The Sun.
London, England, 1812-07-30 00:00:00

ARMY AGENTS.

Mr. COCIIRANE JoHNSToNE rose, in pursuance
of hiS notice, to move for the production of pa-
pers relating to the expenditure of the public mo-
ney by General Army Agents. He thought it ImpOs-
sible thatnny Army Agent could procure security for
sums so large as those which passed thrwigh then:
hancTs. A.eertain great Army Agent, who some,
years ago had only four regiments, is now Agent
for more than two-thirds of the regiments in oui•
army. Ile did not mean to question the.reSpeC7
tability of Mr. Greenwood; but, of late., 'houses
fully ?is respectable had.failed, and he begged the
House to reflect what the consequences would be
if this man should stop payment. He knew Mr.
Greenwood to be-'a most worthy man, and. one
who had done many good actions, but could ne-
ver approve of the system of allowing one person
to engross so very great a proportion of the. Army
Agency. As things continued in their present
state, he did not consider the public money'se,
cure in the'hands of these Agents.' He therefore
hoped that Ministers would take some steps to re-
medy this, before the House separated for the
season. He did not think tlq.t the pr.esdilt sys-

tem would be continued for such a reason as that
Mr. G-reen WOO.,
Parliament, or on ~ccoant of the . of
higher powers. The Uonourable.Gentleinan then
moved that seven different papers relating to this
subject be laid before the House, comrirchending
the accounts. of the nival sums of money paid
or .dtte to Army Agents, as conwemiation for their
trouble in Conducting the affairs oif different Regi-
ment:of the line, Royal Artillery, Waggon Train,
; also an account of the sums paid iii advance
to different'Agents on account of the balances for
or against the Agents, and an accionnt of the annuktl.
expenditure Of the Paymaster43eneral of the
Royal Marines; all of :these accounts and .speel-
fications to
,comptehend the period horn .D,teeni-
ber 25, 1810, Dec.,24, 1,811.
_ _

Mr. LONG said; -he did not rise to oppose the
motion of the Hon. Gentleman, hat to
,s-tate that
he thought it would have come with greater pro-
priety when the examination of the Agents ac-
counts were in a state of greater forwidness-than
they are at,present. He could not however for,
bear stating, that in geueTal the publi`e was.- in-
debted to the Army .I.gent3 for great surii,sad-
, vanced by them, instead of. these -agents having
si4o,s of the public money in their linds. . • ‘.
Mr. DANT observed; that the Him. Gentleman
(Mr. Johnston), should know, that every Coirmel
had it in his power_to appOint the: agentfor his
own regiment. The circumstance„ therefore, of
Mr. Greenwood being agent for so many regi-
ments, redounded greatly to his credit. He did
not undersand what._ the Hon. Gentleman meant
by,the influence of higher circles.
Sir F.Buaner-r observed, that it had a vet*
suspicious appearance for one person to be agent
to so many different regiments. The emoluments
Of his (Mr. Greenwood's) office were, he undtr-
stood, about 50,0001. a year, but he' thought
tioObt.• would he quite sufficient, considering ti e
nature of the employment. There wisis no
culty in understanding what the nature of the
eUnneetion Wasletween the Duke of York and
the Army-Agents ; he therefore did not see why.
the Colonels of regiments should not be influenced
by Similar motives. • •
Mr. ROSE said, that th'e case was generally that
thu public owes sums of money to the Agents for
advances made by them, than that the Agent i 5
indebted to the public. No man could have ful-
filled the duties of his office more faithfully than
Mr. Greenwood; he did not say that from any
pri ;ate attachment, for he never happened to meet
with hiM in society..
Mr. PARNELL thought tbAt the reports of the
Commissioners of Military inquiry had been
-shamefully neglected. Had those reports been
attended 'to, the present difficulty- would haVe
been avoided, The public had been put to enor-
mous expense for these inquiries, and after all no
good had resulted from them.
Mr.-Rose said, that What had been said of a
connection between the Duke
.of York. and the
Army Agents, was quite unfounded; as he has,
no influence whatever over those agents; nor dues
any such connection exist as was insinuated.

