The Sun.
London, England, 1829-05-20 00:00:00

Member refused to take the oath of King William,
which was an oath that the House could not possi-
bly dispense with, and the others contained such
trtarked distinctions that it was impossible
to argue on them in any way analagous to
the present. With respect to the question which
would have to be debated on Thursday night, he be-
lieved that the real question would be whether a
new writ would be issued to return a new Member
for Clare, or whether a new Bill should be
brought in to enable the Honourable Member
for Clare to take his seat on the same terms as the
Earl of Surrey--( Hear,)—that was the question
which they would have to discuss, whether they
should place the Hon. Member for Clare on a footing
with his Majesty's other Roman Catholic subjects.
Mr. PEEL thought that if it were intended to
adjourn the question, it would be better not to dis-
CLI.s it at present.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BROUGHAM was exactly of his Right
Honourable Fiiend's opinion. He trusted, how-
erer, that his Honourable Friend would reconsider
the intention he had expressed of introducing
a Bill similar to the Catholic Relief Bill, but
confined to an individual. (Hear.) He hoped that
he would re-consider it on the score of conveniency,
if on no other. He would not say that he would
not oppose, he would pledge himself to no course,
but he depended nn the discretion of the Hon.
Member, after he had re-considered the question.
(Hear, hear.),
Mr. S. RICE replied, that any suggestion from
the Hon. and Learned Member would be considered
with great attention on his part, particularly on the
141thject of the difficulties to which he had alluded.
General GASCOYNE said he did not rise to
prolong the diselission.—(Great laughter.)—He
had no objection to altering the form of the notice,
but he now begged most earnestly to state
that on Thursday next he would bring in a Bill
to repeal the: Catholic Relief Bill, and also the Bill
for the Di,f,ram hisement of the Forty-shilling Free-
liolders.—(Loud laughter.)
The amendment for the adjournment of the de-
bate was then put and agreed to.
Mr. DEN: SON presented a petition from William
Cobl'iett, thanking the House for returning to a me-
tallic currency, and praying that the taxes might be
reduced to the amount at which they were before
'small paper was made the coin of the country.—To
be printed.
Sir J. MACINTOSH postpone, I his motion on
the relations of this country with Portugal to Thurs-
day se'nnight.
LAW COMMISSION.

. ---
Mr. W. PEEL moved that an address be pre-
sented for the report of the Commissioners ap-
pointed to inquire into the lax of real property, to-
gether with the appendix to the report.—Ordered.
Lord J. RUSSELL presented a petition from
certain freemen of Canterbury, resident in London,
in favour of the Bill before the House, to vacate the
seats of Members accepting offices in India. The
persons who signed the petition had voted in favour
of Mr. Lushington.
Mr. C. FEKGCS SON objected to that part of
the Bill which made any persons who accepted office
under the Indian Government incapable of being
re-elected.

Mr. BARING said, that individuals who accepted
offices under the Crown in this country, were, if re-
elected,-nor prevented from attending to the duties
as Members of Parliament, but persons who went
to reside in India could not, so long as they livei in
that country, represent their constituents in this
country, and that was the reason he proposed in the
Rill before the House, to enact that such Members
of that House as accepted offices in India should not
only vacate their seats, but be rendered incapable of
being re-elected.
Mr. BRIGHT trusted the Bill would pass the
House without alteration.

Lord J. RUSSELL thought-it ought to be left
to the constituent body whether they would re-elect
any Member who might go out to India, and hoped
the Honourable Member for CslliMgton would so far
alter his Bill all to give the conitituent body that

choke.
Mr. C. FERGUS*,ON objected to the 13111,
because it made one law for persons accepting offices
'ender the Indian Government, and a different one
for persons accepting offices under the Cronin ill'
this country. _

Mr. BARING stated that the law ought to
diffeient for the two cases, becauie the two co
were them:eives different.

Mr. PEEL presented a petit.on from cer
friendly Societiei in Scotland against the Friel
Societies' Bill. He also presented certai—

relative to the slave trade.

Mr. MARSHALL presented a petitit
Sheffield, a.minst the Labourers Wages Dili.
Mr. STURGES BOURNE presented a peti-
tion from Ashburton, in Devonshire, praying the re-
peal of duties on coal and culm.
Mr. H. GRATTAN presented three petitions
against the Sub-letting Act, and two against the
Vestry Act, front places in Ireland.
Mr. W. WrIITMORE presented two petitions
against the Corn Laws from an anti-bread tax society,
and from certain inhabitants of Kidderminster;
also a petition from the Merchant's Company,
Leith, praying for an inquiry into the state of the
trade with India.

