The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-02 00:00:00

THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.

Yesterday, being the Ist of August, the Act for the Abolition of
Slavery in our West Indian Colonies came into operation, and the
glorious event was celebrated by a-party of Noblemen and Gentle-
men at the Freemasons' Tavern ; the Earl of Mulgrave, late Go-
vernor of Jamaica, in the Chair.

About 130 sat down to dinner, among whom were, besides the
Noble Chairman, Lord Morpeth, Daniel O'Connell, Esq., M.P.,
the Right Hon. Spring Rice, M.P., Dr. Lushington, M.P., Mr.
F. Buxton, M.P., Mr. Vernon, M.P., Mr. Wilks, M.P., Mr.
Baines, M: P., Mr. Peter, M.P., Mr. Bish, M.P.' Mr. Stewart,
M.P., Sir 11. Verney, 11. P., Sir G. Grey, M.P., Mr. Ward, M P.,
Mr. Pownall, &c. &c.

The dinner was served up in Mr. Cuff's usual style of elegance.
The cloth being withdrawn, _

The NOBLE CHAIRMAN proposed "the health of the King;"
which was drunk with three times three.

The next health was that of "the Queen," which was drunk
with similar honours.

"_The Royal Family ;" three times three.

Mr. F. BUXTON then rose amid loud acclamations. He said that
he had to propose the toast of " the Emancipated Negroes ;" but
before he did so, he should put a question to their Noble Chairman,
who had lately been Governor of Jamaica, to ascertain from him
whether the negroes were prepared to receive freedom, and to use it
discreetly, or whether emancipation was really that perilous experi-
ment which it had been described to be ?—( Hear, hear. )
The Noble CHAIRMAN then rose amid much cheering, and said
that as he was thus called upon, he should detain the assembly for
a few minutes : it would be first. necessary to explain why, having
been Governor of Jamaica, and having through life felt so strong
an interest in this question, he was that day present ; he did not
mean why, being in London, he was at this meeting, but why he
was in London at all ; or why he was not rather in the West In-
dies, gazing with joy and triumph at those glad countenances which
on this day gleamed for the first time with the life and happiness of
liberty.—( Hear, hear.) The explanation was short ; had it been
a matter of inclination, he should have remained in Jamaica, but the
state of his health, impaired by the climate, rendered an imme-
diate return to England indispensable to the saving of his life. He
had on this sole account returned, and thankful was he that
his health had permitted him to join this meeting on so
glorious an occasion ; he was well satisfied that had not this great
measure of emancipation been conceded, a fatal convulsion of so-
ciety in the West Indies would have speedily taken place.--( Hear,
hear.) The state of things which he found on his arrival in Ja-
maica convinced him of this. With reference to the capabilities of
the negroes for receiving emancipation, he was quite convinced,
from his personal knowledge of them, derived from a seven weeks'
tour in Jamaica, and addressing an aggregate body of 50,000 ne-
groes, he was quite sure that they were fully capable of making the
best use of their freedom, and of raising themselves, by the aid of
education, to an equal height in the scale of civilization with their
white brethren. The awful state of things which existed in those
Colonies, while slavery existed, was now at an end ; his Noble Pre-
decessor in the Governorship had said that the revenues of Jamaica
would be never developed till slavery was abolished, and he fully
concurred in this view ; and he trusted that, now slavery was abo-
lished, this country would begin to derive the real advantages she
was entitled to expect from these Colonies. The Noble Lord then
entered into an affecting detail of the sufferings of the negroes
which he had witnessed, but had been unable to remedy, in conse-
quence of the law, which gave to the owner the right of inflicting
39 lashes on his slave.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. F. BUXTON said that he wanted words to express his delight
at being one of a meeting assembled on so glbrious an occasion
To-day those men were free who yesterday were slaves who might
be carried like cattle to the market for sale or hire.—(Cheers). It
was a glorious thing for us Britons, who were at one time ourselves
described by Cicero as " slaves, not fit for the service of the accom-
plished Atticus"—(a laugh)—to have thus effected the emancipa-
t►on of the negro population.—( Cheers). We had thus done away
with a system which engendered a frightful degree of crime; and a
mortality which, if it prevailed over the other parts of the world,
would, in fifty years, have depopulated the whole world. The Hon.
Gentleman then said, that though rejoicing at the abolition of
slavery in the West Indies, he still had to regret its prevalence to
an awful extent elsewhere, and particularly in America, and he
trusted our best exertions would be used to do away with slavery
all over the world.—( Cheers). He. would conclude by proposing,
as a toast, " The health and prosperity of the emancipated negroes."
—(Loud cheers.)
The toast was drunk with three times three.

