The Sun.
London, England, 1817-07-10 00:00:00

IRISH GOVERNMENT.

• Lord REDESDALE observed, that a notion aji-
peared to be entertained, that he bad, in a debate
on the subject of the Habeas Cot pus suspension
13d1, intended to cast an imputation on the Admi-
nistration of a Noble Friend of his (Earl of Hard-
wicke) in Ireland. He crrtainly had no such in-
tention, nor had he, in fact, cast any such impu-
tation. His object ban been to defend that Ad-
ministration against what be . conceived to be,
though he might have been mistaken, as an at-
tempt, in another quatter, to do it injustice by an
injurious comparison.
The Earl of HARDWICKE: thanked -the Noble
Lord for the explanation.
Earl GaosvENoa observed, that there was no
intention in any quarter to cast any imputation
on the Noble Earl's Athninistratiun.
SLAVE TRADE.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE gave notice, that
it was the intention of a Noble Friend of his, who
had taken a leading part on the subject of the abo-
lition of the Slave Trade, whether a message on
the subject came from the other House or not, to
move to-morrow an Address to the Prince lie-
gent on the present lamentable state of that
traffic. Ile moved that the Lords be summoned
for to-morrow, which was ordered.
The Frame Breaking Bill, and others, were
read a second time, and ordered to be committed

to-morrow.
The Irish Election Bill was read a third time,
and passed.--Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Lord BINNING brought up tl►e returns of Lu-
natics in Scotland. Ouly 630 of 839 parishes
made returns. The number of Luna►ies returned
was 3,466, Allowing 814 for the parislus that

[PRIcT SEVENPT-NCE.

made no returns, the total number was 4,300 ;
800 were in confinement. Not above '291 were irk
places fit for the purpose of confining item. 331
were kept is places very improper for the purpose.
500 were either inadequately provided for, or kept
by relations. He moved that a surumailr of the
returns be printed. He then made a fresh 'Motion,
for a return front each parish in Scotland of
number of insane persons, specifying how many
were in confinement, and how many at large ;
also the number of their) that were furious; and
how those in confinement were accom,r‘onated.
General THORNTON asked the Chancellor of the
Exchequer whether lie could pay the 5 per cents.
during the Recess ?,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCrIEQ.URR replied
that he could not without the author-it,/ of Par-
liament.
Sir JOHN Cox HIPPISLEY moved for a copy of
the concordat between the Coln! of Portugal and
the See of Rome in 1778, which, after some ob-
servations by Mr. ALLAN, on the necessity of
upholding the religion'of the State conscientious-
Iv, religiously, and consistently, was ordered.
Mr. PnrLiPs brought up papers from the Royal
Military Canal.

Mr. MAITLAND presented, copies of the.
Reso-
lutions of the Directory of the East India Com..
pany.
An acconnt oh the expences of the Redemption
of the Land-tax was presented Irvin the Tax-
office.

Mr. CALCRAFT gave notice of a motion to-mor-
row to discharge the motion of the Lion. Gentle-
man opposite, for the number of versons who had
taken out their freehold incorporations.

Mr. BLAKE and Sir GODFREY WEBSTER made
some observations, which were not audible.

SUSPENSION OF THE HABEAS CORPUS.

Lord SEFTON presented a petition from the
town and neighbourhood of Liverpool against the
Suspension of the Habeas Corpus. The petition,
he said, complained of the suspension of their
rights, and tilt establishment of an arbitrary
power of confining (luring pleasii e persons guilty
of no crime, and deplored the employment of spies
and informers, who were mercenary and atrocious --
agents of Government; instigating the people to
acts of riot, rebellion, and treason. This petition
was signed only by two persons, but the first peti*
Lion, of which this was a transcript, was signed by
3,500. The petition was then brought up and.
read. It was signed by Mr. Shepherd and Mr.
Preston.
Mr. BROUGHAM said, the reason why the first
petition was too late was, that when. a requisition
was.presented to tie Mayor, that Worthy Magis•
trate took a whole week to deliberate whether a
meeting should be called, alio limn declared that
it was unnecessary. Put the Requisitionists think+
ing differently trom the Worthy Mayor, presented
another requisition, and in consequence a meet•
ing was held.
The petition was ordered to be laid on the table
and printed.
Mr. CANNING remarked, that it was entitled to
be printed merely as the petition of Mr. Shepherd
and Mr. Preston.