_
Mr. LONG stated, that since the regulations of
Mr. Burke the pay lists .of the regiments had
become so intricate and complex, that. the 'eta-
initiation of them was rendered almost impracti-
cable. :It was an undoubted fact, that the public-
owed large sums to Mr. Greenwood for advances
made by him.. With regard to the alltpionsinade
to the influence of higher powers, it was altoge-
ther without any aythority:' lie had never heard
of any interference on the part of th.e Duke of York
with the Army Prgenth ; and there was not the
slightest ground for saying that it was owing to
the Duke of York-that Mr: Greenwood was agent
for so many reghnents. thought the public
money as safe in the hands of Mr. Greenwood as
any other agent.
After a .few words from LMr. Parnell, 'Mr.
Long, Mr. Cocbralie Johnston, and Mr. Martin, -
of Galway, the motion of Mr. Johnston was
agreed to.

WEST INDIES.

Mr. JACKSON (of So.uthatup ton) .—" I rise, Mr.
Speaker, in constequence of the notice, I gave of
.my intension this day to move, for certain papers
relative to West India „concerns. Sir, it is not
my intention at this late period of the Session t.D'
bring before the• House the general conduct exer-
cised by this country towards her West India co-
lonies, although few persons have suffered more
by the, impolitic • system that has been pursued
for many years than I have, and no ,one cart
more deprecate and lament the continuance of
it ; . convinced as I am, that if some speedy and
efficacious means . are not taken -to relieve'
present distresses of, the West- India Proprie-
tors, inevitable ruin' and bankruptcy M:l3t en-
sue• to them, and the consequences will be a
very coilsiderable diminution, if not the total,.
loss must take -place of a very, large revenue now
derived by the Mother Couutryfroin the West
India COlonies'. This, i assure the House, is not
a fictitious !oe an exaggerated statement of the
situation olthe Colonies, aed to prove it, I will
briefly refer to the varicos reports presented to the,
House by their Committees, coanneheing- with
the one el:July, 1807. They-herein state, " that
unless some speedy and dectual 4nes•drOs are
adopted, the ruin of a great number of.thePlitnters
and others depending on properties in these
Islands, must inevitably- ensue.'' The .reports
also, of 13th April, 10th May, 'and 24th June"
1808, all reiterate the same sentime?its;hut iii
much stronger and more forcible language After '
pressing upon the House, the distressed situation
of the coiouies, they go on to state ". the severe
loss that must be-felt by the Empire at large, 'and
in no part More. than the landed interest of tine
country if some efficient remedy Should riot te
, • .
found for the relief of the colonies from the dis-
tressed situation in which they are. When (say
theys it .is recollected that this country derives
from her colonies a net revenue of upwards cCI
3,000,0001. annually from the duty; of sugar ;doge
and, more than one half as much more from her
impart of rum, coffee, cocoa, and cotton, and that
these 'colonies take off manufactures from this
country of upwards of 6.000,0001. sterling ; to
which'consideration must -te added the shipping
they. employ, and the-sailors bred to the trade,
and that were the restrictions taken off that now
impede the export of corn, they would import to
the great advantage of the British Agriculturist,

a great propcirtion of what they now procure from
foreign places.;" and in.,elosing -a Very volumin:
Otis report, they state, " they cannot do so with-
out, abserVine;, that nothing has occurred since
their appointment which has opened any improv-
meat in the situation of the West India body, and
therefore'they cannot forbear to press upon the
,eonsiderat.on of - the House,. the several reports
Which have been before laid upon the table."
Whea, Sir, it. he considered, that upwards of four
years have elapsed siace the last of these retlorts,
and nothing has yet been done or the relief of the
West India. Colonies, is it at all to be wondered at
that distress, even exceeding the anticipations of
the Committee' of July', 1807, has actually taken
• place ? and sorry am I to say, this is really the
ease, for from information I have received from
,the Island of Jamaica, trifl from the knowledge I
- have of the whole of the smaller Islands, I can
state, without-the fear of being contradicted, that
in the last five years, more foreclosures of mort-
'gages have taken place, more estates have been
taken' from the original proprietors than was the
ease for the antecedent fiftyyears ; and the prices
of the commoditieS sent from these Colonies have
been so very low, as hot actually to do more than
repay the manufacturers for the expencei they
• have incurred in making it, andthe very great .6x-
pence of its imports into this country, whither
they are obliged to send it. This enlarged view
of the question, I should, however; wish to leave
to the serious, and I hope the'early consideration
of his Majesty's Ministers during the recess; but
should they neglect so to do,t I shall feel it a duty
incumbent on me to bring be'forerttle Honse;at a
very early period of the ensiling Sessions, the. va-
rious difficulties • and distresses under which the

