense amount of human
happiness be the result. Then pure morality, and that
religion in which they all believed, which was the root and
foundation of their proceedings, should be no longer tar-
nished by the stain of cruel and inhuman slavery, which
for centuries had disgraced Hear, hear.)
J. Win rattousE, Esq., of Bristol, said he would not have
troubled the Convention, had his respected colleague not
seemed to have forgot one or two points. No such re-
lationship subsisted amongst the slaves in Surinam as
marriage created—it was not recognised by law at all.
The Moravians had been there 100 years, but during that
century they had not been permitted to teach one single
negro to read. The greatest difficulties were thrown its
their way, and during the whole 100 years not a singl,o
slave had been converted.—(Hear, hear.) They nrast
not blame the ministers but the masters. One thing was
most important—from forty to fifty of the plantatio.as in
Surinam belonged to Englishmen resident in this c
They had a hold then upon forty or fifty persons
•0 entry
na Eng-
land who were slave-holders. Let them • bring public
opinion to bear upon them, and they would act •
ple cue
ally
He hoped as there had
and at once.—(Hear, hear.) H
been already an address to the people of Frances the Con-
vention would also agree to one to the people 'a! Holland.
Mr. SCALES said it was important that the Convention
should know that the gentleman who had itsst sat down
was formerly a resident in Jamaica, and a slave-holder.
He believed it was a fact, that instead v.f platting into his
own pocket the compensation money fr,r those who were
in bondage, he gave it to those who bad been slaves.
Mr. Hoorsaam wished to know whether the slaves in
the Dutch colonies had any of them obtained their manu-
mission, and whether there were in those colonies any free
persons of colour?

Mr. ALEXANDER said that there were free persons of
colour there, but with regard to the manumission he could
not speak.
Captain Moortsom, R. N., of Birmingham, then rose to
propose the next resolution, which was as follows:
" That a Committee be appointed to prepare a report(),
the present state of slavery in the Dutch colonies, togotbe r
with an address to the people of Holland upon the duty
and advantages of seeking its immediate abolition." Com-
mittee to prepare the address—G. W. Alexander, nscl. ;
the Rev. John Keep ; and James Whitehorne, Esq..
That resolution bad grown out of the one that b.ad been
moved by Mr. Alexander, and it appeared also to connect
itself with what had been put in the printed pap :rs before
the members of the Convention as part of the business
which had called them together. He was not aware
whether it had been decided to take up these things in•
detail as the subjects to which they applied occurred, cr'
to take them as they had been put down ; but presuming
that the resolution was all right, he had only to move it.
At the same time, he thought it right to draw the atten-
tion of the Convention to that with which it connected it-
self in the proposed scheme of the business of the Con-
vention, in the 4th Scrics—" International. Free Govern-
ments, endeavouring to influence others that tolerate-
either slavery or the slave trade." Supposing that sub..
jest would he before the meeting, and that an opportunity
would be afforded of connecting the subject of the resoln-