The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-20 00:00:00

of his friends as the place would hold. (Laughter.)
He begged to propose as the next toast, " The
Drama," and to associate with it the name of a con-
summate actor, an efficient manager, a benefactor
to the fund, and one who had built the most ele-
gant and commodious theatre in which the drama
could find a home—Mr. Benjamin Webster.
Mr. WEBSTER, in acknowledging the compli-
ment, said he felt himself honoured by hearing his
name and his theatre associated with the drama of
this country. He wished he could do justice to so
important a theme, which required no ordinary
talent to describe its humanizing qualities and its
civilizing powers. He might truly say that he had
cherished an affection for the drama in his heart of
hearts—that it had grown with his growth, and
that it would endure as long as he lived. (Hear,
hear.) But after the light and the eccentric comedy
they had heard—the episodes and the domestic drama
—he felt it would not do for him to corn nence the
heavy business, or to descant upon its merits from
the day when Roscius was an actor in Rome. The
subject, however, was too dignified to be passed
lightly over, and therefore his remarks should be as
brief as Shakspere said was " woman's love." The
history of the drama was the history of the aristo-
cracy of intellect and civilization, and it was an
aristocracy that never perished because it was not
hereditary. (Applause.) The destruction of civili-
zation alone could destroy it. The English drama
stood alone. It was a noble inheritance, and should
be guarded as carefully as the nation's honour. It
was the sovereign of literature ; and, as was said of
the Sovereign when he ceased to exist, " Long live
the King," so let it be said, even when its most dis-
tinguished exponents have passed away, " Long
live the Drama." (Applause.)
The CHAIRMAN next proposed " The Bar," and
especially the members of it who patronised the
drama, coupling with it the name of Mr. Haw-
kins, Q.C. _ _

The toast was duly honoured and responded to
by Mr. Hawkins.
Some other complimentary toasts were then pro-
posed and responded to, after which a subscription
list was read, amounting to nearly £5OO, inclusive
of an annual donation of £lO5 from her Majesty.
The musical arrangements were under the man-
agement of Mr. Lovell Phillips, the principal
vocalists being Miss Poole, Miss Eyles, Miss G.
Ellis, and Miss Ransford.

The dinner was excellent, and served in good
style.

A GREAT SLAVE AUCTION IN
GEORGIA.

(From the New York Tribune.)

The largest sale of human chattels that has been
made in Star-Spangled America for several years
took place on Wednesday and Thursday of last
week, at the race course near the city of Savannah,
Georgia. The lot consisted of four hundred and
thirty•six men, women, children, and infants, being
that half of the negro stock remaining on the old
Major Butler plantations which fell to one of the
two heirs to that estate. Major Butler dying left
a property valued at more than a million dollars,
the major part of which was invested in rice and
cotton plantations, and the slaves thereon, all of
which immense fortune descended to two heirs, his
sons, Mr. John A. Butler, sometime deceased, and
Mr. Pierce M. Butler, still living, and resident in
the city of Philadelphia, in the Free State of Penn-
sylvania. Losses in the great crash of 1857-8, and
other exigencies of business, have impelled the latter
gentleman to realise on his Southern investments,
that he may satisfy sundry pressing creditors, and
be able to resume business, with the surplus, if any.
This necessity led to a partition of the negro stock
on the Georgia plantations, between himself and
the representative of the other heir, the widow of
the late John A. Butler, and the negroes that were
brought to the hammer last week were the pro-
perty of Mr. Pierce M. Butler, of Philadelphia,
and were, in fact, sold to pay Mr. Pierce M.
Butler's debts. The creditors were repre-
sented by General Cadwallader, while Mr.
Pierce M. Butler was present in person, at-
tended by his business agent, to attend to his own
interests.