Mr. SPRING Rice, in an eloquent address, in which he declared
his intention to perfect to the best of his ability the great work
which had been thus so happily begun, then proposed " The poli-
tical, commercial, and social prosperity of the colonies."
The toast was enthusiastically drunk.

Mr. LECESNE, a gentleman Of colour, then rose to propose the
next toast, " The health of Lord Mulgrave." The gentleman, in
an extremely eloquent speech, depicted the miseries of slavery, and
the joy which his sable brethren would feel at their emancipation,
and gave a very gratifying account of the affection which the ne-
groes of Jamaica felt for Lord Mulgrave, and their deep regret at
his departure from among them. The Noble Chairman's health
was drunk with enthusiasm.

Lord MULGRAVE returned thanks in a short but elegant address.

Mr. F. BUXTON then suggested that an act of such interest
and importance as this should be commemorated ; but that, as the
Ist of August was a period at which many persons who might wish
to be present were out of town, it would perhaps be better to name
Lord Mulgrave's birth-day, the 15th of May—which also happened
to be the day on which the measure was brought into Parliament—
as the anniversary day.
This proposition was received with loud cheet; of assent.
Lord MORPETII then proposed " The health of Earl Grey and
his Majesty's Ministers," during whose government this great mea-
sure had been introduced and carried.
The toast was drank with three times three..4l.

Dr. LUSHINGTON, in an eloquent iddeess, proposed the
health of The people of colour, and may they' give their cordial
support in every way to their emancipated jegro brethern."—
(Cheers. )
The toast was drank with enthusiasm.
Mr. O'CONNELL was loudly applauded. He' congratulated the
meeting in eloquent terms on the glorious eve 4 they were met to
celebrate, and the pledge given them by a liberal and enlightened
Administration that the good work should be perfected. Yesterday
slavery was a fact ; to-day a memory.—(Cheers.) He certainly
had not been one of those who approved of the twenty millions
grant—(Hear)—but his objection arose from no feeling of stingi-
ness, but from a feeling that man was not an " article" to be
bought with money, but he was glad the act had been done—the
price was nothing compared with the principle.—( Cheers.) The
Hon, and Learned Gentleman took occasion to exclaim against the
Americans for keeping up the system of slavery ; it was mere hy-
pocrisy for them to boast of liberty and the rights of men, while.
they kept their fellow-men as slaves.—(Cheers.) He again con-
gratulated the meeting on the glorious revolution which had this
day turned 800,000 slaves into 800,000 men. He concluded by
proposing as a toast—" The total extinction of slavery all over the
world."

The toast was drunk with loud cheers.
Several other toasts were drunk, and the meeting did not sepa-
rate till a late hour.

The office of Clerk of the Crown has become sub-
ject, by the death of Lord Bathurst, to the Act passed last
session for regulating the offices of the Court of Chancery. It
has ceased to be a sinecure, and is converted into an effective
office, which can no longer be executed by deputy. The
salary also is reduced to an amount which, after payment of
the necessary expenses of the establishment, can hardly be
estimated beyond 2001. per annum. The Lord Chancellor
has appointed his Chief Secretary, Mr. Le Marchant, to the
office, but it is understood that the appointment is only tern-
pora7.

ST. JAMES'S PARK.

The following notices have ewi ordered to be put up by
the Commissioners of Woods Forests previous to their
Majesties occupying the new P c.ce;--
" That the gatekeepers are to appear at their respective gates in
their liveries. _ _ _

" That no hackney coach, hackney chariot, or hired cabriolet, be
allowed, under any pretence whatever, to pass through either St.
James's or Hyde Park, except through the Birdcage-walk.
" That no return post-horses be allowed, under any pretence
whatever, to pass through the Parks, and that the permission for
the hackney chaises conveying messengers to pass through St
James's Park shall not extend to any such other hired carriages as
before mentioned.

