The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-13 00:00:00

PRESENT POSITION OF THE
ANTI-SLAVERY CAUSE.
(From the Anti-Slavery Reporter.)
—he returning season engages us to take a mo-
tary retrospect, and a cursory glance at our pre-
position.
)uring the past year sve have seen, with regret,
the formation and partial execution, by the British
Government, of an extended plan for transporting
labourers from Africa and the East to the West India
colonies ; but we have to record, with satisfaction, the
steed taken by the Government against those pro-
yisi ins of t' ie colonial ordinances by which the pecu-
y burden inseparable from the importation of
et asrers would have been thrown on the population
at large. And we are not altogether without hope
that the experimental proof furnished to the Govern-
ment of the inefficacy in practice of the most skil-
fully devised regulations for securing the freedom of
emigration, and the aggravated mischiefs which are
resulting from the vast amount of emigration to
Mauritias, may induce an alteration of their course.
At home we have witnessed with high satisfaction
the introduction into British legislation of a principle
of fiscal regulation favouring the produce of free
labour, from the practical operation of which we feel
warranted in anticipating the happiest effects.
The last year exhibits two new features of an en-
couraging kind in France. On the one hand we have
witnessed the origination of a monthly publication,
the French Abolitionist, devoted to the cause of eman-
cipation, and adapted to enlighten and interest the
public mind. On the other we have seen the public
mind itself for the first time roused to action. The
presentation to the Chamber of Deputies of petitions,
both numerously and respectably signed by the inha-
bitants of Paris and Lyons, calling for the imme-
diate and complete emancipation of the slaves in the
French colonies, which took place in the spring of
last year, constitutes a new epoch in the history of
anti-slavery effort in France ; and the commence-
ment, as we hope, of a series of efforts which cannot
hut he crowned with ultimate success. The debate
which ensued on those petitions witnessed the conse-
cration to this great cause of some of the most distin-
guished talents in that kingdom.
In Holland an effort to advance the work of eman-
cipation has been made by the publication of a peri-
odical, entitled Contributions to a Knowledge of the
Dutch and Foreign Colonies, from the influence of
which much good may be expected. And we have
some reason to believe that, although no overt mea-
sure has yet been taken on the subject, the Govern-
ment is seriously directing its attention to the extinc-
tion of slavery in the Dutch colonies.
Of Sweden, happily, more than this can be said.
King Oscar, setting the first example on the part of
the crowned heads of Europe, of an act so noble, has
sent to the assembled States of that country an inti-
Ition of his desire to emancipate the slaves under
.3 dominion; and it may be hoped that ways will
ertly be found to overcome the practical difficulties
e. the question.
In Denmark, during the past year, an Anti-
Slavery Committee has been formed, consisting of
highly influential and respectable men. This body
have already presented a petition to the assembled
States, for the early abolition of slavery in the Da-
nish colonies. This petition has, with the full con-
sent of the Government, been referred to a Committee,
whose report upon it is expected with interest.
Of Spain we have as usual to speak in terms of
regret. It is true that, at the present moment, there
is before the Cortes of that country a proposition for
annexing new penalties to the prosecution of the
slave-trade ; but experience forbids us to hope that
such a law, if passed, would prove anything else than
e dead letter.
In Portugal the Fame enlightened and patriotic men
sy!lo in the preceding year brought forward the ques-
tion of emancipation in the eastern possessions of that
country, have, during the past year, renewed the
discussion of it ; thus doing themselves honour, and
authorising an anticipation of success at no distant
period.
The progress of the cause in the United States, we
rejoice to say, is beyond question. The recent Pre-
sidential election has called into vigorous action the
body of abolitionists now known as the Liberty party,
and-has exhibited a most cheering increase in their
numbers and influence. Acquiring the respect of
both great parties in the Union, it is not too much
to expect that the balance of power may, ere long, be
in their hands.
Another cheering indication in the United States
is the progress of anti-slavery sentiment in ecclesias-
tical bodies. Very important proceedings have taken
place, in relation to slavery, in the Methodist Epis-
coped Church, in the Presbyterian, and several other
emu, zsnions ; all of them making it evident that the
consciences of religious professors are extensively
touched by the appeals which have been made to
them, and w irranting the assurance that the leaven
will rapidly leaven the whole lump.
It is an additional ground of encouragement, thet,
after many battles (not fought in vain), the Legisla-
ture of the United States is at length open to the dis-
cussion of the great question of slavery; the rule of
Congress which required petitions all antislavery to
be laid on the table, commonly called the gag rule,
having, among the earliest acts of the present session,
been rescinded. It cannot be doubted that the friends
of freedom will avail themselves of the open door thus
set before them.
We can scarcely think it less than favourable to the
ant:-slavery cause in the United States, that the pro-
slavery party have pursued with so much acrimony
the system of vexatious prosecution and revengeful
punishment, on the charge of aiding slaves to escape ;
since these proceedings must tend to awaken universal
disgust, and to combine humane persons of all parties
in opposition to a system requiring for its support
such detestable measures.
On the whole, the anti-slavery cause wears, we
ink, a favourable aspect. The work to which we
_,ply' ourselves, indeed, is vast, and the opposing in-
',u lima we have to encounter are both powerful and
~,;-irate. Better elements, however, are in effective
ret'on • and slavery is everywhere, by the deplor-
able•
mischiefs which it produces, aiding their progress.
No slave colony is prosperous or contented. We are
confident that none can be so; and we believe that, in
the end, emancipation will be accepted as the best
and only remedy for the many ills inseparabl >eads
junct to the institution of slavery.