Mr. SYKES presented a petition from the
Merchants of Kingston-upon-Hull, praying for an
equalization of the duty on East and West India
sugar.
Mr. V. FITZGERALD intimated that with re-
spect to the question relating to the equalization of
the duties on West anl East India Sugars, he
thought the House would not expect him to notice
that, inasmuch as there was a distinct motion coming
before the House to-night on the subject, for the
House to resolve itself into a Committee o❑ the
sugar duties.
Mr. P. THOMSON called the Right Hon. Gen-
tlernan's attention to the duty on hemp, which
amounted to between 80,0001. and 90,01)01. The
rate of freightage, as compared with last year, had
considerably increased.
Mr. II UME presented three petitions, one from
the town of Nottingham, and the other from pa-
rishes in Gloucestershire, praying for the repeal of
the corn laws.
Mr. P. THONISON presented two petitions
of a similar nature from parishes in Gloucestershire.
SIERRA LEONE.

Mr. WORTLEY commenced by observing, dirt
in 1825 a Commission had been appointed to ascer-
tain the state and prospects of the colony of Sierra
Leone. That commission proceeded to its destina-
tion, and entered into a full investigation of every
thing connected with the colony. The result of the
labours of that commission was a report which he
was sure must be fresh in the recollection of every
Member who read it, and which contained a frightful
representation of the condition of the colony. It was
now about 40 years since we originally commenced
by settlement the colony of Sierra Leone, for pur-
poses ditlerent from those to which it was now ap-
pliA. About 20 years since it was applied to the
latter purposes. With respect to the original pur-
poses of the colony, it was found that though some
of the settlers brought from Nova Scotia and Bar-
badoes were capable of assuming the highest func-
tions in the administration of affairs, the general
body of the settlers was of a degraded character.—
With respect to the colony as applied to its present
purposes, the case was no better. The liberated
negroes who arrived there were for the most part la-
bouring under sickness and disease. There was no
proper accommodation for them after they did ar-
rive. No attention was bestowed upon the cure of
their maladies, and there was no system of regula-
tion to induce habits of industry, which was the
most important point of all. He was sorry to say
also, that there was no provision for the religious
instruction of the negroes, so that they coutinued
almost in the same state as when they were landed
from the vessels,—namely, a state of barbarism and
idleness. He could quote from the report of the
C.,:maessioniers facts of the most striking nature to
illtalttate his statement, but, las would mention only

one. The report stated, that in order to apply in-
struction to 2,111 youths who were scattered over
the settlement, there were only 22 schools and six
teachers, with four native assistants. Another point for
grave and serious consideration, which was the subject
of strong representation by the Commissioners, he felt
himself hardly at liberty to dwell upon, because it was
connected with a subject at present under negotiation
with foreign powers,—he meant the joint commis-
sion respecting the slave trade. Here we under-
stood the Honourable Member to say, that the
slave trade had been repressed on one part of
the African coast, but that it raged with undimi-
nished violence in another part. Sierra Leone was
at so considerable a distance from the present scene
of the slave trade, that the vessels captured for being
engaged in the illicit traffic, had to pass in seven
years, an average of 260 days under a tropical sun,
and to traverse an average distance of 790 miles.
The consequence was, that before the vessels arrived
at Sierra Leone, one half of the liberated slaves died
on board. The other half were in such a state of
disease, that a considerable portion of them died
before adjudication, and those who survived were
untit for active exertion for a long time after. It
had been suggested that the adjudication courts
should be removed nearer to the scene of the slave
trade, and Fernando Po had been pointed out as a
convenient place for their establishment. The pe-
riod had now arrived when it was necessary to take
the whole subject into serious consideration. It
was the opinion of many persons that the establish-
ment at Sierra Leone should be wholly abandoned,
whilst others thought that it ought to be maintained
at any cost. He would go so far as to state, that
if it were possible by any means whatever to im-
prove the settlement and render it efficient, he
should wish it to be maintained. The Hon. Mem-
ber then moved for various extracts from the cor-
respondence of the Colonial Government respecting
the treatment of liberated slaves on their arrival at
the colorsy ; also respecting militia corps in the
colony; also for returns of the number of vessels
employed on the western coast of Africa since 1815,
with the number of deaths that occurred in each,
nod how occasioned, &c.
Mr. W. SMITH said, that if the Hon. Member
had seen the papers for which he moved, he might
perhaps have spared some of the observations which
he had made.

