The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-04 00:00:00

HORRID TREATMENT OF A SLAVE.

Sir S. Itoutt.LY alluded to a transaction which,
had lately• taken place in the Island of St. Chris-
topher's, and which wets even more atrocious
than the cases to which he had called the at
of the House as having °centred at Nevis.
It would afford an additional proof of the neces-
sity of affording.soMe remedy for the mode of ad-
ministering criminal justice in the %Vest Imlies.
it appeared there had been in this case the grossyst
injustice committed, and he wished to draw the
attention of the House to the facts contained in
the papers he held in his hand. There was a
plantation called Hutchinson Estate, in the Isl And
of St. Christopher, •of. which:a Mr. Moriarty was
proprietor, and one Rawlins, a
,Reverend Gentle
Man, was the manager:. slave hall rho away
front this estate, but being: retaken, he was the
next day flogged, and Chained to • the hack of

another slave. In this situation, chained to the

other, he was afterwards brought out to work,
when he fell down from exhaustion. On this,
Rawlins ordered two drivers to flog-liiin severely,
and in 3 or 4 days afterwards he died, and was
.buried privately the same evening. The circum-
StallC?, however, coming to the ears of the Magi-
trates, they had the body dug up, and ordered a
Coroner's Inquest to sit on it ; witnesses and a
Doctor were examined ; it was proved that the
body was full of contusiotrs from flogging,
two of the teeth were knocked out, the. jaw
broken, &c. ; and yet, with all this evidence be-
fore them, the Jury found a verdict of " Dietrby
the visitation of God." Rawlins, however, was
tried and found guilty of manslaughter, when be
was fined 2001. and sentenced to three months'
imprisonment; Governor Probin had written
home on this subject, in consequence of an order
from Lord Bathurst ; but, though he admitted-
that the circumstance had fused him great un-
easiness, he had not thought it necessary to send
home copies of the depositions takeil before the.
Inquest. The Honourable and Learned Gentle-
man proceeded to comment on the cruelty of this

case and the verdict of the Jury, and contended,
that Rawlins should either have been found guilty
of murder or acquitted. -I-1c concluded with
moving fot Copies of the Depositions taken before
the Coroner's Inquest above-mentioned.
Mr. MAItaYATT abhorred cruelty as much as
any roan, but he thought the Hon. and Learned
Gentleman was too much in the habit of layittg
in4mciise importance on points of very narrow
foundation. He had not Mentioned that part of
the ii6vernor's letter which stated, that such was
the abhorrence in which Ratvlitts's conduct was
held, that no person bad since talten any notice of
him. Some of the facts had been-exaggerated,
for the slave who died had only been flogged once
instead of twice, by the order of Itavvlins. There
was no evidence of his having been tied down,
and no cries of pain or suffering were heard ; and
it was distinctly shewn by another slave, that nei-
ther the maniger nor the owner were present at
the punishment, which was inflicted by one of
the drivers. It was well known that negroes were
apt to complain of being sick when about to be
punished.
Mr. GOULBURN said a fete -words, which were
understood, to contain his acquiescence in the
motion.

Mr. GRANT reprobated the conduct ofßaWlins,
and observed, that there was no dotrbi., if the
charge could have been btought home to him,
he would have be<o•hanged. He ',vas undrstood
fleny, as on a former evening, that the instru-
ment of punishment was a cart-tv:ip, Clough
co.noton so called in the West Indies.
\\'‘ SN!ATH insisted that the instrument was

not only so callcil Iu ull the dispatches, but that
it actu Illy was a cart-whip. He could introduce
the very instrument, and he was quite sure it
would excite the feelings of the House. If it had
not b en for the information received from pri-
vate individuals these things would never have
been brought to light at all. There had been the
grossest barbarities committed, about which, till
instigated by individuals, Government had acted
with ailbost criminal forbearance.

Mr. %ViLBERPORCR made an interesting appeal
to the sympathy ot the House, imploring then► to
consider that the unfortionme Blacks on the
Islands being now recognized as free men were
equally entitled to justice and protection as our..
selves. The great misfortune of the Colonies was,
that their distance rendered it ditfcult to ohtdill
the attention of those in►erected in their welfare.
After Bowe comments on the cruelty of the case
now brought forwat d, he suggested that the Go-
vernors.of the Island,, as well as the Judges,
should be made independent, in order to place
them above all influence or colonial connexion.—
He said it appeared, froth communications he had
received, that tavola was shewn to this Rawlins
even before and after his conviction, and that he
lived in jail quite at his ease, receiving friends and
giving them entertaiun►ents.
After a few words in reply from Sir S. ItommLv,
tl►e motion was agreed to.