The Sun.
London, England, 1823-09-10 00:00:00

\VEST INDIA SLAVERY.

Some idea of the feelings of the Inhabitants of.
IFrinidad, on the proposed measures for ame-
liorating the state of the slaves, may be formed
from the following papers :
(cirtctit,Att.)
Oovernment House, 3uir.3,• 1823.
Biro--; have the honour herewith to transmit for.your
infor-
mation and that of the slave proprietors of your queter, a
copy of a dispatch received from his .a.lajesty's Secretary of
atate, together with copies of the enclosures therein .refereel
IS, and a copy:ye, Mr. Canning'il speech of the lath of Ma
Air. Buxton's niOtiOti in the House of Commons. • '
I have assured the Earl Bathurst, that th
e proprietors of
slaves in this colony wiU feel every dispoitition to promote ti,e
hAsoone views of his altNiesty's ilovernment ; and 1 fpel cop.
Merit thatitou'will confirrii thisimprosion,by tile report which
14annot fail to receive: tram, your attention to the object of
• tigs`Comniunication.
the ttatutesi, -under-the chap of the Depositarin-Ge.
neral,,and on thole or ,many individuals, it. has been found
my' practicable to .substitute for the sound of the whip the
use of a bell or conch, and to .forbid the driver from carrAing
it into the field, I apt induced to believe that no inconvenience
will result to ate.labour or discipline of estates, from adopting"
this improvement. •
I have, therefore, only to request you would favour me with
your suggestions, and those ,of,any of the moat respectable
planters of your quarter, .as to, the most lenient punishment
which can be introduced or the female slaves that may.
be
found to require correction in the service of the estates.
have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient hunthic Servant,
(Signed) • RA Ll' IVO() D FORD. ,
~To th Commandant of the-quarter of Arouea.

'TIN WAD.

44 Ills _Excellency Sirlialpkolarnes Wm?Ardi Bart. Gover-
nor arid commander,in;eldlf in, and- over Me said Mend
and fis Dependencies, •;ntittdadt,of The same, 4c.
The Addreas of the Planters • ot. the quarter of Arouca
hotnbly showed', that
Whereas a Meeting of the Planters of tlt4 said quarter has
hcen this tlxV.held, in coaseqUence of the letter of your Excel-
kncy directed tif she Commandant of the timid quarter, at which
rneettng certain regulations were unanimously agreed, a copy
whereof the Commandant has: been requested to forward to-
gether with this address. In Conformity to those resolutions,
said especially of the late resolution made, your Excellency is
nest respectfully reqiietted to take the same intk consideration,
and earnestly prayed todirect and authorize the Commandants
of the respective quarters to call upon the proprietors to send
two proprietors of their choice, to meet in Port of Spain, on a
key to be appointed for such a meeting, to communicate the
views and sentiments or suggestions of the several quarters,
and to come to some general recommendation or suggestion of
measures for the amelioration of the slave population.
Resolved,—That any change which relates to the discipline
of slavery requires the utmost caution that can be used, under
the most mature deliberation.
That the recommendation or suggestion of particular mea.
-urea ought to be the result, not merely of the separate contd.
fieration of proprietors in each quarter. but of the general consi-
deration of such measures by the whole colony.
That unanimity in such recommendations or suggestions is
not only indispensable to the safety with which they may he
adopted, as the whole experience and wisdom of the colony will
be collectively obtained, but it will afford stronger pound for
the adoption and-enforcement of such recommendations or sulk.
gsstions as may be found necessary.
It is therefore lastly .resolved, that it is expedient that the
pro Tietora of slaves in the respective quarters should com-
municate With each other, in order to come to some general
suggestions to be respectfully submitted to His Excellency the
9uvemor, as most expedient and safe, before any particular
measures may be adopted ; and to that end that His Excellency
the Governor be addressed, and requested to direct and autho-
rize the commandants of the respective quarters to call upon
the_propiietors to send two proprietors•of their choice, to meet
in Port of Spain on a day to be appointed for such a meeting,
to communicate the views and sentiments or suggestions of the
neveral quarters, and to come to some.gerteral recommendation
or suggestion of measures fur the anlePOrAttOn of the slave .po-
:„ pulitt)on.