Mr. MANNERS, BRITISH CONSUL AT MASSACHUSETS.
Mr. BROUGHAM asked, whether George Man-
ners, whom he saw in the Gazette Consul at
Massachusets, was the same person who lived for-
merly in London, and was Editor of a most in-
famous and scandalous publication, called the'Se-
tyrist ; and who stood on the floor of the King's
Bench conticted of a personal libel, when he him-
self happened to be present.
Lord CASTLEREAGH had no knowledge of any
such circumstances as the Hon. Gentleman allud-
ed to.
Mr. BROUGHAM said, that the Satyrist always
favoured the Noble Lord's side in politics.
SLAVE TRADE.
Mr. WILBERFORCE stood before an audience,
every individual of whom agreed in sentiment
with his own. Yet when he considered how
many years had rolled away, and how many public
men had departed since he had introduced the
subject of the Slave Trade to the House, he could
not do it again at present without the most pain-
ful feelings. His object was not to complain of
what had been done to annihilate a traffic which
all joined in condemning, but to strengthen the
hands of Government to enable it to do more.—
For that purpose he meant to propose to Address
the Crown, with a view to the entire termination
and condemnation of the African Trade. This com-
merce was still carried on to an immense extent.
It was carried on even under the American flag, and
he was sorry to say, that American vessels, pro-
perty and subjects, were engaged in it. Since the
French Settlements had been restored to France,
although he did full justice to the intentions of the
Government of that country, yet the Slave Trade
appeared to revive on the western coast of Africa,
at Goree and at Senegal. As it had been discon-
tinued while those establishments were in our
possession, there was not a cargo of slaves ready
when the vessels came, and he had been informed
all the domestics that could be found bad been
seized and sent off. So far for America and
France. Against Sweden, Denntaik, and Hol-
land, there was no complaint, ext-pr in one case
only against the latter. But the great evil was
the trade as it was carried on by Portugal and
Spain. Notwithstanding the sacrifices which we
had made to Portugal to abolish the trade north
of the line, it was still carried on there under the
Portuguese flag. But even this sunk into insig-
nificance, when compared with the devastations
of Spain. It was with astonishment and disgust
that he saw a nation so high minded-and spirited,
so jealous of its own independence, lending itself
to such a traffic:. When we had found that we

