The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-16 00:00:00

COLONIAL SLAVERY BILL.

On the motion of the Earl of RIPON the House then
went into Committee on this Bill.

On the 33d clause, relating to the compensation of
twenty millions, being proposed,
Lord ELLENBOROUGH suggested that it would be
much better to grant p rpetual annuities to the planters as
c•inip.nsation fur the loss of their slave labour, instead of
allowing them sums of money.
The Earl nt RIPON admitted that such a course
might be found to act well in a few cases, but doubted
much if it would prove generally satisfactory.
The Committee having proceeded to the 334 clause
regula log the distribution of the compensation grant,
The Duke of WELLINGTON objected to the entire
clause, and moved an amendment providing for the distri-
bution of the grant upon a different principle. He eon
tended that under the distribution provided by the Bill as
it stood, an undue advantage would be given to the owners
or the slaves in Demerara as compared with those of
Jamaica, and that the compensation ought to be distri-
buted according to the value of the slaves of the different
colonies. The amendment which he should move, there-
fore, would provide that the compensation grant be
divided into nineteen portions, to be appropriated by the
Colonial Legislatures according to the value of the slaves
in each colony, and not their number.—( This we under
stood to be the effect of the Noble Duke's amendment.)
The Earl of RIPON objected to the plan proposed by
the amendment as unju t, and only calcu ated to create
inconvenience and delay in the settlement of the question.
Lind WYNFORD supported the amendment.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the amendment
embraced two points—first, a distribution according to
the value and not the number of the blaves ; and the
second, as to the manner of the distribution. He still al-
tiered to the propriety and fairness of the arrangement
made by the Bill, and would contend that the distribution
proposed by the amendment would be unjust as between
the owners of sl Ives in Demerara and Jamaica. With re-
gard to the second point, the leaving the distribution to
the tribunals of the colonies would be to bring the whole
6L-rl~._-_'." frh. into dos
courts .4 equhys boon he was sery far from wishing
to confer upon them, seeing that the worst ..f our
equity tribunals at home were a perfect paradeie com-
pared to those of the colonies, into which if they once
got, no lawyer, much less a suitor, coot.' a.tok a toestra.
of a possibility of their ever coining out again. From
this evil he desired to take refuge in the machinery of
the Bill, which left the appropriation in the bands of
the Commissioners, and which was not without precedent
or example.

Lord WYNFORD saw great danger to the rights of
property attendant upon the institution i.f this novelty
in legal tribunals for the settlement of questions in
which those rights, as hitherto guaranteed by the law,
were so deeply involved. He should therefore support the
amendment.

Lird ST. VINCENT said it was known that in De-
merara there was a I irger proportion of aged slaves anti a
smaller proportion of younger ones than in the other
colonies. In Jamaica the comparative number of young
.laves, On the contrary, was in the proportion of sevt n to
there. He thought t, ere were many circumstances en-
.erinz into the value of the slaves which would be best
understood and considered by the tribunals of the co-
_ .

this us w, II as all
:
Lod ELLZNBOROUGH thought the quest ffn purely
a julicial and nut a political one. The only desire any a
iantisnugch a suite as to be
tttihe
eprri
their Lordships could have was to make the most equita-
ble distribution of the money given for compensation. It
lid certainly appear that the local Courts of Jus.iee were
unfit to administer justice in this cite, they were not
tit to be left in existence at ail. But if they were efficient
ciPueersttrioibnralsufortht?hye a7djeuredic
fur other purposes, he could not see why they should not
superintend the dis ribution of their money ; and there-
fore be preferred the amendment of his Noble Friend,
especially as it must be a great saving of expense. He
could not-understand why the appointment of the com.