whole of the West Indies are suffering; and I
hope., and trust, I shall be prepared to bring for-
ward sonic such propositions, which, if entertain-
ed by this House, ainj acted upon by his Majes-
ty's Ministers, will serve much more essentially
to benefit the West India Proprietors than any
thing which has been adopted for very many years
past. Sir, the immediate object I have in view,.
will be. to rescue the West India Proprietor, or
as he i.s more generally, though improperly,termed,
the West India Planter, from those vile aspersjons,
ihOseimpufations of cruelty and inhunialtity which
have been so• unjustly thrown out against him.
That we have some bad subjects, some infamous
Characters among them, no one will deny ; but
What 1- mean to assert is, that take them in the
aggregate, take them as a body, as a class of per-
sons, there is not one more honourable, more re-
spectable, or who.possess more real philanthropy
in the whole of his Majesty's dominions. Sir,
I mean •by analogy to prove, that it is not be-
cause you have found such villains, such inhu-
man monsters as a Williams, and others, his as-
sociates; who at the commencement.of the pre-
sent year struck such universal terror and ctin7
sternation throughout the-whole of this. metropo-
lis by their horrible murders ; it is •not because
in every county in England, nay, Sir, in every
Sessions in the dirierent counties you have per-
sons under criminal condemnation for cruelty and.
barbarity ; it is not because we have so recently
witnessed, even at the very-doors of your own
• House, one of the url.it base and atrocious, acts
that ever disgraced this 4.)r any other civilized na-
tion, in the ttisassination of due of the greatest
and best of men ; a man whose priate virtue has
endeared him to the memory of every one of us,,
'whose public character, whose public merit, no
eulogium of mine can do half the justice to, as
the consideration of the situation in which his
loss left this country for many weeks ; a loss
so daily and hourly deplore ; and that this Was
perpetrated by the cold-blooded malignant hand of
an Englishman : these are rio reasons, SiNthat were
I called upon-to designate the general character of.
the British nation, I should sayth at cruelty or inhu-
manity were the prominent, the characteristic fea-
tures of it; any more than that because we have
found such inhuman, sanguinary, monsters as a
" Hodge and a Higgins amongst theth, that the,
whole of the West India Proprietors shoUld be
inculpated in their guilt. I shall noecontent my-
self -in barely stating that the characteristic of the
West Indian is not that of cruelty and inhumanity,
Ink' I shall assert • that they are possessed of ho-
honour, of liberality, -andbf great humanity.—
Many of their, - and those the most opulent, have
gtme hand in hand With an HOnottrahle Gentle-
man whom I (to not now see in his place (I mean
the Member for Yorkshire) ; who, by his phi-
lanthrop)i, his exertions, and his perseverance, as
being the sttecessfni champion in doing away an
infamOtts traffic that had too long disgraced this,
nation; has immortalized his memory. The diffe-
rent Legislatures-of the islands have adopted the
various propositions you have made them for the
amelioration of'the condition of the negroes, and
I am authorisedlo say, they are ready and w(illing
• to adopt any other suggestidns, any other propo-
sitions you can make to them, that haw this de-
. sitable object in view. Sir, the papers shall
move for will- enable me, in a great measure, to
refute certain charges brought by an Tlonottrable
• Friend of mine against the community over which
hi presides. I mean in a Letter Written by- Go-
vernor Elliot to a Noble Lord then at the head of
the Colonial .Department,—a- letter as ithpolitie
as it has been injurious, and not more imprudent

than the chaq,,es arc unjust and untrue

In this

4etter Governor Elliot siates- that the community
, over which he presides are composed of self-creat-
ei, lawyers, self-educated physicians, .and
uier-
c-t'ints 'without capital or credit .: flow, Sir the
public papers which Ishall move for will evident-
. ly:shew that Governor Elliot never could' have'
conceived the persons he was thus- addresSing were
cOrnposed of such materials';. and: other private
letters written by himp.recisely at the same period
inAwhich his public letter ,Was written, state, that
behad there met:with a great Many men of very
superior abilities, me m of mental endownients,
'ari of such AraVity of manners, as that tre could
-• with pleasure pai,'s'the residue of his.life among
them. When ive- see, Sir; such contradictions.
frcink the 'pen of anv man, particularly from such
a man as Governor Elliot was known to be, what
' have we but•to surthise,—and, I fear, I-Shall have
• in common with his other friends 'to lament, that
the intense heat of a tropical sun has• greatly ,af-.

