The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-14 00:00:00

PRACTICE OF " OBEAII."

BAIi3OADOES.-Thenr have • been printed, by.
order of Parliament, tbe recent Acts of the Co.;'
lonial -.Legislature regarding the treatment of
Shrves.•• The, following .curious document 13 in-
titled "An 'Act for-the better prevention of the
Practice qf
" Whereas it is expedient to prevent the evils and offences
which arise from the wicked arts and pretensions of persons
going under the appellation of Obeah -men and women.: And
.whereas the provisions now by law made for the prevention of
such evils and -offences have been found ineffectual for that
purpose;
tie it therefore enacted, &c. that from and after the
passing of this Act any person who shall wilfully, malici-
ously, and unlawfully pretend to any snagical and super-
natural charm or power, in order to promote the purposes
insnrrertion or rebellion of the slaves within this island,
or to injure and affect the life or health of any other per-
son, or who wilfully and maliciously shall use or carry on
the wicked and the uplawful practice of °bull, shall, upon
conviction thereof, suffer death or transportation, as the Court
by which the said offender may be tried shall think proper, any
thing in this or any other Act of this island to the contrary in
anywise notwithstanding.
" And he further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that
from and after the passing of this Act, if any person wilfully
and' maliciously, in the practice of Obeah or otherwise, shall
mix or prepare, or have in his or her possession any poison, or
any noxious or destructive substance or thing, with an intent
to administer to any person (whether the said person be white
or black, or a person of colour), or wilfully and maliciously
shall actually administer to, or cause to be administered
to, or taken by any such person as aforesaid, any pOison,
or any noxious or destructive substanceor thing whatsoever, al-
though death may not ensue, upon the testimony thereof, every
such person, together with his or her counsellors, 'eiders and abet-
tors, knowing of and being privy to such evil intentions and of-
..fences, shall, upon conviction thereof', suffer death, transporta-
tion, or such other punishment as the Court, by which of-
fenders may be tried, shall -think proper, any thing in this
or any other Act of this island to the contrary in anywise not-
withstanding."

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Apurr.l3.

Mr. BnoGnt N and others, froth the Commons, brought up
the Alien Bill, the Irish Proctors' Costs- Bill, and the
Records Bill ; and returned the Irish 'Burials Bill, with the
amendments agreed to. The three first mentioned Bills were
read a first time. "
The Earl of DARNLEY presented a petition from the Pa--
rish of St. Mark, Dublin, against the taxation of Coals and
other articles by. the Corporation of Dublin.
Lord HOLLAND presented a petition from the Corpora-
tion of Nottingham, of which he is a member. The petition,
in the sentiments of which his Lordship concurred, stated the
Alien Bill to be hostile to the commerce of the country, and
calculated to endanger its peace-I;ostile to The laws 'Of the
country—hostile to the comforts and interests of the natives of
this country who live abroad—and, above all, hostile to the
principles of the Constitution, as it plaCed an arbitrary power
in the hands of Ministers. •

_ ...
The Earl of DARNLEY wished to know when it was in-
tended to move the second reading of the Alieu•Bill.
Earl BATHURST .said that the second reading Would be
proposed on the ThursdaY after the holidays, should that be
an open day. .
Lord BELHAVEN presented a petition from' the city of
Glasgow and its Vicinity, praying for the gradual Abolition of
Slavery.
NEWFOUNDLAND JUDICATURE BILL. _

- Earl BATH uRsT rose to Move the second reading of the
Newfoundland Judicature Bill. 'lle began by describing what
the system of the administration of justice in that country had
been. The present system commenced under an Act of Par-
liamentyear -'1790 the-firstlCourt of
passed in 1809. In the
Judicature was established in the island. It must at first sight
appear extraordinary,-that for a period of 200 'years no regular
Court of .Justice had been established, but it had, been the
policy of this country to discourage any sedentary fisheries in
the island. The civil administration' hatt been placed in the
hands of the Admirals, Vire-Admirals,-and other Naval Com-
manders on the station. The-only alteration-made -previous to
1790 was the appointment of -some Justices of the Peace in
1729, in consequence of the increase'. of population. In 1792,
both criminal and civil judicatures were established. The
Noble Earl described the'ehief,objeet of the Bill now brought
in to be the formation of a supreOe Court of; Judicature, with
a Chief Justice and two -Assessors. Certain clauses authorized
the division of the island into three districts, and the establish,
went of Circuit Courts. it had also been thought proper to
institute Courts of Quarter Session; After. stating a variety of
details, which were not heard below the. bar, the Noble Earl
adverted to that part of the Bill which relates to the celebra-
tion of marriages. We understood him to say, that up to 1817
the greatest confusion had prevailed on this subject. A Bill
was then introduced by which certain regulations were made.
That A tit was now proposed to repeal, and ,to re-enact only
that part of it which requires persons celebrating marriage to
be in holy orders. Roman Cathelic priests, by the common
law .of the island, had the right of celebrating marriage, and
the present Bill gave the same-right to dissenting clergymen of
every description.
The Earl of DA RNLEY observed, that if certain alterations
in the system.of judicature had nut been proposed to be made,
he should have had a petition to present on the subject. -lle
was happy to understand that the trial by Jury which had been
taken away, was to be restored.
On the suggestion of Lord lltit.t.A'ND, Lord BATfluttsT
agreed to divide the Bill into .two Bills, and fixed the Com-
mittoe for the Thursday after the holydays.—Adjourned.