The negroes came from two plantations, the one
a rice plantation near Darien, in the State of
Georgia, not far from the great Okefonokee swamp,
and the other a cotton plantation on the extreme
northern point of St. Simon's Island, a little bit of
an island in the Atlantic, cut off from Georgia main
land by a slender arm of the sea.
Though most of the stock had been accustomed
only to rice and cotton planting and culture, there
were among them a number of very passable me-
chanics, who had been taught to do all the rougher
sorts of mechanical work on the plantations. There
were coopers, carpenters, shoemakers, and black-
smiths, each one equal in his various craft to the
ordinary requirements of a plantation—that is, the
coopers could make rice tierces and possibly, on a
pinch, rude tubs and buckets ; the carpenter could
do the rough carpentry about the negro quarters;
the shoemaker could make the shoes of the fashion
required for the slaves, and the blacksmith was
adequate to the manufacture of hoes, and similar
simple tools, and to such trifling repairs in the
blacksmithing way as did xot require too refined a
skill. Though probably no one of these would be
called a superior, or even an average workman
among the masters of the craft, their knowledge of
these various trades sold in some cases for nearly as
much as the man—that is, a man without a trade,
who would be valued at 900 dols., would readily
bring 1,600 or 1,700 dols. if he was a passable
blacksmith or cooper.
None of the Butler slaves have ever been sold be-
fore, but have been on these two plantations since
they were born. Here have they lived their simple
lives, and loved their simple loves ; here they were
born, and here have many of them had children born
unto them ; here had their parents lived before them,
and are now resting in quiet graves on the old
plantations that these unhappy ones are to see no
more ; here they have left not only the well known
scenes dear to them from very babyhood by a thou-
sand fond memories, and their homes as loved by
them, perhaps, as brighter homes by men of brighter
faces, but the clinging ties that bound them to liv-
ing hearts were torn, for but one half of each of
these two happy little communities were sent to the
shambles, to be scattered to the four winds, but the
other half were left behind, and who can tell how
closely intertwined are the affections of a little band
of 400 persons living isolated from all the world
beside, from birth to middle age ? Do they not
naturally become one great family, each man a
brother unto each ?

It is true they were sold " in families ;" but let
us see. A man and his wife were called " a family,"
their parents and kindred were not taken into ac-
count, the man and wife might be sold to the pine
woods of North Carolina, their brothers and sisters
be scattered through the cotton fields of Alabama
and the rice swamps of Louisiana, Ns, bile the parents
might be left on the old plantation to wear out
their weary lives in heavy grief, and lay their heads
in far off graves over which their children might
never weep. And no account could be taken of loves
that were as yet unconsummated by marriage, and
how many aching hearts had been divorced by this
summary proceeding no man can ever know.
It seems as if every shade of character capable of
being implicated in the sale of human flesh and
blood was represented among the buyers. The
Georgia fast young man with his pantaloons tucked
into his boots, his velvet cap jauntily dragged over
to one side, his cheek full of tobacco, which he bites
from a huge plug, that resembles more than any-
thing else, an old rusty bit of waggon tire, and who
is altogether an animal of quite a different breed
from your New York fast man, was there. His
ready revolver and his convenient knife, were
ready for instant use in case of a heated argu-
ment. White neck-clothed, gold-spectacled,
and silver-haired old men were there, resem-
bling in appearance that noxious breed of sancti-
monious deacons we have at the North, who are
perpetually leaving documents at your door that
you never read, and the business of whose mendi-
cant life is to eternally solicit subscriptions for
charitable associations of which they are treasurers.
These gentry with a quiet step and subdued voice,
moved carefully about among the live stock, ignor-
ing, as a general rule, the men, but tormenting the
women with questions which, when accidentally
overheard by the disinterested spectator, bred in
that spectator's mind an almost irrepressible desire
to knock somebody down. And then, all imagi-
nable varieties of rough backwoods rowdies, who
began the day in a dispirited manner, but who, as
its hours progressed, and their practice at the bar
became more prolific in results, waxed louder
and talkier, and more violent, were present, and
added a characteristic feature to the assemblage ?
Those of your readers who have read " Uncle Tom"
—and who has not ?—will remember, with pecu-
liar feelings, Legree, the slave-driver and woman-
whipper. That that character is not overdrawn or
too highly coloured there is abundant testimony.
Witness the subjoined dialogue :—A party of men
were conversing on the fruitful subject of managing
refractory " niggers ;" some were for severe whip•
ping, some recommending branding, one or two
advocated other modes of torture, but one huge
brute of a man, who had not taken an active part
in the discussion, save to assent with approving
nod to any unusually barbarous proposition, now
broke his silence by saying, in an oracular way," You
may say what you like about managing niggers :
I'm a driver myself, and I've had some experience,
and I ought., to know. You can manage ordinary
niggers by licking 'em and giving 'em a taste
of the hot iron once in a while when they're
extra ugly; but if a nigger really sets himself pp
against ine, I wet never have any patience with

him. I just get my pistol and shoot him right down ;
and that's the best way."
And this brute was talking to gentlemen, and his
remarks were listened to with attention, and hi s
assertions assented to by more than one in the kno t
of listeners. But all this time the sale was going on,
and the merry Mr. Walsh, with many a quip and.
jest, was beguiling the time when the bidding was
slow.