Sir G. MURRAY said, that it appeered to him
extremely proper that a full investigation should take
place as to these settlements, and all circumstances
connected with them. The colony was chiefly esta-
blished with the view of introducing, nut only civili-
zation, but all the habits of trade and cultivation in
those districts. It was n fit object of inquiry, whether
the want of success hitherto imputed to those esta-
blishments was derived from peculiar circumstances
connected with the locillities of the settlement, or
whether the blame of failure rested any where else.
He was of opinion, that if any part of the blame
rested with the Government, the Government should
have its full share of it. Peculiar misfortunes had
attended these colonies.. Many men distinguished
by their ability, zeal, and good intentions, had suc-
cessively been sent out to administer the Govern-
ment there, and, unfortunately for the public service,
all those men (with the exception of Sir Charles
Niacin.' by, who received death from the hand of the
enemy) fell victims-to the climate. The Hon. Mem-
ber had alluded to the disadvantagesresulting from the
position of Sierra Leone, with respect to liberated
Africans rescued from the vessel; carrying on the
slave trade. The Hon. Member had correctly
stated the great disadvantages resulting from the
length of the voyage the ships had to pursue after
capture, the effect of which was that sickness was
found to prevail, after landing the unfortunate victims
of the cupidity of the slave trader. It was fitting
that all those disadvantages should be obviated it
possible; and, as the means of dig so, it had been
proposed to establish the mixed—commission at
Fernando Po instead •dSleria Leone. The former
place was certaiAlf,nvyanlyAsarer.- the spot where
the chief captaret..**Oriade,. but- it would place
the commission ifi -a situation Where- they would
have a better proaect of common eating with the
igto.;jor of Afri so to ieivt ucinQ by that means

latfion at the
of

embers of u
of religious
sally, was
t body for

ishes
Corn

a on this
subjec6 he object
was to have dr .cn. In stating
this, he meant that the be gradually
effected by the gradual removal of those restrictions
which had grown up with this vicious system, and
which had failed to answer the purposes for which
they were intended. The Hon. Member then ad-
verted to what had been said a few days ago on the
subject of free trade—that we had a very large por-
tion of the working classes unemployed, and a large
capital, which, if invested in manufactures, would give
employment to those classes; and yet neither our
manufacturing power nor our capital were productive,
because under the present system neither could find
proper employment ; and he contended that the cause
of so extraordinary an anomaly was a matter deserv-
ing strict investigation. Could any thing, he asked,
be more important than to give a solution to this
enigma? He was not bound to assign the precise
causes of the very artificial situation in which the
country was now placed in every way. He was not
bound to point how far that situation had been pro-
duced by the effect of taxation—to what extent the
changes in our currency might have caused it, or
how far it was ow:rig to the Corn Laws. The
fairest way, he thought, was to attribute it to the
operation of the three causes together. The lion.
Member,after observing that we ought not now to
endeavour to retrace our steps in all we had done, or
to attempt remedies which were out of our reach, but
to apply ourselves to what was really practicable, went
on to notice the vast increase which had taken place
in our manufactures within the last seventy years,
our manufacturing classes having within that time
risen to a .degree of greatness unexampled among
nations, and unequalled by any other classes in the
country. The result was to place the greater part
of the world dependent upon us for manufactures,
those parts at the same time supplying us with the
raw material. Having thus so large a portion of
our population for a long time engaged in manufac-
tures, we could not now throw them. back for sup-
port on the other classes of the community ; our
duty the*efore was to adopt such measures as, by
again opening a demand for our productions, would
give them the means of supporting themselves. To
see the effect of the change that had been made in
lour system, he would curry the attention of members
back to the half century preceding 1765. During
that period England was a corn exporting country,
and on the average of those years sent forth annually,
about 215,000 quarters, thus coming into compe-
tition with the corn of Poland in Holland, and often
underselling that of Dantzic in the foreign market.
' The average export from Dantzic in the same time
did not exceed 83,000 quarters annually. From the
great increase in our manufactures, it became neces-
sary to import corn to feed our artisans, and in re-
turn we sent out the produce of their labour. Now
it was clear that anj change in our system with
respect to corn, which tended to narrow the means
of employment among the manufacturers, must, as
a matter of course, reduce them to distress. He
would show how this had been done. There had
been from 1773 to 1793, and from that period, with
very little interval, till 1815, virtually a free
trade in corn ; but at the latter period the decrease
in the manufactures commenced, and m the same
degree the improvement of the agricultural interest
rulvarteed. The lion. Member here entered into
,wveral calculatioal to show, that while the trade