could tot cffett the total abolition of. the Slave
Trale, it had become our policy to do it to a (2er-
-tail) -eXet!nt in Africa, where we might exert our
be vo lima efforts for the eiviliz:iriou of the
'people. ‘Ve had consequently made a stipu-
latioh, which had been agreed to by Portu-
al and all the other Powers hat one, to
'confioe the trade to the South of the line. What
had Spain done ? She had agreed to confine her-
self to one 'part, and had chosen that very part
which wt had reserved for ourselves for the pur-
pose of, e4ilization. This was au insult almost
too great :for an independent nation) ,
visitors,
hear,
en
Neither were Spanish vessels the .y
tat a great number of other vessels came, under
the Spapish flag, to that part of the coast where
we hat planted schools, and had greatly succeeded
iu training the chieftains to habits of 'peaceful
industly and legitimate commerce. By the ar-
tival of the traders, those putsuits were abandon-
ed, and the chieftains were taught to return to
their old habits of seizing upon their subjects,
as answering much better. When, thirty years
ago, the subject had been brought before Parlia-
ment, the House had resented, with the deepest
indignation, the idea of barbarities committed by
Englishmen in carrying on the trade, and bad
passed a law to cause the slaves to suffer as little
as possible in their passage. But now, in conse-
quence of the manner in which it was carried on,
the ships were crowded beyond all precedent. In one
case, said a letter from Sir Jas. Yeo, a vessel of 120
tons carried 600 slaves ! 4-le had asked some years
ago the Captain of a ship of 240 tons, whether lie
thought the slaves he had on board comfortable,
anti he had answered in the affirmative, although
he had owned that they had no room to lie on
their backs. Yet he carried only 450 slaves.
What, therefore, must have been the situation of
thrise 600 'wretched victims in a vessel of 120
tons ? It was right the House should have some
idea of the situation of a ship under such circum-
stances. lie then read an affidavit from an officer
put on hoard of a slave ship taken as a prize,
who swore, that on the 15th of February last, he
had been on hoard the St. George, from Mozam-
bique to the Brazds, till the 19th ; that when the
vessel left Mozambique 22 days before, he had
been informed all the slaves were in good health ;
that 13 died between the time of its capture and
its art ival, a hen all were sickly, and nearly 100
afflicted with the scurvy ; that the vessel was
more built for sailing'than for stowing; anti that
the slaves were all stowed together naked in
a place two feet in heiglit, and so small, that
it was impossible for them not to press each other ;
that they were chained by one leg with heavy
irons, and compelled to do their necessities under
them, and to lie in their own excrements till they
were landed; that from the 19(1) to the 24th
thirteen had died, though they were treated with
every kind of attention, and that between the 24th
of February and the 16th of. March thirty tno,e
bad sunk tinder the effects of their previous treat-
ment, and the rest remained in a most sickly state.
This was not a solitary case, but it must be nearly
the same in all slave ships. In another, out of
540, three hundred and forty had died. The
greater part of them were carried to the Havan-
na!), and he was informed that for several years
the annual number imported had been 25,000.
But this was 'tot all : the Spani3ll flag a floidcd
protection to the traders of other nations, and
when a vessel was attacked it would defend itself,
and sometimes anticipate attack. They had fre-
quently acted as pirates, and driven away from the
coasts all merchant vessels trading with the na-
tives, with the consent of the' old chieftains, who
found it more productive to sell slaves titan toca'rry
on a legitimate commerce. Would it be borne by
Englishmen that their ships of force, with the na-
tioaal flag, should be attacked by those of other
countries, because they enforced the provisions of
a treaty ? We were bound to put a stop to such
practices. If they were suffered to go on to the
same extent, our West India Islands must give
up the hope of extending the sale of their pro-
duce beyond our own country. It was not that
be distrusted the efforts of his Noble Friend (Lord
Castlereagh), but in order to strengthen his hands,
that lie wished to Address the Crown apin on
this subject. He boiled it would be successfully,
and he could not conceive that the House would
object to advise his Majesty to have recourse to
an expedient, in which he thoogitt tire other
European Powers coincided, as it had been
suegesteil by his Noble Friend at the Congress
of Vienna, by which all the great Powers should
agree only to receive Colonial produce front
those countries which had abolished the Slave
Trade. He did not wish us to approach them
with a high tone, but in the language of those
who acknowledged that they had once themselves
acted criminally, and were willing to make repa-
ration to Africa for time injuries which they had
inflicted upon her. He then took a view of the
gratifying exertions made in every quarter by
English spirit to put down that abominable traf-
fic. At Java, a Society for the purpose had been
formed wider the influence of Governor Raffles.
Ile praised the activity of-Captain Curran of the
Navy ; the conduct of Colonel Chisholm, who,
whilst Goree was in our hands, had established a
seminary for education there ; and of that most
benevolent and enlightened individual Governor
Alacarthy, who at Sierra Leone had set up
schools, and adopted every step to civilize the na-
tives. He considered that it was the duty of
the Country to repair the evil site had done to
Africa, by promoting peaceful industry' anti
the civilization of the people. The begin-
ning of this must be to put an end to the
existing practices, and for that purpose he
should move, " That an humble Addres be pie-
aented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent,
most humbly to represent to his Royal Highness,
that in bringing to a close the other business of
this Session,'-roost important duties still remained
to he pet formed by Parliament, and, amongst the
rest, that of again submitting to his Royal High-
ness the anxions solicitude of the House for the
total Abolition of the African Slave Trade; that
the Howe were 4ratetol for the exertions already
made, and the progress attained in the abolition
of that It atlie, and rejoiced that it was now for
ever proscribed, and that our laws had stiema-
tized it by a severe and igaotnittions punishment ;
that they bad see!), with unspeakable satisfa--
tion, that many other nations, under whose

