The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-05 00:00:00

SLAVERY IN ALGIERS.

From a correspondent at Oran we have received a
translation of an address to the Duke of Isly (Marshal
Bugeaud) from the Institut d'Afrique at Paris, in re-
lation to the slave-trade notoriously carried on under
French dominion in Algeria. The address does great
credit to that body, and must, we should think, have a
powerful effect. We trust it is only the first of A
series of steps which will be taken by the Institute, if
further measures should be found necessary in order
to efface this foul blot from the fair fame of France.
Since writing the above we have seen Marshal Bu-
geaud's reply to the address of the Institut d'Afrique,
on which we cannot at the moment make any extended
remarks. It is, strange to say, in the negative, and
pleads strongly for the continuance of the slave-trade
in Algeria! Of the arguments which he urges, up-
right and benevolent men can form but one opinion.
It is evident, however, that he is not acquainted
with the facts of the case. He writes, for example,
as though the purchase of slaves was confined to the
Arabs, and seems not to know that it is practised
by Frenchmen. Many proofs of this have already
appeared in our columns; but we give another, sup-
plied to us by the last letter of our correspondent from
Oran :—"A captain of the chasseurs, a Mons. Traver-
sier, now resident here, has just purchased a little
black boy for 200 francs. An English lady asked the
captain if he was not afraid of his Government. No,'
he replied, ' I purchased him at my own risk. If he
runs away, the law does not permit me to reclaim
him. This is my punishment. —Anti-Slavery Re-
porter.

HOSIERY AND LACE TRADES. '
(From the Nottingham Journal.)
The state of the cotton hosiery trade in nearly every
branch keeps gradually getting worse, the hands
labouring under almost every privation. The cut-up
hose branch is now equally dull with the wrought
hose; and, notwithstanding the extreme low price
at which they are fabricated, it is now proved that
even extreme cheapness will not force a market.
The cotton drawer and pantaloon trade has not re-
vived, still it is in a much better state than it was two
years since. The system of making drop-offs seems
now abandoned, to the great credit of the hosiers, as
well as the workpeople, the latter of whom have reso-
lutely opposed this hateful system of manufacture
wherever it has appeared ; indeed, it is to them a
struggle for existence, for if drop-offs were generally
made, the public would soon drop off from wearing
hosiery drawers.
The silk glove branch is, if anything, worse. A
new description of glove has been made, termed
plates ; these are fabricated of two threads, one silk
and the other cotton ; these threads are conducted
under the jack-sinkers, by two separate carrier
needles, the inner needle conducting a silk, the outer
needle a cotton thread. The gloves when made upon
this principle have a coat of silk without and cotton
within. We expect that the invention will be soon
carried into Leicestershire, to make worsted and cot-
ton, and even worsted and spun-silk plated hosiery.
The bobbin net trade is still in a tolerable condi-
tion ; though not brisk, it is, in our opinion in a
much better state in fancy goods than if it was im•
moderately so • the machine-owner's profit is in most
instances moderate, and the wages such that the
workmen can live by their industry. A great evil
still exists of night-working, which is extremely de-
trimental both to their comfort and their health. It
is pleasing to state, that with the amended means of
the machine-owners, they have, with a few excep-
tions, amended their conduct to the journeymen, who
have in many instances now an allowance while
altering, which some time since was strongly, and,
we must add, rather cruelly denied ; but it is but can-
did to state, that in many cases the low state of the
funds of the machine-owners were such that they had
not the means to pay for alterations, and to pay wages
likewise to the journeymen. The alteration of the
times has enabled them to be more generous, and
what is extremely gratifying, it has arisen, not from
turn-outs, or a great demand for workmen, but from
an innate principle of kindness and of friendly feel-
ing towards their workmen.
The warp lace trade has not at present much im-
proved, but still there are great hopes of a renova-
tion, as several additional new manufactures are now
making from this description of stocking machinery.

