The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-24 00:00:00

" PROCLAMATION

" By his Excellency Major-General Sir Benjamin D'Urban,
Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the
Bath, of the Royal Guelphic Order, and of the Portuguese
Royal Military Order of the Tower and Sword, Lieutenant-
Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the United
colony of Demerara and Essequibo, its Dependencies, &c.
" The slave population of the Colony will have been already
made aware, by the King's Proclamation, issued on the 10th
day of March last, and recently published by his Excellency
Major-General Murray, that there is not the slightest foun-
dation for the belief which they had been erroneously led to
entertain, of 4 orders having been sent out for their emanci-
pation.'

" They will also have learned, that the acts of insubordina-
tion into which that false belief had so fatally betrayed them,
have excited his Majesty's highest displeasure;' that if, for
e:c future, they fail to render entire submission to the laws
and.dutiful obedience to their masters, they will be held unde-
s,2rving of his Royal protection ;* and that all his Majesty's
Governors ' are charged and commanded to punish those who
may hereafter disturb the tranquillity and peace of their repec-
tire colonies.'

" I do, therefore, hereby declare to the slaves my firm deter-
mination to repress every appearance of insurrection ; and in
the event (which I trust is most improbable) of any new revolt,
I will not fail to put it down, by the immediate and decided
operation of the powerful military force now at my disposal,
and by the same prompt and effectual measures which were'
esrployed by my predecessor in the Government, and which
have received the most gracious approbation of his Majesty.
" I trust, however, that the slaves will spare me so painful a
task, and not bring upon. themselves so certain and severe a
punishment ; but, on the contrary, that by steadily persevering
in a peaceful and obedient conduct, they will, in due time,
enable me to recommend them to his Majesty, as still deserv-
ing his gracious protection, and as not unworthy of being con-
templated in those measures for improving their condition,
which their late criwinal acts had suspended, and from which,
any renewal of such acts must, infallibly, exclude them.
" They may be assured, that as, on the one hand, I will
punish with inflexible severity all proceeding upon their part
which may be contrary to peace and good order ; so, on the
other, if they continue in a temperate, obedient, and indus-
trious behaviour, they will always find me ready to protect
and befriend them, as the Representative of his Majesty, and
fulfilling his gracious will.

" That no further delusion may, by possibility, exist among
them; and that they may well and clearly understand their own
situation, I have thought fit, in his Majesty's name, to issue
this my proclamation, commanding all persons having charge
of slaves to explain and make known to them the contents
thereof immediately.

" Given under my hand and seal of office, at the King's
House, in George-town, Demerara, this 3d day of May, 1824,
and in the sth year of his Majesty's reign.
"By command,
" WALTER R. DURBAN, Gov. Sec."

We have received advices from Bogota to the
2,gth of March, and the Gacela de Colombia of
the 14th of the same month, containing the offi-
cial details of the welcome reception given to the
British Commissioners. Our Readers have long
been in possession of the speech attributed to
Colonel iinatr.ToN on that interesting occasion,
and we now sabmit to them the other particulars
as they appear in the Colombian Gazette :

- - -
" BOGOTA, MARCH 14.
" BRITISH COMMISSION.
" On the day after the arrival of the Commissioners of his
Britannic Majesty in this capital, they paid a visit to the Mini-
ster for Foreign Affairs, and expressed their satisfaction at the
condition of the country. On the Scl they again called upon
him, and delivered to him a letter from his Excellency illr.
Canning, accediting them as the confidential Agents or Com-
missioners of his Britannic Majesty to the Government of
Colombia. Being acknowledged by his Excellency the Vice-
President, in his character, on the 6th they requested to be
presented to his Excellency the Vice-President, which was effect-
ed on Monday the Bth instant, at half-past eleven. At that
hour the Secretary for Foreign Affairs conducted them to the
audience chamber, and introduced them to his Excellency,
saw was surrounded by the other Secretaries of State, and
several General Officers. Immediately on their being pre-
sented, Colonel Hamilton, the head of the Commission, ad-
dressed the following speech to his Excellency the Vice-
President:—
(This speech we need not repeat. It appeared some time since
in the Scar.]
" His Excellency, the Vice-President, in his reply, expressed
his high consideration for the King of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, and the great esteem in which he
held the British nation. This important commission,' he said,
which has been confided to persons of so estimable a charac-
ter, cannot be otherwise than productive of the greatest benefit
to Colombia, and to the interests of Great Britain. The sacri-
fices of the Colombians have been crowned with victory, and
the assurance of friendship which you proffer to us, merit our
particular eeknowledgment. The Republic has never created
to itself enemies, which, by keeping us in a state of warfare,
would present obstacles to the numerous means of prosperity
which we possess. But if Spain should find France, or any
other power, willing to become her allies or co-operators in in-
terrupting the internal tranquillity which we have acquired, at
the cost of so much blood and so many sacrifices, the resolution
arid constancy of the Colombians will prove themselves no less
firm than during the fourteen years which they have spent in
combating with Spain. The Constitution prohibits my accept-
ing presents from any foreign Ring or Prince—you will, there-
fore, Gentlemen, excuse my not expressing the feelings of my
heart for this proof of the esteem of the king of England, until
the Congress shall approve of its acceptance,"
" The Commissioners of his Britannic Majesty then remained
for a considerable time in amicable conversation with his Ex-
cellency and the other persons assembled in the saloon. Dur-
irsg this agreeable entertainment, his Excellency the Vice-Pre-
sident passed a high eulogium on Mr. Canning, the liberality
of whose sentiments, in his opinion, entitled him to the grati-
tude, not only of Colombia, but of the whole of South America.
Shortly afterwards the British Commissioners took leave of
his Excellency, having impressed the minds of all who were
present at this interesting interview with the joyful hope of
soon witnessing the establishment of the most intimate bonds
of friendship and good understanding between the Republic
of Colombia and the British empire. The amiable, frank, and
sincere character of the Commissioners has greatly contributed
to his hope, and we ourselves venture to anticipate that this
Commission will be productive of the most favourable results
to the cause of human nature, to America, so long afflicted by
the calamities of a protracted war, and to the Pao' and tran-
quillity of the civilized world."

Letters from Havannah, dated the 13th of
May, have been received by way of Charleston.
The discontent of the merchants and planters
of Cuba ;It the interruption to the commerce of
the Island by the Colombian privateers was
daily increasing, so much so as to threaten, at
no very distant period, a separation from Spain,

unless the evil was removed by some amicable
arrangement with the Colonies. In periods of
European warfare, the traders of Cuba were re-
conciled to any privations and disasters they
might be exposed to by the increased price which
produce bore in the markets of Europe. At
present all produce is low, and the losses to
which they are exposed far greater in propor-
tion, for it is estimated that of late one vessel
in three which has left Ilavannah has become

prize to the Colombian privateers. Even the
small coasting vessels were not secure against
their enterprise and activity. In consequence of
this state of things, and being unable to obtain
from Spain any support or protection, the com-
merce of the island was almost wholly at a stand,
and the opinion was becoming general, that the
only step which could rescue it from ruin, was
the acknowledgment by Spain of the independ-
ence of the colonies.

The Dublin Equitable Loan Bill, and the
Manchester Equitable Loan Bill, were last night
thrown out in the House of Lords. Little dis-
cussion took place, the only speakers being the
Lout) CHANCELLOR and the Earl of Litmxit-