BOKIIARA PRISONS.
The fate of our countrymen, Captain Stoddart and
Colonel Conolly, and their long suffering at
Bok hara, give melancholy interest to the
following account of the prisons of the
A I nir, by the Russian traveller Khani-
it—" The palace of tilt, Amir, built on a mound
:lather natural or artificial I cannot say) having
or six sajenes in height, and about one verst and
a half in circuit. It has a square form, and contains
about 20,000 square sajenes, or 22 tanaps. On this
area are built the houses of the Amir, the Vizir, the
Shikh-Aval, the Topchi-Bashi, the Alirza Defterdar, as
-well as the dwelling of the numerous retinue of the
Aniir and the above-named grandees ; three mosques ;
likewise the Ab-Khaneh, with some dark apartments to
preserve water for the Amir during the summer
heats, but which are more especially appropriated to
state prisoners (dark reservoirs, to keep human
beings in), when they happen to give offence to their
master; such were, for instance, the Kush-beghi and
Argaz••bey. From hence, to the right of the entrance,
a corridor leads into another prison, more dreadful
than the first, called the Kana-Khaneh, a name
.which it has received from the swarms of
ticks which infest the place, and are reared
there on purpose to plague the wretched pri-
soilers. It is stated that in the absence of
tl.`e latter, some pounds of raw meat are thrown into
the pit to keep the ticks alive. This institution
of reiined cruelty has probably given rise to the fable
of the pit of scorpions, of which accounts were
repeatedly given at Orenburg. The zindan or dungeon
has two apartments, one called the upper and the other
the lower dungeon. The former consists of several
courts, with cells for the prisoners; the latter of a deep
pit, at least three fathoms in depth, into which cul-
prits are let down 13y ropes; food is lowered down in
the same manner. The sepulchral dampness of the
illace in winter, as well as in summer, is said to be
insupportable. Twice a month the prisoners, chained
in irons, are brought out of prison to the reghistan,
-where the Amir gives his judgment on those who are
to be executed and those who are to be set at liberty.
They generally go barefooted ; and to form even a
faint idea of the sufferings of these unhappy wretches,
one must have seen them standing bare-footed on the
.snow, the thermometer of Reaumur marking 15 de-
grees below freezing point, waiting for hours together
the appearance of the Commander of the Faithful !"