The expression on the faces of all who stepped on
the block was always the same, and told more
anguish than it is in the power of words to express_
Blighted homes, crushed hopes, and broken hearts„
was the sad story to be read in all the anxious faces..
Some of them regarded the sale with perfect indif-
ference, never making a motion save to turn from _
one side to the other at the word of the dapper Mr..
Bryan, that all the crowd might have a fair view of
their proportions, and then, when the sale was ac-
complished, stepping down from the block without
caring even to cast a look at the buyer, who now
held all their happiness in his hands. Others again,
strained their eyes with eager glances from one
buyer to another as the bidding went on, trying
with earnest attention to follow the rapid voice of
the auctioneer. Sometimes two persons only would.
be bidding for the same chattel, all the others hay-
ing resigned the contest, and then the poor creature
on the block, conceiving an instantaneous prefer-
ence for one of the buyers over the other, would.
regard the rivalry with the intensest interest, the
expression of his face changing with every bid,
settling into a half smile of joy if the favourite
buyer persevered. unto the end and secured the pro-
perty, and settling down into a look of hopeless
despair if the other won the property.

The family of Primus, plantation carpenter, con
sisting of Daphney his wife, with her young babe,
and Dido, a girl of three years of age, were reached
in due course of time. Daphney had a large shawl,
which she kept carefully wrapped round the infant
and herself. This unusual proceeding attracted
much attention, and provoked such remarks as
these—

" What do you keep your nigger covered up for ?
Pull off her blanket."

" What's the matter with the gal, has she got the
headache ?"

" What's the fault of the gal ? Ain't she sound ?
Pull off her rags and let us see her."
" Who's going to bid on that nigger if you keep
her covered up ? Let's see her face."
And a loud chorus of similar remarks, empha-
sized with loud profanity, and mingled with say-
ings too indecent and obscene to be hinted here'
went up from the crowd of chivalrous (?) Southern
gentlemen.
At last the auctioneer obtained a hearing long
enough to explain that there was no attempt to
practise deception in the case—the parties were
not to be wronged in any way—he had no desire
to palm off on them an inferior article, but the
truth was that Daphney had been confined only 15
days ago, and he thought on that account she was
entitled to the slight indulgence of a blanket, to
keep from herself and child the chill air and the
driving rain.
Will your lady readers look at the circumstances
of this case ? The day was the 2d of March.
Daphney's baby was born into the world on St.
Valentine's happy day, the 14th February. Since
her confinement, Daphney had travelled to the
plantation to Savannah, where she had been kept
in a shed for six days. On the sixth or seventh
day after sickness she had left her bed, taking a
railroad journey across the country to the shambles,
was there exposed for six days to the questionings
and insults of the negro speculators, and then on
the fifteenth day after her confinement was put up
on the block, with her husband and her other child,
and, with her new-born baby in her arms was sold
to the highest bidder.
It was very considerate in Daphney to be sick
before the sale, for her wailing babe was worth to
Mr. Butler a hundred dollars. The family sold
for 625 dollars a-piece.
And so the great sale went on for two long days,
during which time there were sold 429 men,
women, and children. There were 436 announced
to be sold, but a few were detained on the planta-
tions by sickness.
At the close of the sale, on the last day, sundry
baskets of champagne were produced, and all were
invited to partake, the said wine being at the ex-
pense of the broker, Mr. Bryan.
The total amount of the sale foot up 309,850 dols.
—the proceeds of the first day being 167,480 dols.,
and the second day 142,370 dols.
The highest sum given for any one family was
given for Sally Walker and her five children, who
were mostly grown up. The price was 6,180 dols.
The highest price paid for a single man was
1,750 dols., which was given for William, " a fair
carpenter and caulker."
The highest price paid for a woman was 1,250
dols., which was given for Jane, " cotton hand and
house servant."