that trade bad been carried C'a, bad ceased
from it ; that their expectatiOni; keere strengthen-
ed by t he memorable declaration, SO wort)y of their
great SOvereignS, rriat,le by all tbetienipotenthiries
asseinbled at Vienna ; that they, Must deeply IC'
gret that praCticei so contrgry, to such declara-
tions should, even for an hour, t3e continued by a
Chtistian country, and that alllti'pailations being
broken and disregarded, some should be found to
pursue the same nefarious course as before; that
in submitting these cirtionstanceSio 'the humane
consideration of his Royal Highness, they hope
shut he will take such Measures as will tend to ac-
complish the total atnilition of a systent vt hie!)
triwates every endeavour to civilize Africa, and that
he will leave no efforts untried to effect that pur-
pose ; that they also hope that his Royal High-
liess's rept esentations will pi•oduce the desired
effect ; yet that if they should prove unavailing,
they trust that the great Powers who joilted in the
Declaration at Vienna will feel themselves com-
pelled by an overwhelming sense of duty to adopt
such a course of policy in their commercial rela-
tions, as will tend to pot an end to the traffic, and
duly punish its uerpetrators; and that in enforcing
those considerations on his Royal Highness, they
do not do it from mere humanity, but from asense
that it is their duty to endeavour to repair the
wrongs which England has inflicted on Africa, by
teaching the natives of that country to enjoy the
blessings of peaceful industry, and of legitimate
commerce."

Lord CkITLEREAGH was certain, that whatever
might have been the result of their exertions, the
House would not conceive his Majesty's Ministers
to have slept on so important a question. Much
had already been done by the solemn declaration
of the greatest Sovereigns of the world at Vienna;
but as long as any Power lent its hand to that
degraded traffic, and thus enabled others under its
flag, the whole was not done. He assured his
lion. Friend that no exertion had been spared,
and that his M,sjesty's Government, in conjunction
with the other Powers; had been engaged in ne-
gociations with Portugal and Spain for the total
abolition of the Slave Trade. A partial explana-
tion svouid, however, only prejudice the House
without advancing the cause. It was on that
account, and not because he wished to withhold
information, that he' should not enter into a fuller
explanation at present. Before Parliament should
again assemble, it was probable that the pending
negociations would have come to an issue, which
he would then communicate to the House. fle
could not engage that it would he a successful
otie, but if it were, there still would be many
points to which it tvould be desirable that Parlia-
ment should look, by referring them to a Com-
nottee. He sonata not oppose the address of his
H,to Friend, hut should concur in it, and should
he prepared at the beginning of the next Session
to lay the whole subject betore the House, for the
purpose of going into an ito,nity,
Mr PETER Mooae «ished his Hon. Friend
complete success, but was not one of those who
would promise him any. He did not think, how-
, ever, that he had adopted a proper course—he
meant that which had been proposed four years
ago, and %yule') the Noble Lord now recommend-
' ed. He'coutentled that he (Mr. P. M.) had taken
up the subject of the Slave Trade fourteen or fif-
t eeu 37,4,‘ before site Hun. Member had done it
in this country. He maintained that, under the
pretence of preventing the continuance of that
traffic, merchants had sometimes been unjustly
prosecuted and condermsed. Ile instanced the
case of three persons who had been sentenced at
Sierra Leone to fourteen years' transportation,
and sent to England to be conveyed to Botany
Bay. They had forwarded petitions to him, and
through the benevolent interference of the Noble
Lord at the bead of the Home Department had
been rescued from transportation and death,
though much emaciated. In another case it had
been proved before a Court of Justice last week,
that a prosecution had been commenced, not to
abolish the Slave Trade, but to seize the proper-
ty of an individual.—(Hear, hear !)—The House
might well hear ; it would then know that the
individual in question had recovered 10001. in an
action for false imprisonment, and 190001. da-
taages.
Mr. BROUGHAM contended that the individual
last meutioned had beets properly tried under the
Act which made it an equal offence for a British
subject to carry on the Slave Trade anywhere, as
for any person -to carry it on in any part under
British jurisdiction. Mr. Cooke, who was the
individual in question, had been taken up as a
British subject, for trading in slaves beyond the
British limits, and it was not till after his con-
viction, and in his memorial to Government, that
he had represented himself as an American. After
his arrival in England, it .bad been discovered
that a statute of King William, which gave a ge-
neral jurisdiction, had been repealed, but yet
there was some apprehension that its provisions
were revised by another, in which they were
quoted as existing. The benefit of the donhewas
properly given to Mr. Cooke, although he had
been convicted, and he had been set at liberty ;
but the question respecting the validity of the ju-
risdiction was not yet determined. There was
therefore no fault on the part of Governor Max-
well, who had Mr. Cooke taken up after
considerable resistance, nor of that of the
person by whom that individual had been
tried. As to the late verdict, it was only
nominally one for 20,0001., and might be reduced
to 10001. ; for Mr. Cooke had been allowed the
damages for which he had prayed, but subject to
a reference, by which they might be reduced to
scarcely any thing. He- spoke highly in favour
of the conduct of Governor Maxwell, and thought
that Officer should he remunerated. It was not
his wish to say any thing that might disturb the
unanimity of the House on this occasion, and
therefore lie would not enter-into the reasons why
he thought that the Noble Lord's hopes with re-
spect to Spain and Portugal were riot likely to
be realized. The Slave Trade would never be
completely-put an end to the Fi"ciPle of
mutual se:irch was established among all the
Powers of Europe ; till every Tosser ierognized
the right of every other Power to,seatelr its ships
in the time of peace ; till slaves were pot ou the
same tooting; with conirabAiol of war. Until this
was done,,, it %%mold be in v:in in hope Elia the
Slave Trude would be lint an end to ; and until