Barnsley Linen Trade continues brisk in all its
bra-inches ; yet there is no advance in the wages of the
1. Pavers, as is the case at other places, which has caused
t.,rw-numbers of journeymen to stay at home, vviio used
t i visit Barnsley in the fancy drill season. Householders
hare been in the habit of having journeymen, who
etifthied them to pay their rents at this season, complain
init,•ll at being unable to procure them.—Shenield Iris.
PUNCH AlsaoAD.—The old English game of Punch
P.n,rl Judy has found its way to Malta. The first exhibi-
-I,:oti was on Tuesday last; it afforded the Maltese much
di,:issement. The leading character, the favoured Punch,
*as enveloped in sixty-four yards of her Most Gracious
31,je sty's duck; he seemed well pleased at the attention
he recotved, particularly from the officers of the squadron,
who were attired in full uniform to superintend this
funny play: The last act was the " Rogue's March,"
when Punch took up his bed and walked, determined to
evjoy the Ch ristmas festivities.—Malta max
At the, Berkshire Quarter sessions, just concluded,
'tlll Earl of Falmouth took the oath, and qualified as a
Inf..,•istrate for the county.
;11Is'e Duke of Rutland was prevented from attend-
.l.l7,' the Waltham agricultural meeting on Wednesday
fast, fro:n a slight indisposition. The Noble Duke is
still at Be.,.lvoir Castle.
•

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM TUE EVENING PAPERS OP SATURDAY.