fected that bright understanding, those brilliant
abilities, that Governor Elliot was-known former-
ly to have possessed. It-is to do away these re=
Sections, as far as they relate to,bneislandin par-
ticular—and I do not exc'pt this island from any
ideathat therefleetions are of all just, or deserved
by the other island—but, Sir, having been ac-
tluainted with the inhabitants of the island of An-
tiguafor 25 years, during which period I have vi-
Sited the island six or seven different times, with
the intervention of four or five years between
each visit, I can in contradiction to -Governor
Elliot say, I do not really think, were you to take
the same extent of country in any part'of this
kingdom, you wonld find a 'greater number of
men (resident I mean) • who possess more midi-
. tion,- it.ore literature, or of greater respectability
of character. Sir, to particularize might he
thought invidious, but I might commence with
the worthy President of the Island, whose abi-
lities were confessedly superior fifty years ago,
and who has passed the whole of this period in
an active and studious life, now, at nearly the
age of 80, he is possessed of all his faculties, and
still continues, as, I hope he long will, an °ma-
/tent- to that society: Besides him, I might-enu-
merate a long list of the Atholls, the Warners,
the Ottleys, the Eliots,"the Gunthorpes, the liar-
mans,
the liorsfords, and a variety-of others,
all of Whom have passed a regular classic educa-
tion in this country, and have
.been at one or
other of the Universities—they are men of such
literature, of such abilities, that even in the most
learned, the most opulent societies in this cou-
try, they would shed a lustre around themselves.
Sir, even Governor Elliot condescends to speak
of the respectability of my friend, the Solici-
tor-General, Mr. Ilotsford, and does but jus-
tice to his talents; but besides him there are maw.-
others who possess abilities that would not disgrace
the Courts of Westminster; but I should speak with
much diffidence of the bar there in the presence
of an Hon. Friend of Mine, the Member for nay-
den, who with
,as much credit and celebrity to
himself as with. honour and respectability to the
colony, practised there for many years ; I .there-
fore can speak with more certainty as to the me-
rits of those who were his contemporaries at that
Bar. There are several medical gentlemen in that
island whop have had a elassical or medical educa-
tion in this country, and who have carried out
_their regular diplothas, authOrising them legally
to kill as many of his Majesty's subjects as they
please. I have the pleasure; Sir, of being ac-
quainted With many of the commercial men of
that island, who I know are carrying on a large
mercantile traffic, not only with the whole of the
American States, and with our,own American set-
, tlements, but also with the whole Archipelago of
Islands; and from this country they got out assort-
ed cargoes of from 10,0001. to 30,0001, annually
for the consumption of 'the Colony ; and who
have an unlimited credit, and the confidence of
some of the most opulent mercantile men in this
country. That there are some pettifogging at-
,
tornies, who have settled among them, that there
may be some, doctors, or rather farriers, who can
bleed and draw teeth, perform certain. operations
upon the pigs and poultry, and shoe" your horse
if 'ydu please ; that there .are sonic retail mer-
chants, sonic huxters, who live on the credit,
and traffic on the capital of the more opulent mot--
Chants, I doubt not ; but is this not the case
with every country town, every village in Eng-
land? What I find fault with, Governor Elliot
is, that he should have attempted' to insinuate
to h's Majesty's Ministers, that the Coun-
cils and Assemblies, the Judges, the grand and
petty Juries of the ColOnies are composed of this
last, this 'heterogeneous class of persons, than
which nothing can be more unjust, more untrue.
Sir, I will not detain the blouse longer, and I hope
' they will grant me their excuse for the time I have:
but my wish was to do away the sensations I feel
as a Westlndian, in having suffered wrier the in-
justice of .Governor Elliot's statements ; and I
shall now move, " That the 'speech and address
Of Governor Elliot to the Council and Assembly
Of the island of Antigua, and ,his speech and ad-
dress to the Council and Assembly of the island of
St. Christopher, on his going thither, together
with their respective answers, be laid upon your
table, as als6 the address of the Legislature of the
island of St Christopher, to my Lord Liverpool,
in answer to the letter written by Governor Elliot
to him on the 21st of November, 1810." With
these papers on your table, I shall certainly make
a motion early in the . next year, although it is
not my intention to ground any motion upontheni
this session.