The lowest price paid was for Anson and Violet,
a grey-haired couple, each having numbered more
than 50 years. They brought but 250 dols. a piece.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-April 19.

MANSION-HOUSE.—Patrick Haren, a lad
about 12, was charged before Alderman Mechi(who
sat for the Lord Mayor) with stealing a G aernsey
shirt from the shop of Mr. Young, hosier, Minories.
It appeared from the evidence that as Thomas
Smith was passing along the Minories he saw the
prisoner and another lad dodging about Mr. Young's
shop, and from their manner he was induced to
watch them. The prisoner seeing him, walked away,
but came back and jumped up at the shop door,
and pulled down a shirt. Witness ran across
and secured him, when he dropped the shirt and
commenced struggling, and threw Smith down, but
he was held until a policeman came up, when he
was given into custody. The other boy escaped.
An officer in the court said the prisoner had been
previously convicted, which he denied.

Alderm-an Mechi—Well, what have you to say to
this charge ?

Prisoner—Why, I was passing by Mr. Young's
shop when a boy came up, pulled the shirt down,
and runned away ; an' that 'ere gentleman came up
and collared me.

Alderman Mechi sentenced the prisoner to three
months' hard labour.

CLERKENWELL.—Mary Ann Barker, a fruit-
sellers, of Pleasant-row, Camden-town, surrendered
to her recognisance before Mr. Corrie, charged with
murderously assaulting Mrs. Jane Mansell, of Bay-
ham-street, St. Pancras, whereby her life is endan-
gered. Mr. Thomas Wakeling appeared for the
prosecution.
The assault complained of was committed on the
Ist inst., the defendant having struck the complain-
ant a violent blow. which knocked her down and
rendered her insensible. Since that time she re-
mained in a paralytic state, and was for some days
not expected to live.
Mr. Wakeling said his client was still in such a
bad state that it would be weeks before she would
be able to attend, and he had therefore to ask for a
lengthened remand. He then handed in the follow-
ing certificate :

"St. James's-terrace, Camden-town.

"I hereby certify that Mrs. Mansell is gradually recover-
ing from the serious injury recently inflicted upon her. I
saw her last evening, and found her better, although not
yet out of danger. She can use the right side of her body
somewhat better, but is still very much paralysed. Her
memory is also slowly returning ; but the state of her mind
and body will not at present admit of her giving evidence in
a court of law, and that probably for some weeks to come.
" JOHN C. DAY, M. 8., Surgeon."

Mr. Corrie said it was a very bad case, and he
should remand it for a month. He would, however,
accept the same bail as before for the prisoner's
attendance.

The bail having been put in, the woman was
allowed to depart.

SOUTHWARK.—Henry Pulham, a trouncer, in
the employ of Messrs. Cory and Son, the extensive
coal merchants of the Commercial-road, Lambeth
and Charles Haggard, an ostler, were charged with
stealing a large quantity of horse food, the property
of Messrs. Cory.
It appeared from the evidence of police-constable
125 L that he had been for a few days past em-
ployed in private clothes to watch the prosecutors'
carmen and others who went out with the coal
waggons, as a great deal of corn had been missed in
a very mysterious way. He watched the waggon
which the prisoner Pulham accompanied for two
days, and on the previous morning he saw him and
the carman leave the wharf with a waggon load of
coals. They proceeded up Kent-street and stopped
at the Castle publichouse, where the carman entered.
Pulham then went to the waggon and took a sack
of corn off and handed it to Haggard, when they
both went away. Witness, however, followed them
and took them into custody.
Mi. Hooper, fireman and constable in Messrs.
Cory's service, said that Pulham had been in their
employ 17 years. When the men went ltohnegm ndais-
tames with a load, they always took with
extra quantity of corn for the horses. Instead of
giving it to the horses they sold it, and so the horses
were injured.
Mr. Cory, jun., who was in attyndance, said that
the robberies were so mysteriously committed that,
when detected, they were compelled to prosecute.
The carman was discharged. Although he did not
actually handle the corn, he must have known all
about it.
The prisoners pleaded guilty, and were sentenced
to two months hard labour each.

LAMBETH.—Robert Read and 'William Rilli.
ardtion, draymen, in the service of Memo. Barclay,