STANDARD.—We rejoice to announce the ex-
tinction of the cause of the late distressing movement
in the diocese of Exeter. The Bishop of the diocese
has addressed to his clergy a circular, couched in the
most grateful and affectionate terms, and stating that,
having received from the Lord Primate, that most
Reverend Lord's address to the diocese of Can-
terbury, he (the Bishop of Exeter) cordially adopts
the views and sentiments of that address,
and " advises all his clergy to act in con-
formity with the views so plainly set
forth by the Archbishop; that is, to continue the
services in their several churches as they now are,
making no attempt to approach nearer to an exact
observance of the rubric, unless they shall in any
instance ascertain that the wish of the people is
clearly in favour of such an advance." More than
this cannot be desired ; and now is the, time
for those who opposed the innovations attempted
to be introduced in Exeter diocese to prove that
their opposition rested upon religious grounds, and
did not proceed from a wish to resist the due
authority of their ecclesiastical superior; and this
they will most effectually demonstrate by gratefully
embracing the Bishop's proposition, that the late
events "may be as if they had never been." We
earnestly recommend a vigilant care of this " bond of
peace" among churchmen, because we know that the
enemies of the Church, emboldened by the late
unhappy differences, will seek to rend it; and we
offer this recommendation with more confidence,
because, while we have all along tried to do
justice to the honourable, pure, and sincerely
religious motives of the Bishop, we have used no
reserve in combating what we believe to be his
errors. We trust that the Right Reverend Lord will
live to receive the same justice from the hands of
others : sure we are that he will have it from poste-
rity. When the present, or rather let us say the late,
heats shall have fully subsided, men will re-
member that it was not the Bishop of Exeter
who first patronised the Tractarian innovations ;
they had been introduced in the metropolitan and
in many other dioceses with episcopal connivance,
in some cases with episcopal commendation, before
the Bishop of Exeter was compelled to take some
part, by the urgency of men who required him to
sanction the novelties, and defied him to refuse his
sanction, with the rubric in their hands. The
Bishop saw, or thought he saw, that he could not
resist the demand ; and, therefore, he issued his
pastoral, recommending a general adherence to
the rubric (as he read it), but nothing more.
It is unfair to the Right Reverend Lord to read
his recommendation as if it operated only in
one direction. It had, as it plainly was in-
tended to have, a two-fold operation—to prohibit the
Romanising mummeries for which the rubric afforded
no authority, as well as to enforce the surplice preach-
ing, and the offertory which, according to the
Bishop's interpretation (an erroneous interpretation,
as to the surplice, in our opinion), the rubric en-
joined. Now, in such a difficulty, a sincere- and
pious man, keenly sensitive to the obligations of
duty, might very justly reason as follows-1
see the Church torn by schism in other dioceses,
because the bishops will not take a part on one side
or the other. I see our Church dishonoured, and
religion itself degraded, in defiance of law, by the
introduction of Roman Catholic ornaments and
ceremonies, because the bishops will not enforce
the law against them ; because some of the bishops
have even approved of these Romanising violations
of the law. I will protect my diocese from these
evils, by a strict enforcement of the law re-
buking deficiency on the one side, and rendering
impossible excess on the other. Is not such reason-
ing just and natural, and what would almost neces-
sarily offer itself to a man keenly sensitive to
duty ? It, however, involved more than one original
error in fact. The Bishop was, we think, mistaken
as to the rubrical injunction of surplice preach-
ing—he was certainly mistaken as to the public
feeling on the point. The question being at
best a doubtful one, and the practice having
been revived by the Romanising Tractarians, the
people, the sound part of the clergy as well as
the laity, classed surplice preaching with the
other Tractarian innovations. This, probably, the
Bishop did not know, though he ought to have
known it. Again, the Bishop had, we apprehend,
a rash confidence in his services to the Protestant
cause to protect him from the suspicion of favouring
Romanist practices. Certainly no man was better
entitled to cherish such a confidence, but it is
ever dangerous to be confident in one's former
services, when opposing a conscientious public feeling.
When men's minds are violently heated, they think
that every other conscience is like their conscience,
and will suspect of duplicity even those whom
they have been most accustomed to venerate and
love, if they differ from them. The Bishop's con-
stitutional kindliness, too, had seduced him into
some good-natured acts to the very worst and most
dishonest of the Tractarians, which aided a suspi-
cion of his hostility to the tenets of that party the
practices of which he seemed to sanction, in part at
least, and the leaders of which he admitted into
his friendship, and sought to protect from a just
condemnation. Then, as always happens when a su-
perior gives unpalateable commands, a new ques-
tion as to the limits of authority was raised. All,
however, is happily at an end. And while we
must always disapprove of the delay that
has been permitted by the episcopal bench in
enforcing that Protestant uniformity, which the
address of the Lord Primate is calculated to enforce,
we can scarcely regret (except on account of
the pain that it must have given to himself) that
the Bishop of Exeter has fairly brought the question
to issue. It now rests with the other bishops to
take instruction by his Lordship's (to him distressing)
experiment, and to imitate his example by enjoining
a return to the old Protestant uniformity. What-
ever the Bishop of Exeter does, he does it ho-
nestly. If he errs, he errs in a manly and ingenuous
manner; if he repairs the error, he is sure to make
the reparation ingenuously, and without reserve.
Such characters may sometimes provoke our hos-
tility, but they will always command our respect ;
and, if we are good for anything, some share of our
affection. Would that all our bishops were es in-
genuous and decided, whatever their opinions.
GLOBE.—The meeting held at Rochdale on
Thursday last, to petition Parliament against the
introduction of the New Poor-law into the Rochdale
Union, will give to the opponents of that measure
no additional strength. Large meetings and loud
talking, alone, can never permanently serve any
good purpose in this country ; and at the meet-
ing in question there seems to have been an al-
most total absence of everything but vociferation,
invective, and false reasoning. A detailed notice of the
speeches would only be a repetition of the worst and
weakest points made by the opponents of the New
Poor-law during the last ten years. Something
must of course be allowed for the difficulty of saying
anything new upon such a subject, and also for the
temptations to exaggeration and random assertion to
which all who now attempt to speak on that side of
the question, and hope to be listened to, are inevitably
exposed. The petition to the House of Commons, pre-
sented to and adopted by the meeting, may, however
be taken as a fair specimen of what the Anti-Poor-
law gentlemen of Rochdale can, with all the advan-
tages of deliberation, say in favour of their view of
the matter. In the first paragraph, then, it is
asserted that, in the opinion of the petitioners, " the
principle of self-government will be destroyed by
the introduction of the provisions of the Poor-
law Amendment Act into Rochdale"—that this
principle has hitherto been acted upon by the
inhabitants " with perfect satisfaction to them-
selves and the poor of these townships"—and that if
the New Poor-law be forced upon them, " the conse-
quences will be feelings of hatred and contempt, instead
of that due respect for the laws and constitution which
has hitherto characterised the people of these locali-
ties ;"—which, obviously, conveys nothing more than
that the petitioners would rather be without the New
Poor-law ! Had such an expression of opinion been
allowed to have weight, perhaps there is not a parish
in the kingdom which would ever have been afflicted
with it. In the next paragraph the petitioners
call the notice of the House to "the value of
resistance when resistance can be justified by
the nature of the aggression " and then seek to
justify resistance to " the acts of the Poor-
law Commissioners " by what they " consider "
" the spirit of the la. w of England ;" on the
ground that the Commissioners in issuing " mandates
called rules and orders" do so only " under pretence"
of administering the law ; and furthermore that they
(the Commissioners) are " irresponsible to the people
for their actions !" Have the gentlemen who have
signed this extraordinary document ever given them-
selves the trouble to consider what is the real effect
of these reckless and groundless assertions ? If the
powers of the Commissioners have been illegally used,
this is a reason, not for the non-introduction of their
' " rules and orders" into one corner of the kingdom,
but for their entire abolition or modification; while
the prayer of the petition extends only to the privi-
lege of appearing at the bar of the House "by
counsel, to show cause why the New Poor-law
should not be forced into these districts." The peti-
tioners next remind the House of " those great and
glorious principles of civil liberty," &c. &c., and as-
sert that the Poor-law Commissioners have assumed
the power of taxing the people without the consent
of Parliament ! And then follows a general denuncia-
tion of " all commissions, of whatsoever nature they
be," as " illegal and unjust r and the Bill of Rights
ee
is appealed to as the authority for this(3rfeletlhryme Rochdale swr
t sep oifng a
doctrine. Such is theentire b
es c otpi;
petition. Whatever might
cause, it is not in the nature of things that it should
receive anything but injury from such advocacy,