Lord CASILEREA6H was not surprised that the
Hon. Member should feel considerable pain upon
this subject, but contended that a much stronger'
construction had been put upon Governor Elliotts
letter than it at all warranted. He willingly ad
mitted that there were many high and enligittenedn
characters who were the ornaments of tie West
Indies ; but hoped that,- as the papers moved for
by the. Hon. Gentle Man could -not be produced'
and acted trpon by Parliament this. Session, he
would- merely consider .himselles giving -a notice
of what it was his intention to bring under the
consideration of the House in the next Sessidn of
Parliament. .

Mr. BROWNE expressed great anxiety to afford
to the colonies an opportunity of repelling the
charges which had been preferred against them :
arid maintained that Governor Elliot had 'acted
with an inconsistency which, if it did not: wholly
.disqUalify him from the high situation which.he
held; was at least calculated to shake the founda-
tion of his authority. • . •

Mr. STEPHEN admitted that There were many
individuals of high worth in the Leeward IslandS,
but denied that the character` given by Governor
Elliot, of the, gengral state of society there, was
groundless. As instances of the justice of this
opinion, he referred to the acquittal of Huggins,
at• Nevis; the prosecution aud conviction
,of a
printer at St; Kitt's, for publishing the iilesolu-,
tions of •the Assembly of "Nevis, relatiVe to -Hug-
gins, and the necessity' hick the- Governor was
under of enforcing martial law; in order to pre-
vent the rescue from capital punishment of a
wretch who 'had been convicted of murdering
a multitude of his slaves, whipping some to death,

and pouring boiling water down the throats of
others. -

• Mr. BROWNE, in explanation, denied that the
ii
majority of the whites. were veriie 'to•.the.execu-
tion of the-individual just alhided to by the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman.

Mr. JACKSON, in explanation, stated, that he
had been in the island since the exccutioii of
Hodge, and _that so far from finding any disposi-
tion to 'favour him, be was informed
_froth the
most respectable quarters, that if Governor El-
liot was disposed. to remit his punishment,- the
people would have taken the law into their own,
hands, and torn the culprit to pieces. With re-
spect to Mr. Huggins, the fact was, that the cir,
cumstances were such as to prevent his convic-
tion in point of law ; and as far as the disposition
of the people was-- concerned.!, he-could inforth
The House, that no individual in the island, spoke
to him. •

• Mr. STEPHEN explained. •
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEGHIER-expressed
a hope that the Hob.. Gentleman would' not press
his motion to a division in so thin a state of the
House, but would allow it to lie over to another
session. lie regretted -that such papers should
have been laid before the, public, but was sure
that-the Hon. Gentleman took the expressions in
a much more extensive. sense than that in which
they were used. It shonld also be recollected,
that the papers moved for were speeches delivered
on- his first arrival. in the island, and were there-
fore to be considered rather as effusions of compli-
ment than of observation.

Mr. JACKSON, with ;the leave of the Houqe,
agreed to withdraw his motion, and the House L‘d-
journed to to-morrow.

SURREY ASSIZES.

GUILDFORD, TIASDAY3 JULY 23.

LEWIS i. MILLAR AND 'ANOTHER.