NEW WORK BY THE AUTHOR OF " HANDLEY
CROSS."—The author of " Handley Cross" is again about
to come before the public with a new work, entitled
" Hillingdon Hall ; or, the Cockney Squire, a Tale of
Country Life." The Quarterly Review, in noticing this
writer's former production, observed, with much truth,
that "the author of Handley Cross' is a writer of no
common promise. The easy style in which he arranges
and draws out his characters, satisfies us that he might,

if he pleased, take a high place among our modern no
velists. He has a world of knowledge of life and manners
beyond what most of those now in vogue can pretend to,
and a gentlemanlike tone and spirit, perhaps even rarer
among them." We understand that "Hillingdon Hall"
is a work which is likely to answer to the fullest extent,

the expectations thus expressed by the first of our critical
authorities.

EXPLOSION 01 GAS AT ASTLEY'S LISATM—Au
explosion of gas, by which a young woman was seriously
injured, occurred on Friday night last in Astley's
Theatre. Shortly after six o'clock the daughter
of Mrs. Chapman, the keeper of the saloon in
front of the house, went into a small room ad-

joining the box lobby, for the purpose of getting
a basket of fruit, taking with her a lighted can-
Immediately an explosion of a large body of
gas, which had escaped from a pipe running through
the room, took place, and the poor girl was severely
burnt on the neck, arms, hands, and face. She was in-
stantly removed home, and still remains in a state of
great danger.
Previously to his visit to England, says one of the
Paris journals, Louis Philippe paid a visit to TSI. Horace
Vernet, for the purpose of looking at the large painting
of the taking of the Smala, which that eminent artist is
executing. After paying some compliment to M. Vernet,
the King said that the gendarme in the foreground was
a perfect portrait. " Yes, Sire," replied the painter,
" Sehomberi is a brave soldier of the Empire, whose
name has been prominent during the whole of the war
in Africa. I thought he had obtained the Cross of the
Legion of Honour, which had been long solicited for
him; but I have learned this morning with regret that
this is not the case, and therefore I must efface it."
" No," said the King. " 1 authorise you to keep it in."
KINGSTON' OCT. -24.—During the late heavy rains
the Spey has been much swollen, and has destroyed pr(
perty in this place to a large amount. No fewer than
four dwelling-houses have been entirely swept away, and
seven or eight others deserted, in consequence of the
t?
course the river has taken, which is directly against the
soft beach, upon which the town is built, and which is now
being gradually washed off. A great quantity of manu-
factured timber has also been lost, and even that left is
so mixed that it must be difficult for the merchants to
know their own. The inhabitants represented their case
to his Grace the Duke of Richmond, and requested his
interference in altering the course of the river—a request
which, we are happy to say, has been most promptly and
honourably granted, his Grace having desired a meeting
on Saturday first, to consider the most judicious plan of
proceeding.—Elgin Courant.
JONATHAN ON THE HUSTINGS.—The honourable
member who does me the honour to oppose me in this
election is privately one of the most amiable of me
in men ;
but, politically an evil-minded, squinting-souled,
white-
livered renegade.. I grant he is true and just all his
dealings ; but he would sell his own father for a pension,
Hi
and his own soul for an official situation.
He is a man
of very nice honour and honesty ;but as a legislator, he
would basely betray his trust, for he is, where politics is
concerned, a thorough scoundrel. He is, in private life,
a sincere friend ; but in public affairs, as treacherous as
a Kentucky alligator.
A LIGHT CIGAR.—A passenger recently arrived
in the St. Katharine's Docks, in the ship Berkshire,
from Bombay, had amongst his baggage and -effects a
cigar, weighing no less than one pound and a half, a
moderate specimen, certainly, of the article to which
Byron attributed such varied comforts and delights.
One might suppose that the article was intended for
show only, had not the owner made a delaretion, in
order to obtain its delivery, that it was for his own
private use.