then, in spite, of all the tlireatA an;
that could he penned by all the Doctors of Coim-
bra or of Salamanca (and they prodhc2 them by
quires), the Slave Trade would be carried on to
as great an extent as ever. .
Mr. A. Bttowiiis spoke shortly fAvour of the
Address, and said that there wa3 not any ili,po-
sition in any cif, the Colonies contrary to that
which dictmtvd this motion.

Mr. GOULBL7III thought it necessary merely to
say, that Governor Maxwell's ease had been duly
considered, and that it was inteudtd he should be
remunerated.

. Mr. C. SMYTH Of Cambridge) Vri3 in favour
of the Address. lie ‘vished the right of mutual
search of vessels to be established among the Eu-
ropeaut Powers. lie expressed a hope that the ex-
pectarions of the Noble Lord relative to the aban-
donment of the Slave Trade by Spain and Portno
would be realized ; and that lie would soon be able
to come down to the House and inform it of the
signature .of Treaties with these Powers to that
effect. If that should be the case, however high
the Noble Lord's diplomatic reputation might al-
ready be, it would then be raised still higher, and
established on principles as durable as humanity
and justice.
Mr. BARHAM concurred in the Address. He
rose principally for the purpose of endeavouring to
do away an assertion which had been frequently
made, sometimes gravely—sometimes in the way
of sarcasm, that this country had not abolished
the Slave Trade until the state of its Colonies
rendered it unnecessary, and that we only %vislied
other States to abolish it, in order to diminish the
value of their Colonies and prevent them from
having any advantage over our own. This asser-
tion was most frequently made in France ; but it
was also made in the other countries of Europe.—
There could not be any thing more ❑ntrue in fact.
The truth was, that the state of our colonial po-
pulation shewed that there was in them a great
deficiency of negro-es ; whereas, in the colonies
of other countries, the ease was quite the reverse.
Mr. W. SMITH also concurred in the Address.
Mr. MARRYATT was in favour of the Address,
and strongly anitnadverted on the system pursued
with respect to the remuneration given in cases of
capture, where the sentence of the Colonial Court
was reversed by the High Court of Admiralty.—
The fact was, that when the sentence of con-
demnation of a Colonial Court was reversed, the
country was put even to a greater expence than
when it was affirmed, and the premium given by
Act of Parliament for every slave in the condemned
ship was payable.—The Address was then agreed
to.