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF CLANCERY,Jun.II.

The Lord Chancellor sat at Westminster to day, it
being the first day of Hilary Term. The usual cere-
mony of breakfasting with his Lordship, of the Judges,
Queen's Counsel, Masters in Chancery, &c., was dis•
pensed with according to previous arrangement.
The Court was occupied the whole day with appeal
motions. •

VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT, Jan. 11.
Although this was the first day of Hilary Term the
Vice-Chancellor of England took his seat in his Court
at Westminster as early as ten o'clock, it having been ar-
ranged that the Judges, Queen's Counsel, &c. &c., should
breakfast with the Lord Chancellor only at Michaelmas
and Easter Term. His Honour heard motions, none of
which were of any public interest and having nothing
to proceed with, rose shortly before twelve o'clock.
Vice-Chancellors Bruce and Wigram sat this morning,
being the first day of term, in the Committee-rooms,
Nos. 1 and 2, of the House of Commons. The Courts
now erecting in Palace yard will not be occeyied till
Easter Term. Hearing motions engaged their Honours
for the greater part of the day.
(Before Sir J. WIGRAM.)

MILLER V. MALL., T.IEU.

In this case his lloNotra gave judgment on some points
which had been raised in a hearing since the last deci-
sion. The facts on which it rested have been repeatedly
stated in the reports of the former hearings.

LLOYD V. MASON.-JUDGMENT.

Thig was the petition of a solicitor who had been dis-
charged by his client pendente lite, to be paid his costs
out of the funds in the cause.

His HoNova having stated at length the circumstances
under which the said solicitor became employed for
Lloyd, referred to an order which was made in the Rolls,
in the year 1838, directing Lloyd to pay the costs, and
to a second order of the same year, also of the Rolls,
directing him to pay the amount within four days.
In consequence of that order Lloyd was thrown
into prison, where he remained till his death,
in February, 1841. A person named Brown, who
was named executor in Lloyd's will, shortly
afterwards instituted two other suits, for the
purpose of reviving the first and second suits which had
been carried on by Lloyd ; and in May, 1843, a'decree
was made on further directions relative to the four suits,
by which the rights of the parties were declared, and it
was referred to the Master to tax the costs of all the
parties in these suits. The claim of the solicitor
arising out of this arrangement was in some respects
opposed by Lloyd's executor, Brown, on the ground that
the solicitor's lien had been forfeited by his having had
recourse to the remedy against the person, and thrown
Lloyd into prison. His Honour, having recapitulated
the arguments of counsel on this head, gave it as his
opinion that the petitioner was entitled to what he
sought. The form of the decree to be a: matter of ar-
rangement between the parties.