The Sun.
London, England, 1826-08-11 00:00:00

FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 11, 1826.

DEMERARA.

The partial and abortive insurrection of negioea here in
1823, the consequent imprisonment of a Missionary who
died in prison, and the Parliamentary debates which en-
sued, forced the individuality of this colony upon the at-
tention of John Bull, who seems to sleep with all the
supineness of an Epicurean Divinity upon the conditior.
or even existence of such places as are emblazoned to his
view by the flickerings of sedition or the flames of war.—
Your London public will probabably be indebted for a
knowledge of the West Indies to Powell Buxton, the
brewer.

It is an excusable inaccuracy of spech, to say, the island
of Demerara, because, in fact, all the British colonies in the
West Indies are islands, excepting Demerara and Berbice,
which are on the main land of South America,and situated
eastward of the mouth of the Orinoco, between the 6th
! and 7th•degress of N. latitude. • • Demerara -Would never
have been ColOnised but for the amphibious Dutch, who
evidently choose it for its very lowness and marshiness.—
It was by them ceded to Great Britain in 1796.
As you approach Demerara by sea, you are struck with
the singular appearance of a uniform line of coeoa-nut
trees and cabbage trees growing out of the ocean. Through
an opening in this apparently fantastical marine plantation,
you descry a forest of masts. These are ships at anchor
off Georgetown. The bay, which passes the town several
miles, is even there called the river Demerary. Ships of
a certain burden cannot load within less than twelve miles
from the entrance of this bay. There is a ferry, with two
beats, communicating with the western coast, the town
being on the eastern side of the water. The town extends
over much ground, but the number of houses and inha-
bitants is not very great. The streets are wide, and there
is an infinite nnmber of canals or sluices to receive and dis-
charge the tide and the torrents of rain. A residence in
the town is by no means desirable.

The country is every where brought to the very highest
degree of cultivation. ft has, in fact, more the appear-
ance of a garden than of plantations. .The ground is com-
pletely drained, and canals are formed in every direction,
by which the sugar cane is conveyed from the field to the
mills, and by which the sugar, rum, &c. are conveyed from
the manufactory to the sea-coast, where droghers, or coast-
ing vessels, wait to convey every sort of produce to the
store-houses in Georgetown. At pretty equal distances
you see the elegant houses of proprietors and managers of
estates, built of timber, roofed with shingles (pieces of
hard wood formed as if barrel-staves were cut into small
pieces), laid on like slates, and all having a flight of steps
in front, leading to the first floor. Not far you observe a
large square of uniform buildings. They are the houses
of the slaves—neat, clean, and commodious. To the latter
is always attached a house for amusement and play for the
children, and an hospital for the sick. There are excel-
lent roads in every direction. The woods have not been
universally destroyed, and in the back-ground it appears
quite a forest. The cocoa-nut trees, which abound every
where, and form the most beautiful avenues to the prin-
cipal houses, present, in the general landscape, quite the
appearance f ordinary trees. You might often imagine
yourself travelling through the most level and best culti-
vated of the midland counties of England. The staple
produce is the sugar cane, and nothing can be more beau-
tiful than the extensive fields which are uniformly covered
with this rich and elegant plant. Coffee is also cultivated
extensively and successfully. Cotton they have abandon-
ed, and rice they never tried.
The government of this colony is an anomaly in the
colonial system of Great Britain. The Dutch law was
guaranteed at the time of the cession. It is now the law
of the colony. His Britannic Majesty appoints a Gover-
nor, as in the other West Indian Colonies, but there being
no local General Assembly, or Parliament, he is, in fact, an
absolute Monarch. At the time of the cession the inha-
bitants were all Dutch, but now they are not in the pro-
portion of one-fifth. Here then insensibly has grown up
a British colony under an absolute government. Yet,
whether owing to the moderation of the Governors, or
to the absence of all jealousy in the minds of the colo-
nists—probably to both causes—this peculiarity was never
felt to exist till after the unfortunate events of 1823.
Since that time absolute power has been strained to the
utmost by the Governor, and most indignantly condemned
by the colonist. Church and State have, almost as matter
of course, been the two great departments of this war
of prerogative. The contest is by no means over. Battle
after battle must yet be fought here, and it is almost cer-
tain the final settlement of the subject must be in Lon-
don. The several questions involved are not devoid of
interest to all British subjects—I had almost said to all
lovers of freedom of opinion and speech, both civil and
religious. I will, therefore, detail to you in two several
letters the questioned and questionable conduct of. the
Governor in the two departments of the Church and State.
But in-the meantime it may be more convenient to con-
clude, in this letter, the further remarks have to offer
on the state of this colony.
Society in Demerara is good, extremely frank, easy, and
hospitable. It has in a great measure redeemed itself from
the reproach of West Indian society in former times. The
celibacy or gross concubinage of West Indian gentlemen,
notoriously deprived their minds and manners of the deli-
cacy, which can never exist without the presence and ex-
ample of accomplished and virtuous females. In Deme-
rara many of the most respectable planters are married to
very accomplished and amiable ladies, several Clergymen
and many Officers in the Army, stationed there, have
given the same proof of good taste, and sound wisdom.—
Not confined to those families themselves i 6 the influence
of
happysociety must either for all who would hold their rank
in polite ther feel or feign sentiments and
this
s so et
manners suited to the society of ladies.
Yet
is exposed to
shoketinigg it
mustsi
sights
b an
no ‘hvenre
first that
arrai delicate
vol i
o pleataerara. Nudityd
among negroes and Indians in Demerara is far greater than
in any of the West Indian Islands. With boys under 12
or 14 years of age it is total. Negroes and Indians of all
ages use only the primeval apron, which generally serves
but to " make darkness visible." It is quite horrible to
see the naked females, some with their drained and tanned
teats hanging loosely down or dangling from side to side,
others with youthful breasts, less offensively, but not less
indecently
prominent.
The Indians, who live in great numbers in the uncleared
forests behind the plantations, called the Bush, come fre-
quently to George Town, and to the plantations. They
are utterly useless, never work and live upon the chase,
or the bounty ofuro cans. ' They greedily dilv devourar-
dent spirits to the most beastly excess. The only sere
vice they render to Colonists is to ferret Out negroes, who
run away and take refi in
refugethe Bush; They are per-
fectly harmless. -
The negroes in Demerara, are well fed. This is the
only essential. To them, in a hot climate, houses and
clothing are superfluities, yet they are exceedingly well
supplied with houses ar
clothes. On Sundays they
make a fine display in .their various d They
have
inviolably the benefit of medical
a a raises.
I ention and medicines
from regularly educated surgeons. They ppea perfectly
contented, working steadily, but a.afterr their very slowly

