The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-26 00:00:00

SLAVE COMPENSATION.

We have seen copies of a correspondence between the
Commissioners of Slave Compensation and some of the
parties who have raised objections to their dilatory mode of
doing business ; but it does not appear that the way is yet
cleared for the establishment of a better system. It seems
at least 'to suit the Commissioners perfectly well in its pre-
sent state. Their arguments., however, are not very well
calculated to make an impression on those concerned, and
whose interests lie on the other side of the question. Their
general reply to the pressing instances for a reform and for
greater expedition in their movements has been, " that the
arrangements made for taxing into consideration the claims
of the several colonies have been adopted after mature deli-
beration, and with a view to the advantage and conve-
nience of all parties interested ;' yet they afterwards say,
referring to some specific alterations of plan which had been
suggested to them; that they are adapted rather to the in-
terest and convenience of particular parties than the general
advantage of the colonies collectively, as if every one con-
cerned was not, in fact, a part of the whole.
Tho only piec'e of information given by the Commis-
sioners in answer to these applications is, that there is no
necessity for the attendance either of principal or agent,
whenever any claim comes before the board, unless the
parties conceive some explanation to be necessary. No opposi-
tion occurring,. and no explanation being offered, the award
passes as matter of course to the claimant. This informa-
tion, however, contains a very important admission, which
is, that the passing of the unopposed claims is mere routine
business, which, by increasing the means, by additional
clerks and otherwise, may be despatched with the rapidity
desired by the claimants, and give to the country at the
same time the saving of the interest which accrued by delay
upon the non-adjudicated claims. This point, regarding the
nature of the business to be done, is so well put in one of
the renewed applications, after this information was given,
that we borrow the expressions of it. The writer, a most
respectable merchant, says—" Your declaration confirms
our supposition, that your adjudication as regards the un-
contested claims involves no judicial inquiry, but merely an
arithmetical precision, what we call clubs' work. The
accounts must be called over, checked, and balanced with

the colonial returns, and your adjudication is morally com-
plete. The copies we have of the colonial returns show to
us perfectly that the classification of the 'slaves in each claim
is done in the colony, and thence arises the. natural expec-
tation of the claimants, that the adjudication here should
follow the moment the period allowed, for counter-claims
expires:. As to the plan of doling out these adjudications
by 100 or 209 in weekly apportionments, it dies not meet
the views -or reasonable expectations of any _ one above

the intellect of a child. If your means are inadequate,
get an increase of power; offer double wages. for double
work to the clerks you employ, -or add some few clerks
'more to e-,lch of the 12 colonies, and you will speedily
emancipate the millions of money that are locked up. The
expense is not to be thought of, for the loss by delay in
interest charged is at least ten times as great, and there can
be no difficulty in finding hands. Let it be known that
they.are wanted, and the city woald furnish I,VO clerks
or more ready to work ,night and day, if required, and
finish the work in a few days."
That some impression should .not be made upon the
commissioners by communications of this decided and busi-
ness-like eharacter'is scarcely conceivable, not to'inention
the hints they are likely to receive from the Treasury,
of the nonsequenceS to that department of unnccesary de-
lay.— Times.

TALLOW.—The price of this commodity in Leeds
is 4s. 6(1. per stone.—York Courant.
GERVASE, OF TlLBURY.—Tilbury, in Essex,
was the birth-place of the celebrated Gervase, of Tilbury,
who; like another Hercules, encountered the dragon-like
frauds of his time, and subdued them, for the general good
of society. Gervase was also much attached to philoso-
phical studies, and the first man who in this country intro-
duced a correct method of ascertaining the true value of
precious metals, by separating from purity all adulterations,
or what is now understood by assaYing of metals. In the
time of Henry IL, the Bishop of Salisbury, then Lord
Treasurer, considering that although the money paid into
the King's Exchequer for his Crown rents, might answer
111011CTO et pondere, it might, nevertheless, be mixed with
copper or brass, wherefore a process was made, called the
Trial by Combustion, which differs little or nothing from
the present method of assaying metallic substances. Ger-
vase of Tilbury was appointed to this office, when he wrote
a treatise on the subject, and called it the Black Book.
The work is knows; in his Majesty's Exchequer. This
trial is called Essaitim, and the officer whose duty it was
to make the trials, Flaw.. It was established by an Act
of the English Parliament, 1354, and is still in full prac-
tice at Goldsmiths', Hall, in the City of London, who have
the 'first right to assay gold •and silver, and metals, and
without whose official touch it is not safe to buy any ma-
nufactured commodity generally called plate.
A Correapondent, who gives his name and address,
begs us to insert a statement of " the following dreadful
accident which happened to the London and Milford mail-
coach, on the evening of Saturday last, the l 9th. The mail
left Gloucester at half•past nine o'clock in the morning of
that day, reached Trecastle before seven o'clock in the
evening, in proceeding to Llandovery, horsed by the best
horSes out of London, going at an alarming rate of 18 miles
an hour, and the coachman keeping the wrong side of the
road the whole way, although repeatedly entreated by the
outside passengers, and also directed by the guard, not to
do so,.we met a cart with one horse, also on the wrong
side ; the coachman called to him to get out of his way in
the usual manner ; the carter accordingly (lid so, and the
coachman neglecting to cross to his proper side, the mail
horses came cloSe to the cart, and being high-spirited ani-
mals sprang to the right, over a hedge (the only fence
against a frightful precipice for the travellers' protection),
over which they dragged the coach with five passengers,
besides the coachman and guard, a descent of 102 feet,
measured tllis day by Mr. Steward, the inspector of mail-
cocches from Carmarthen ; the coach and horses rolled com-
pletely over three times, and, wonderful
,to say, Mr. Daniel
Lloyd Harris, and a young gentleman who was returning
from school at Bristol, were carried down inside the coach
to the bottom ; and, although the coach was dashed to
atoms, they were protected from destruction by Almicrlity
God. Mr. Daniel Jones, of Penybout, Mr. Daniel °Ed-
wards, the coachman, and guard, as well as the writer,
leaped off the coach hi its descent, and also were miracu-
lously saved, Mr. Harris and Mr. Jones are seriously hurt ;
the horses are all uninjured. I have no hesitation in stating,
that this cruel accident, which might have been the death
of every person with the coach, was caused solely by the
wilful conduct of the coachman (Edward Jenkins). Un-
pardonable as it must appear to the public, this man, who
has been the cause of two accidents besides this dreadful
one, was allowed by the mail proprietors to drive the mail
back to Brecon on the following morning—Sunday last.
Surely such want of proper attention for the lives of indivi-
duals loudly calls for the interference of the Postmaster-
General."—Morning Paper.
At Anct, •n the Eure et Loir, there exist the re-
mains of a castle, built by Henry 11. for Diana of Poitiers.
It presents little of its ancient grandeur, all that is left being
one wing, a 6.!apel, admirable fosses, a gate, and an old
postern, built, it is said, by Charles Ic Mauvais. The park
• is very extensive, and, as well as the castle, has been cele-
brated by the•verses of Voltaire. This fine estate:bus just
been purchased by M. H. Barbet, Mayor of Roueprfor the
purpoze, i. IS supposed, of erecting intinuf.aeturing buildings,