The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-03 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.

The fate of our West India Colonies entirely
depends upon the conduct of the Parliament and of the Govern-
ment, during the next few months, and my fears greatly pre
dominate over my hopes, since I have learnt the nature of a dis-
patch addressed by Lord Bathurst on the 27th July last, to the
Governors of the Colonies. It instructs them, after having con-
sulted the men of most influence in the Colonies, to report upon
certain plans which Lord Bathurst submits to thew, and stses
that, after the most mature consideration. ba is of opinion that
they are the best that can be formed to carry into effect the
views of Parliament.

The plans are, shortly, that the slaves shall be compelled to
perform for their owners in two weeks the same work that is
now performed in three ; that during every third week they
shall work for hire (under compulsion I presume) which hire
is to constitue a fund out of which they are to purchase their
freedom; and that after a certain date all women above a cer-
tain age are to be made free, on paying some small compensa-
tion to their owners. _

This is humanity with a vengeance ! ! ! for, if we are to be-
lieve what has been said by those who pretend to know more of
the condition of the slaves than those do who have resided many
years in the Colonies, these poor slaves are already worked be-
yond their strength to such a degree as to be the sole cause of
the number of deaths exceeding that of the births. Notwith-
standing this, however, for the benefit of the slave, he is to be
compelled to do in two weeks, what his master is at present con-
tent that he should take three to perform.
It 6oes not appear what sort of compulsion is to be employ-
ed to obtain this object ; but it may reasonably be doubted whe-
ther the slave would consider the alteration to be any improve-
ment of his condition, and whether he would feel much incli-
nation to work during the third week, after being so cruelly
overworked during two preceding weeks, for the distant object
of being able to purchase his freedom, or, according to his
ideas and feelings, the right to provide for himself or starve,
'when he experimentally knows that as long as he is a slave he
has an absolute right to be maintained, and to have medical
care when sick, even after lie is disabled from work by age or
infirmity, and that he actually obtains and enjoys these contpen-
sations for hf; labour.

The right of property of the planter in his slaves and their
descendants iS as valid as the law can make it, and has been as
fully r•ecognised'by the Courts of Law and Equity, as the right
to property of any other kind whatsoever. The planter has in
consequence a right to all the labour which the slave is reason-
ably capable of performing, without injury to his health, cou-
pled, of course, with the obligation of providing his slave with
sufficient food, clothing, lodging, and medical case when sick,
during the whole period of his life. It is therefore nothing
short of monstrous cruelty and injustice to propose that the
slave shall be compelled to work extra and necessarily, under
the circumstances, beyond his strength, and to call the pro-
duce of that extra labour a fund for compensating the master
for the loss of his slave.

Mr. Wilmot Horton adds a P.S., that it might be arranged
that all judgments for debts should be inoperative against pro-
perty in slavei after a certain date. The effect of this would
be the breaking up of every estate whose owner is in debt, and
the sale and dispersion of the slaves, if under such circumstances
it could be supposed that any person could be found to purchase
a slave for the gratification of being afterwards wrongfully de-
prived of him. But having so magnanimously resolved upon
the ruin and annihilation of the property of the planter, I do
not see that the British creditor need have troubled the con-
sciences of his Majesty's ministers.
The act of acquiring slaves has been the act of the nation,
and not of the colonists only, and consequently this new light
of emancipation cannot be carried into effect without committing
an act of the most monstrous injustice and oppression by any
other means than by the nation paying to the colonists the full
value of the, whole of their property.
It is high time, therefore, that the independent and rational
part of the nation should inquire diligently and coolly into this
subject, that they may interfere to prevent the destruction of
the colonies, if it can yet be prevented, or honestly and math_
fully meet the consequences and pay the costs of this change in
the national policy.
Although this wonderful dispatch bears the signature of the
Secretary and Under Secretary of State for the colonies, yet it
has been asserted, that it is in fact the composition of Mr.
Stephen, and perhaps the truth may be, that it at least passed
under the revision ofillessrs. Stephen, senior and junior, the
latter being said to be a kind of familiar and legal adviser of
the Colonial Office, where he is considered to be a wiser man,
and more able lawyer than is to be found in the known and
responsible offices of attorney and Solicitor General. But
whether the head of the Colonial Offices framed the dispatch,
a('molfloincieesw,hzitcehtihuealliylcitrinks
or tulopted the suggestions. of Mr. Stephen, the avowed bitter
enemyfica t i on of
fo
the
fill importantt his quali-
-1113 trat admi-
Intii