LAW from 41tadrone --, a Plaritr, art
It le my opinion that the proposal emit:alma in his 17,ricel.
lenty's rural it ought not to be acceded to : if we are to be
ruined, let it not be with our own consent.
It is also my firm persuasion, that the slave population of the
Island is -as happy as possible; far more so than the lower j
classes at hOrne; fed, clothed, attended in sicknese by the best
medical attendance, every comfort allowed them that their situ.
ation raeitiresthey are placed above the reach of want; and,
by the right of complaint against their master, they are secured
from oppression an 111-treatment.
In schools,- children of both sexes, of the first rank end qua-
lit y--the navy, the army, many of whom belong to respectable
isre.subjeet to the lash ; the white, the free-coloured
proprietors of....bothAexes, in • ths island, are liable to stripes
rot exceeding 40, while their slaves can only receive 25.
It is a very :angular rue, that the mistress should be subject
to the lash and the slave not ; and that the moment chosen for
such exemption is the very one that, by the late regulation*,
we are subjected to corporal punislime,nt.
...ft is well known to every proprietor of slave!, that the most
trzubordinate part of their gang ore the feMales ; take from
them the fear of receiving merited thastisement, their influence
over the men, their bad advice and bed example, will indubit-
akly expo se their owners to daily insults, to the loss,of pro-
perty, of life-.-in abort, to the total subversion of this island.
i-itnt no'-advocate for oppressien ; yet 1 Mien I ceri see nn,
nu ,riettute for the present mode of correction; confinement to a
4ifsve r,qmse from labour ; to us it le ,a hats of time; the tread.;
n ill. is also lease dates Ad will most likely be attended with
expence. While our slaves 'ire' under confinement, or treading,
. who i 3 to supply their places •in onr fields ? How are we pay
our debts—how pay our mos.?'
-ft is moreover my opinion that an Address, ought to be pre,
sented to his Excellency, reapectfully stating our just rcurons
fur not wading to measures prejudicial to our interests, to the
pew of the colony, and not calculated to make the slaves
happier.
(Extract of a Letter porn a Planter in Trinidad, dated.idyl2.)
I ea.% give you no idea of the 'general consternation produced
Isere by the motion of Mr. Buxton ; and though,Alr, Gi. tuning's
amendment has been adopted, still the unfortunate planters who
i.llVt vested their all in West India property, look with horror
anddissrial at the aloud ready to burst on them. God alone can
avitthe axe now lifted up by NVilberforee, Buxton, and Co.--
stsbe of the slaves ofthis island requires no interference
by
F)other country; I don't mean to say that instances of in-
jultier, end wine of cruelty towards the slaves, by managers,
stave net occurred ; but I say that the provisions already
ma4e Or the good treatment and comforts of the slaves were
suaetant, and that on all complaints of ill treatment the tri-
bunals never faded to give ample satisfaction. The prohibi-
tion of punishing by dogging female slaves was quite unne-
ceseary ;
.of late years it has namely ever been resorted to,
but the right that the waiter had to are the whip kept them
in s.voe„ and prevented the necessity of resorting to. it. That
riatt tieing removed, will rouse in them a spirit of mutiny,
whkekon`ght to be kept down, cyan for the welfare of the class
042; t• *tem thou pion* ,gentlemen .erronenualy Imagine
out to serve. .oi4.sylitem laid down by Sir Tho
rh '; had been rWiliy_cnforwi, tbere would be no room
f4t ittielioretion of the slue condition in this ialand, •No
=disputed the right of property in a negro, or his dis.
40Y41 as ha thought proper. ;1 leave been seven years On
TnYfrOpe4y 4" during that time vary few of the,slaves have been
pan,Abed at all ; those that have, never fortheir,,work, but either
far ineolene4 or disobedience. Baying been bred a military
mix', I know how e4.sztitial it is to keep down all mutinous be.
havieur in such a description of people. I shall say no more at
present. God help us
The following postscript to a letter, dated Xris
Jaded .lily IB'l3, furnishes a proof of the
,efgct (!iris measures are protlucing on time maim.
fatturii4472Siti
•
totr.mercial int4rests of Great Bri-

tuin
En Lutnicant -Ina lette,je Lvov;utte communication de Sir
R, Wovirnrd, pour ?instruction des habitats de mnn district.
.I.;'apret L letter. du Lord Bathurst, 41 remit tine roue touchons
xu inerneat'le plus critique, et a I aneantissentent de nos far.
tuns* t d'spres eels, je voila pric de rpgarder tomes les de.
tuna* quit je vim 3 etvar; Isis commit non avenue. de Ina pas_
sersi du taut
.prefermit quit 1114 farnille trouvo chez virus quel-
ques peu rpm puittae y 4VOir,po-F achetter le premier motceau
du pun. Arrive a mon Lige, is vie tint pet; slit de c.host, la Inert
recst rien ; Isla supporterat prererence q &etre a charge
a qtd- Tie ce sat t aitud vous voyez ma derniere resolution
es:,
,que vous pit nt'envoycz aucun cs objets quit jc vous AVOi3
411131de.
• m•
rematng Itttii!r is from another i4lond,
tik"?, tnt the subject in a different point of

1-4roitct of a LeVer date.? Yrlris, July 18,1823.
Ail iteipy to say tllnt the Legixlature of • this island have
1pt:c.0444 the wishes of the Aiintstem, in gdopting most of the

regulations recommended for the onv...lioration of the .
ot the negroes, and have every disposition to,concedethe whole,
as soon 8* practicable. No changei,in tbecimdFtof Oie.olaVe
population has yet been Inatrifotin 41.4.:44#114. ValAoo.llLucl,f,r
e,,
of the late discussions in Alavliameutt tPid 4/*I '14113 o
'
'opinion they will never consider any thins; that may be `done'
for, them as a boon, that has for its f!nintletion gle suppression
of their Sunday market, or c.ompellinchetti to nittify.,hipch,
very much, ought to be done in the w ( of itistfifehok before
these points are enforced. I can sprot tlissialhalykbiVsll4
subject, because, during 18 yeara r I:ave barn' 'far the West
Indies, Ihave never owned a idave,---; all my servants have been
hired. The taking away the cart-whip; and changing the
name of the driver to that of cuptain.'has been-me:Ay a subject
of laughter to most of the gangs, at the expence of the driver,
whom they consider degraded. There never was a subject
more misunderstood by the people of England than that of
slavery iii,the West Indies.