The plaintiff in this case was the 'Clerk of an
Attorney at Croydon, and the two defendants,
father tancrson,"lronmongers and Bankers'at Croy-
don. The action was for an assault and false
irnpriSonment, and the facts, as stited by two,
witnesses, were as "follow :---.Thht an the
day of July last, the plaintiff, who lodged at the
house of a Mr. Williamson, at Croydon, was
returning. home, he was accosted by. the two de-
fendants, who-desired him to step intd their house,
which he declined, and' went into his own lodg-
ings ; they followed him, and rushing intd the
parlour, seized him by the throat,. and dragged
him about the room, until, as one of the witnesses
stated, he was black in the face. _ _

• Upon cross-examination, it turned out that the
defendants were actuated by anger for the ill.-
treatment' of a Miss. Millar, the daughter of one
and the sister of the others-defendant, in conse-
quence of a placard which haA.been.posted- up, in
the town, in the town, in snbstance as follows---
" That a humped-back little creature, remarkable
for her ugliness, the daughter of an ironmonger,
was desired not-to be-so free with the reputation.
of her neighbours." This placard was suppoed
by the defendants to have originated „with the
the plaintiff, and it scented they had accused him
'of it; upon which he gave it, more publicity by
printing a band-bill, headed two guineas reward.,,
stating, " Whereas the following bill (setting it
out) had been posted up and attributed to hill!, by
the family, who had behaved in an ungentletrian
like manner, he therefore offered two 'guineas re-
Ward to whoever would discover the author.--
This was considered by the defendants only as an
artful method of farther propagating the libel, and
in their anger they assaulted him in the Manner
above stated.

The witnesses, when 'asked if they did no" un-
derstand the placard to have been_ levelled at Miss
Millar, observed, it certainly did not answer the
description of her person, for she was neither,
crooked nor ugly, but Was-, on 'the contrary, a
very pretty girl.
Lord ELLEN BOROUGH, in summing up, directed
the Jury to consider whether -the plaintiff, who
was a candidate to become a member' of the law,
did not covertly intend to spread the slander by
his hand-bill, in which be affected to offer a
ward of two guineas for the discovery of the
author. If they were of that opinion, they would
give him the smallest damages, and negative the
charge' of imprisonment, so as to deprive him of,
his costs.

The Jury i'aund the defendants Guilty of the
Assault—One farthing dantaggs—and Not Guilty
of the false Imprisonmeut.

THE, KING V. AGG.

This was an inilietment against the Editor of
the Magazine called " Town Talk," for a libel
on Thomas Best, Esq.
The libel was contained , in the first number of
that work, and was in the shaFe of the biography.
of Mr. Best, whom it reprc .en'ed as the cher'
amie of Mrs. Clarke. It stated him to have been
born of honest parents in Barbadoes, where his
.youth had been spent in flogging and torturing ,
Negroes ; that be eame to this country for edu-
cation, but was
.as. ignorant as a Barbarian ; that
his - habits were profligate, and as a gamester he
used 'unfair practices, and was given to greeking,„
plAying fouPfthlit he had vtiatifonly killed Lord
C d, an amiabie Nobleman, .in a duel; and
that his Wife had:dserte'd him for a more deserv=
ing object.

"Seljeant:SimPlrEtp, for the plaintiff, hav-
ing stated the case,. _

Mr. Charles klairrson, the Attorney,.. proN;ed
that, he bOught- the book in question of Redford, s
the .printer, and he ford him at the time he meant .
to prOsecute' for -Xtr.--Bes-t. Redford' referred to
Agg, who resided -..witlt•io the rule* of the Bench.
lle applied to Agg fo, give up -the author,-but he
refused, and observed „ it -:vas of littl6 use for
Mr. best to proceed' against him-by law, for be
was a prisoner within the rules as as timself,
and could pay- -io•damages.
Mr -Apoi,inis then • made an able speech for
the;defendant, but -admitted the publiel.tion to be
a libel. He, however, remarked, that in former
times a man, so stained, would have had more
shathe than to have had his vices recorded, by be-

coming a prosecutor ina Court of Justice, wher6,
they were blazoned to all the world. - •
Lord ELLE 11 BOROUGII said, however little re'#
spect might be due to either party, there wns yet__
respect due to the laws of the country eve! ",
the most profligate must not be libelled ; for,
that could be endured, it would lead to endleSs
breaches of the peace, -as those who did not that
protection in the law would be.driven to be the. •
assertors, of their own redress. The publicatioa
in question luirifnot been denied to be a libel. t!oa
could not be denied to be one ; they must there,'
tore find the defendant guilty.
Verdict—Guilty. .

CRIMINAL SlDE.—BifOre 47g.' LORD CIUBF BARO/‘
Dania Daris was indicted for knowingly uttvr4,
ing forged Bank of England.. Notes.7—TlCe 3.4`t
found the prisoner Guilty. ,

I