manner, and singing, dancing, and laughing with un-
The deeply important and much agitated
bounded gaiety and vivacity.
question of
emancipation, I abstain from adverting to, until I shall
have presented to your view a
more extended description
of West Indian slavery. All the whites are most bitterly
hostile to your emancipators at home, and the latter seem
to be not behind in bitterness of hostility to the slave-
owners here. Their estimate of each other is extrava-
gantly unjust, both with respect to character and motives,
and the publications of their respective partisans, are as
violent and abusive u if they proceeded from two hostile
nations engaged in a war of extermination. I shall en-
deavour to view the question impartially and dispassion-
ately. I have had an opportunity of knowing and appre-
ciating the proceedings of the emancipators at home; I
have an opportunity of satisfying myself respecting the
actual condition and feelings of the slaves; and I am
utterly unconnected with both.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE;

GLOUCESTER-47'Ra? DAY)—AUGUST b.
LIBEL—THE IDIOT SMITH.

SMITH V. HODGETTS.

Mr. Campbell stated that this was an action for a libel,
published in the Birmingham Journal. The plaintiff was
the brother of an individual named George Smith, who
had the misfortune to be an idiot. • He was taken care of
at a place called 'Willoughbridge, till a little time previous
to their father's death, when he was removed to Muckle-
stone wood. Their father, as he had stated, died, and
desired that they would not send the unfortunate individu-
al to any asylum, but would take care of him at home.—
They would find that his brothers and sisters were parti-
cularly kind to him ; but it being found that the light
irritated him, and that was the reason why the window
was darkened. On Monday, the 23d of January the un-
fortunate individual had been very violent, and it was
necessary to shift his linen and bedding, and put on
clean sheets, &c ; and while this was going on, the
servant girl saw two gentlemen riding into the court-yard;
one of them was recognized as Mr. Eld. There was no
room but the kitchen where•these Gentlemen could be
received, as there was no other fire; therefore the sister
of Mr. Smith removed the bedding from the fire, and T.
Smith replaced his brother on his bed, which was then
without bedding, and placed a coat over him. Mr. Brough-
ton, the gentleman who accompanied Mr. Eld, put ques-
tions as to who were there; and the gentleman then wish-
ed to see the unfortunate idiot. His brother requested
some delay, when Mr. Broughton, who was a clergy-
man and a magistrate, d—d the sister of the plaintiff,
and used rather violent language. Mr. Broughton, Mr.
Eld, and a person named Colson, proceeded to the
room where the unfortunate idiot was. They there
found hiin in the situation described. They made
no complaint, but sent a person, named Garret, from
the Stafford Asylum, and the' unfortunate idiot was
placed there. This was not of itself all th€ plaintiff had
to cbinplain of—for these Magistrates circulated rumours
on the subject, and when Mr." Smith commenced an ac-
tion against them, they thought fit to institute a prosecu-
tion against Mr. Smith, for alleged cruelty to his unfortu-
nate brother, and pending a 1 these proceedings the libels
in question were published. The Learned Counsel now
read the libels. They imputed that the plaintiff had
treated his brother with cruelty of the most dreadful
kind. But so far from the defendants being able to prove
that the contents of the libels were true, he was in a
condition to disprove the allegation they contained.