" That the gates of St. James's Park, with the exception of
those communicating with the Birdcage-walk, he kept half. closed,
and that no carriages or horses belonging to such persons, who have
not permission, be allowed to pass through such gates.
" That no carriage but those occupied by the Members of the
Royal Family, or by the Grand Falconer, be permitted to drive in
the King's ride in Hyde Park.
" That the gates of the Birdcage-walk be left open throughout
the night during the sittings of Parliament.
" That no stage-coach, omnibuses, carts, wagons, drays, trucks,
wheelbarrows, or persons carrying burdens, be allowed to pass
through any of the gates of either of the Parks, and that the
keepers and sentinels have orders accordingly.
" By command of his Majesty,
" AUGUSTUS FREDERIC, Ranger."
N. B. The gates close at nine in winter, and ten in the
summer (during the Parliamentary vacation), but the gate
communicating from St. James's Palace to Buckingham-gate
is open all night throughout the year for the convenience of
persons residing at Pimlico and Chelsea.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

WHITEHALL, JULY 30, 1834.

The King has been pleased to nominate and appoint Denis Le
Marchant, Esq., to be Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, in the
room of Henry Earl Bathurst, deceased.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S-OFFICE, JULY 30,

The Lord Chamberlain of his Majesty's Household has appointed
the Rev. Vane Russell, Chaplain in Ordinary to the King, in the
room of the Rev Thomas Barne, deceased.

WAR-OFFICE, AUGUST 1.
4th Regiment of Light Dragoons--Cornet J. Vernon to be
Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Ellis, deceased, Feb. 9 ; Cornet
R. Knox to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Vernon, whose pro-
motion by appointment has not taken place, August 1.
2d Regiment of Foot—G. S. Moodie, ent., to be Ensign, by
purchase, vice Newcombe, appointed to the 95th Regiment of
Foot, Aug. 1.
3d Foot—Lieut. W. H. S. Rainey has been permitted to resign
his commission, Aug. 1.
4th Foot—Lieut. C. C. Elrington, from the half-pay of the
55th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Hall, appointed to the 52 Regi-
ment of Foot, Aug. 1.
sth Foot--Ensign J. Du Bourdieu to be Lieutenant, without
purchase, July 8; Gent. Cadet C. Durk, from the Royal Military
College, to be Ensign, vice Du Bourdieu, August 1 ; Lieut. E. C.
Giffard to be Adjutant, vice Aldrich, deceased, July 8.
9th Foot--Ensign J. W. Robinson to be Lieutenant, by pur-
chase, vice Webster, who retires, August 1; Ensign C. M. Creagh,
from the 99th Foot, to be Ensign, vice Robinson' August 1.
35th Foot—Captain A. Tennant to be Major, by purchase, vice
Semple, who retires; Lieutenant H. D. Griffith to be Captain,
by purchase, vice Tenant; Ensign J. Fraser to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Griffith, August 1.
To be Ensigns, by purchase—T. G. Harding, Gent , vice
Campbell, who retires, July 31 ; G. G. Baker, Gent., vice Fraser,
August 1.

9th Foot--J. M'Gregor, M.D. to be Assistant-Surgeon, vice
Martin, appointed to the Staff, July 24.
40th Foot—Gentleman Cadet R. B. Bennett, from the Royal
Military College, to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Maxwell, ap-
pointed to the 59th Foot, August 1.
524 Foot—Lieut. G. Hall, from the 4th Foot, to be Lieutenant,
vice Walter Butler, who retires upon half-pay of the 55th Foot,
Aug, 1.

56th Foot—T. J. Smith, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice
Charlewood, promoted, Aug. 1.
59th Foot--Lieut. 0. S. Blachford to be Captain, by purchase,
vice Hartford, who retires ; Ensign the lion. T. Leslie to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Blachford ; Ensign J. P. Maxwell, from
the 40th Foot, to be Ensign, vice Leslie, Aug. 1.
81st Foot—Ensign R. Hale to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice
Oakley, who retires, Aug. 1' • Ensign and Adjutant J. Hamilton
Stewart, to have the rank of Lieutenant, Aug. 2 ; C. T. Jones,
Gent., to be Ensign by purchase, vice Hale, Aug. 1.
82d Foot.—W. R. Cazalet, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice Firman, who retires, Aug. 1.
90th Foot—Lieut. R. Straton to be Captain, by purchase, vice
Gleeson, who retires ; Ensign J. H. Cotton to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Straton ; H. Fane, Gent., to be Ensign, by pur-
chase, vice Cotton, Aug. 1.
95th Foot—Ensign R. K. Newcome, from the 2d Foot, to be
Ensign, vice Scobell, promoted, Aug. 1.
99th Foot—G. L. Hamilton, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice Creagh, appointed to the 9th Foot, Aug. 1.
Cape Mounted Riflemen—G. E. Cannon, Gent., to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Morris, who retires, August 1.