But, I would ask, if this is what Mr. Canning meant by" his
Majesty's Ministers acting in this matter upon their responsi-
bility ? or, if this dispatch does in fact contain the concentrat-
ed wisdom of the whole Cabinet ? and if the Lord Chancellor
approved of it ?
iaims at the character of an able Minister, he
must 3tniroi Canning
content-himself with threatening and Jcajoling the
West Indians into silence, with manoeuvring and managing the
fanatics and East Indians in the House of Commons, and then
aand to Lord Bathurst.
A vin
would have treated this subject in a
e truly g
g creoaltoi statesman
t o chance nce
very different manner. lie would have met the fanaticism and
enthusiasm of false sentiment, which have been employed to
inflame the public
mind, with the honest and manly declara-
tion, that if the result of the measures proposed should prove to
be the total destruction, or partial injury of the property of the
planter, the nation must be prepared to pay the price of its
change of national policy. This would have brought once all
men of practical common sense to the side of Government. Be
would then have been able to meet Mr. Buxton's motion in
die House of Commons by the previous question, pledging
himself at the same time to inquire diligently and impartially
into the actual condition of the slave population in every re-
spect, and to adopt such measures for improving that condition,
as might then appear to be practicable, and consistent with the
Be could then have proceeded on sure grounds,
as far aarnight
tranquillity of the Colonies and the rights of property, as now
existing by law,
appear to be expedient and safe—the colonies
would not have been in their present critically dangerous state
—and the Government would not have fallen into their present
dilemma, of either knowingly consenting to the destruction of
die Colonies, or of quarrelling with the fanatic party in the
House of Commons : if they adopt half measures, they will
probably have the cleverness to do both.
By the course which Ministers have hitherto adopted they
have, in truth, incurred a fearful responsibility. Whatever they
may led upon it, the lives lost in Demerara, in the field, and
at the gallows, and all the lives which may be sacrificed before
this question is finally settled, do, in fact, rest upon their
heads. Without inquiry, and without preparation, they rashly
announced an entire change in the constitution of society in the
Uolonies—this at a time when the garrisons were scarcely ade-
quate to the common duty, in times of tranquillity, and when
even the military force in this country did not afford the means
of sending reinforcements from hence. In proof of this, I have
to state that in Demerara, with a population of 75,000 slaves,
there were only 350 troops, and at the time of the insurrection
not a man could be furnished from the head-quarters at Bar-
badoes to the assistance of the Colony. When Ninisters were
roused by this insurrection they could only venture to order
from hence the contemptible reinforcenient of three regi-
ments, or one thousand eight hundred men, to all our West
India Colonies ; and even of.this three I believe only two regi-
ments have yet sailed.
When the Colonists.-find their fortunes and lives thus en-
dangered, is it to be expected that they should be uniformly
patient, or uniformly temperate and reasonable in the measures
which they may think it expedient to adopt ? or is it to be
wondered at if they should not at all times very nicely weigh
their expressions ?

---- -
Whatever may be the real views of Parliament and Govern-
ment, it is an unquestionable fact that the slaves consider these
views as nothing short of immediate and unqualified emancipa-
tion ; and it is now generally admitted that the slaves are not in
a condition to receive freedom at present, with benefit to them-
selves,t sfitting aside all consideration for the interests of plant-
ers. Under these circumstances, it is impossible that the
Colonies can remain even in their present feverish state, for the
slaves will inevitably lose patience at what they will consider
their right being withheld from them, and of course the rum
and desolation of the Colonies would follow.

It is frightful to contemplate such a result, but I see no-
thing that can avert it; but immediately and largely reinforcing
the West India garrisons; then following the honest course of
formally declaring—First, That the property of the planter
shall not be taken from him without fullcompensation ; thus
restoring a value to Wrest India property, which it has now
entirely lost. Secondly, That the intentions of the Parliament
and of the Government extend OulY_ to the taking effectual
measures for affording to the slaves religious and moral in-
struction, and for securing to them prnper and humane treat-
ment; and that it is not intended to interfere with the right of
the master to the labour of his slave, as now existing by law.
This last measure has become necessary, in order to put an end
to those expectations of immediate freedom, which have been
so imprudently raised in the minds of the slaves : but I would
not be misunderstood, or supposed to maintain the opinion
that emancipation shall not take place at some future pe-
riod, when by time and instruction, the slaveirshall be pre-
pared to receive it with benefit to themselves and without
injury to their masters. But this ought to he kept in the
breast of our statesmen, end not.'expressed to the slaves,

OPE,>LING OF PARLIAMENT.

This being the day appointed for the Meeting
of Parliament, our Most GraCIOUSSOVEREIGN being
prevented by indisposition from being present in
the House of Lords, after the usual preliminaries
the Loa') CHANCELLOR read the Speech,of which
the following is a correct report :-
44 M y LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

" e are commanded by his Majesty to ex-
press to you his Majesty's deep regret, that, in
consequence of indisposition, he is prevented
from meeting you in Parliament upon the pre-
sent occasion.