The libels were read. They were as follows
(From the Birmingham Journal of Feb. 11, 1826.)
HORRID ATROCITY.

" The Salopian Journal gives the following outline of a case
of unnatural cruelty almost unheard of. The names are suppressed,
as the circumstances are under legal investigation. A brother and
sister reside near the northern borders of this county (Shropshire),
whose father died shout 15 years ago, leaving seven children, four
sons and three daughters. One of the sons was unhappily an idiot.
The father by his will bequeathed to the brother and sister the sum
of 1,500/. in trust, the interest thereof to be applied to the main-
tenance in the most comfortable manner his unfortunate situation
would admit of his deranged child. Immediately after the death
of his father (as alleged) the poor idiot was locked up in a small
dark room in the house, where he was daily fed like a swine
through a small aperture in the wall for a series of years.
About eleven years ago, the brother and sister then spread a re-
port that their house was haunted, in order to deter persons from
visiting it. However, a servant girl, who had been with them
14 years, left thew a few days ago, and went into the service of
a magistrate in the neighbourhood, and communicated the above
circumstance. The magistrate took immediate steps, and with
a constable went to the house, and requested admittance. This
being refused, he burst open the door, and found the unfortunate
object of their search in a place of total darkness. They procured
a light, and discovered the miserable victim of atrocious penury
crouching in a corner of the room ; his hair had grown all over him
to the length of three or four inches ; ha was become quite de-
formed, and shrunk to little more than a yard in height. When
his father died, he was in person a well-made and tall young
man. Blankets were procured to place him in, but when the con-
stable went to wrap them round him, he sprang at and bit him in
the cheek, flaking a horrible and unintelligible noise. He was,
however, brought down stain, and conveyed to the Staffordshire
Lunatic Asylum, where he at present remains."
The second libel was, continued the Learned Counsel,
from the same journal of the 25th of February, and it as
follows :

that he bit the constable ; indeed, such was the stench that issued
from the room, that the parties could not enter for some time, and
when they did so, it was by ascending a pile of filth which hadac-
naulated to the height of more than a foot. His body is not over-
grown, as absurdly stated in the papers, but his beard is about five
inches long ; his hair hangs about his shoulders, and his nails have
grown to a prodigious length, as from a confinement of fifteen
years may be reasonably supposed. Prior to 'the time of his in-
carceration he was so far rational as to drive the cattle and do
errands, and could give a correct answer to any plain question,
though be now seems to have lost the powers of speech and of
reason : his sense of hearing has been proved to continue, by ex-
periments made since his removal to the county asylum at Staf-
ford. The poor creature was found in a state which maybe con-
sidered equivalent to nudity, and was unable to walk erect. His
thigh has been broken, and permitted, as it is supposed, to re-unite
of its own accord. This circumstance must have rendered his
situation most deplorable, as he cannot have had any means of pro-
curing sustenance, but that of receiving the provision furnished
him by means of a slide inserted in the partition or wail. Mr.
Broughton, with becoming humanity, has exerted himself to ob-
tain for the lunatic the highest legal advice and protection, and it
is generally understood that his conduct is likely to afford matte
for the prolific genius of 'Mr. Charles Flint, the confidential friend
of Lord Stafford Cooke. Such are the correct particulars of a case,
which, to say the least of it, has filled the county of Stafford with
astonishment."