" It would have been a peculiar satisfaction to
his Majesty, to be enabled, in person, to congra-
tulate you on the prosperous condition of the
country.

" Trade and Commerce are extending them-
selves both at home and abroad.

" An increasing activity pervades almost every
branch of Manufacture.

" The growth of the Revenue is such as not
only to sustain public credit, and to prove the
unimpaired productiveness of our resources, but
(what is more gratifying to his Majesty's feel-

ings) to evince a diffusion of comfort among the
great body of the people.

" Agriculture is recovering from the depres'
sion under li,hich it laboured, and by the stead,'
operation of natural causes, is gradually re-
assuming the station to which its importance en'
titles it, among the great interests of the nation.

" At no farmer period has there prevailed
throughout all classes of the community in this
Island, a more cheerful spirit of order, or a more
just sense of the advantages which, under the
blessing of Providence, they enjoy.

" In Ireland, which has for some time past
been the subject of his Majesty's particular so'
licitude, there are many indications of amend'
mentond his Majesty relies upon your continued,
endeavours to secure the welfare and happiness of
that part of the United Kingdom.
" His Majesty has commanded us further to
inform you that he has every reason to believe,
that the progress of our internal prosperity and
improvement will not be disturbed by- any 10-
terruption of tranquility abroad.

" His Majesty continues to receive from the
Powers, his Allies and generally from all Prilicec
and States, assurances of their earnest desire to
maintain and cultivate the relations of friendship
ith his Majesty, and nothing is omitted on nil
Majesty's part, as well to preserve general peace
as to remove any causes of disagreement, and to
draw closer the bonds of ..vnity between other
Nations and Great Britain.

" The Negociations which have been so 'wig"
carried on through his Majesty's Ambassador at
Constantinople for the arrengement of differences
between Russia and the Ottoman Porte are, $5
his Majesty flatters himself, drawing near to $
favourable termination.

" A Convention has been concluded, hetween
his Majesty and the Emperor of Austria, for 06
settlement of the pecuniary claims of the country
upon the Court of Vienna.

46 His Majesty has directed that a copy of this
Convention shall be laid before you, and he relies
on your assistance for the execution of its pro'

visions.

" Anxiously as his Majesty deprecated tfie‘
commencement of the War in Spain, he is every
day more satisfied that in the strict neutrality
which he determined to observe in that contest
(and which you so cordially approved), he best
consulted the true interests of his people.
CC With respect to the provinces of Americo'
which have declared their separation from Spain'
his Majesty's conduct has been open and co'
sistent, and his opinions have been at all times
frankly avowed to Spain and to other Powers.
" His Majesty has appointed Consuls to reside'
at the principal ports and places of those pl.°•
vinces, for the protection of the trade of his sot''
jects.

" As to any further measures his Majesty Ng
reserved to himself an unfettered discretion to be
exercised as to the circumstances of 'those coca"
tries, and the' interests of his own, people mai
appear to his Majesty to require.

,‘ Gentlemen of the liuttse of Commons,

His Majesty has directed us to inform yo
that the estimates for the year are prepared, at'd
shall be forthwith laid before you.
" The numerous points, at which, under pre"
sent circumstances, his Majesty's naval force i 5
necessarily distributed, and the occasion whirl►
has arisen for strengthening his Garrisons in the
West Indies, have rendered unavoidable soble
augmentation of his Establishments, by sea ad
land.

" his Majesty has, however, the gratificatiori
of believing that, notwithstanding the increase
it
of expence incident to these augmentations, •
will still be in your power, after providing Or
the services of the year, to make arrangement'
in some parts of our system of taxation, lvhici;
may afford relief to certain important branches
the national industry.
My Lords and Gentlemen,

" Ills 'Majesty has commanded us to acquaint
you, that he has not been inattentive to ti.e
sire expressed by the House of. Commons the
lest Session of Parliament, that means shon id 1/'3
devised for ameliorating the condition of the Ne‘
gro Slaves in the West Indies.

" His Majesty has directed the necessary iLj#
formation relating to this subject be laid befor°

VOU.

" His Majesty is confident that you will affor
your best attention and assistance to a ny propositi-no
which may he submitted to you, for promotill",
the moral improvement of the negroes, by au eClt
tended plan of religious instruction, and by stlt
other measures as may gradually conduce to
same end.
to
" But his Majesty earnestly recommends s
you to treat the whole subject with the calatlie',
and discretion which it demands.
cc It is a subject perplexed with difEcob"des
which no sudden effort can disentangle.
" To excite exaggerated expectations