Elizabeth Wynn lived servant 23 years ago with-Mr.
Isaac Smith, then a resident at Willoughbtidge, for
three years at different intervals. George, the idiot, his
son, was, when she first went, a young man, about or
above 20 years old (his age was stated now to be 47).
He was subject to fits, and could not do or tell any thing
like another man. He was never allowed to go out with-
out somebody near him, being insensible to any danger,
for she often saw him near falling into the fire or.water.
In his fits he fell on the ground, and foamed very bad at
the mouth. The first year she knew him, he could help
himself a little, though he always required watching, which
it was her business to do. On returning to the service a
year after the had left it the first time, she found his fits
worse, and he then broke all the glass of a window, except
six panes at the top, when Miss Smith came, and caught
him half out of the window—it was on the first floor,
and in the room appropriated for his use. The window
was then bricked up, except the six upper panes, by
order of old Mr. Smith, the father, and it remained so
while she was in the house. The side of his body was
always faulty, when the fits were on him ; they lasted
half an hour and longer, and his knees seemed sinew-tough.
Hisprothers, Thomas and William, used to shave him,
but sometimes he would not allow them, for he did not
like the operation at all—it often drove him into a fit, and
his illness always made him very weak and low. The se-
cond and third time she lived in the house, he was quite
unable to assist himself, as at first. They brought him
down stairs when they could, but sometimes he could
hardly be got down for a week together—his door was
never fastened, except with a link and staple outside,
which would prevent his getting out in the night. Old
Mr. and Mrs. Smith used to tell their daughter Sarah al-
ways to take care of George after their death. He was
never conscious of either his father's or mother's death.—
After the family had removed from Willoughbridge to
Mucklestone, she commenced washing for them, at
Christmas eight years ago. She used to wash for George,
sheets, shirts, blankets, coverlets, and other clothes, regu-
larly once a week, and knew them always to be his from
their appearance. His room was always in point of situation
the most comfortable in the house ; it was over the kitchen,
and consequently warm. There was always light in it.--
He never took the least regard either of the members of
the homily or of book.. • She had_ seen him in bed, and his
itcorimmodatiim there was as comfortable as possible, a
teether-bed being at top, and a chaff one underneath.—
There was never a hole in the partition of the room, or a
slide in the wall. George had for breakfast bread and but-
ter, with a basin of tea, made by his sister, and by her also
taken to him. He was served the first of family inva-
riably, and at dinner the same. His meat was cut in bits
before the family helped themselves, and as he could not
be trusted with a knife, he had a spoon to use. George
was always very fond of greens, and they were often pro-
vided for him. She often went out to buy little dainties
for him, such as oranges and apples. In no instance had
she ever seen him treated with cruelty, but always with
great care, both before and after his father's death.
Cross-examined.--During the last four years she knew
nothing of what took place respecting this poor man.
When she bought apples and oranges for him she always
gave them to Miss. Smith, though there was no reason
whatever why she should not have given them to George
herself. He was as well treated after his father's death
as before, and her opportunities of seeing him were once
or twice a week, when she went up stairs to see how he
was. In his father's life-time, he was always kept sweet
and clean, and never had a beard five inches long. Some-
times, indeed, he could not be touched for a day or night
to be cleaned, as the fits recurred three or four times.
This interruption, however, never lasted longer than 24
hours.

In answer to a question from the Court, she said that
from the beginning to the end,_ he never uttered a word,
his voice was a grunting, unaccompanied with any signs
or gesture to indicate his wants.

Mary Hulme gave an equally particular account of the
care and tenderness with which George was treated. On
the Monday before the Wednesday when the Magistrates
called, he had been very ill, and his sister sat up with him
the whole of that night ; his linen had been changed on
that Monday, and preparations were made for doing the
same on the Wednesday, and his sister had looked out
all the necessary articles for a complete change of hed-
linen, which' was brought into the kitchen to be aired,
there being no other fire -then burning in the, house.
Miss Smith and her brother had gone up stairs to as-
sist in the preparations for changing the bed-room
things, when witness observed Mr. Eld and Mr. Brough-
ton ride slowly past the window, and up the path which
led to the kitchen door; she instantly went up stairs to
tell Mr. Smith that there were two gentlemen coming, and
she flung the linen which was airing aside. By this time
the gentlemen had opened the door, having put up their
horses in the cow-house, and Mr. Thomas Smith had
come down stairs. Mr. Broughton asked Mr. Smitlrhow
many brothers he had, he replied six. How many live
here ? Three. Mr. Broughton then said, " You have a
brOther confined, and we are come to see him." Mr.
Thomas Smith said, " You shall see him in a few mi-
nutes." Mr. Broughton replied, that he would see hint
then, or he would burst open every door in the house.
Mr. Smith made no reply. Mr. Broughton was going up
stairs when the former said he should not go up stairs,
and he stood before him. Miss Sarah then immediately
came down, without her gown, and only wearing her shawl.
Mr. Eld asked her how she did ? Mr. Broughton spoke
next, and said he was come to see her brother, and she re-
plied, " You shall see him, Sir, in a few minutes." He
said he would allow her a few minutes then, and she was
going up stairs, when Mr. Eld said something to Mr.
Broughton, and they immediately followed her up stairs.
atondtaakebagnottihceatwihult
lv nhdwdaess desired etdo
11) '417
Mr. Broughton then said that he had found George Smith
as
contained the chaff. The top-coat
justwas he
e told,theWred,
Was to keep George's
feet warm. They all came down h
t on to the kitchen,.
where Mr. Broughton desired
Poison
to stay thereand see
that George was fed, but not removed,
or any thing else