The Sun.
London, England, 1818-02-13 00:00:00

LITERARY REVIEW.

A VIEW of the present Increase of the SLAVE TRADE,
the Cause of that Increase, and suggesting a mode for
effecting its total Annihilation; with Observations on file
African Institution and Edinburgh Review, and on the
Speeches of Messrs. Wilberforce and BrOughatu, delivered
in the House of Commons, 7th:July, 1817; also, a Plan
submitted for civilizing Africa, and introducing free
labourers into our Colonies in the West Indies. By
RonEwr MOurn, Esq. LL. D. lake Chief Justice of Sierra.
Leone, and Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court in that
Coleny.—Lungwan, Hurst, &c.

(Continued from Tui SUN of February 7.)

The recent discussion of. a subject so interesting
to humanity,, in all ages, as that which gave occa-
sion to the present work-, has induced us to resume
our attention to it, which we shall continue to do,
as often as occasion permit-9. The subject is con-
sidered in this work in all its bearings, and is not
the effect of speculative theory, but of much
practical knowledge, derived from acute observa-
tion and extensive experience.. In this i:especl'the.
Author poss,...sses an advantage over most of those
who, r'ilatcycr their abilities may be, or however
pure and laudable their intentions, haie not had
equal opportunitiesof viewing the subject with such.
ample scope, and with such an illustration of hn-
porkant facts. Among other powerful means to-
wards a remedy lot' the extinction of this detesta-,
hie tratlic, the 'Author proposes that all persons
concerned in the Trade, should be prosecuted as
pirates.' •

" England cannot supply a fleet to guard the
coasts of Africa. of the Brazils, of South Ame-
rica, Of
Mnexico,d of the West Indies, of the ka
Sea,. of adggasear, of the Mauritini, of the In-
dian Archipelago, and the Pacific Ocean; for in
all these plates the Slave Trade is carried on, and
in most of them a 'Contraband trade will be eonti-.
nned, after all the Powers in the world shall have
declared they hare abolished it. •
" If nineteen out of twenty vessels' did escape,
while the right of search existed, how many more
may sail unmolested when that right.has become
extinct by peace It the profit was great when
slaves were easily procured,. how much greater
twist it be as the difficulty of obtaining them
increases, and the demand tor thein becomes. aug-
mented'? If the emolument would be sufficient
(as I have shown) though nineteen, vessels out of
twenty'were taken, what must the temptation to
pursue the trade "become, when ninety-nine out
of a hundred must escape ? Let us -next suppos.e a
vessel 'seized • with slaves ; unless she is British
property, „it.does not devolve on England to libe-
rate, confiscate, or AO punish ; is it probahle,
then, that the nation under whose flag she was
navigated (a nation perhaps long engaged in,
highly benefited by,. and who had reluctantly re-
signed the trade) will he induced to indict such
otemplary punishment, as to prev'ent a repetition
of the crime ? Or is it not probable she will wink,
at the faith, and connive in its continuation ?
How futile then, to imagine it can he extermin-
ated, or that the trade will not be actively perse
vered in; unless pronotinced to be contrary to the
law of nature arid nations, and- all persons con-
cerned in such trade denounced as pirates ! I have
presumed to repeat this from an anxiety to pro-
duce an impression. •
• " We have the same arguments to support such
an anathema for the protection of every human:
being, as are used to justify the decree establish.- •
ing the Barbary corsairs to be pirates. We ac-
knowledge that God is no respecter -of persons;
he has treated the blood of all human beings so
accurately of the same weight, heat, and colour,
as to preclude distinction; he has tinged the mor-
tal skin with such minute shades of difference,
.as
to perplex an acute Observer, in passing through
the varied chine from Calais to Calabar; he has
formed the mind and body equally sensitive, whe-
ther covered by a skin of the purest white or the -
deepest black ; the feelings and affections of the
Africans are exquisite ; they venerate their mo-
thers, they have the warmest attachment to their
children, and in bondage they eoart, death to con-
vey them to the kingdom of their fathers."

COMPLETION OF TH &GREATEST PEDIF.STRIAN PER-
FORMANCE EVER RECORDED.

The 600 miles in ten days, at which task Mr.
Went worth, an Oxfordshire yeoman, 'failed, on
the 29th ult, after having performed 456 .miles in
eight days, was completed. on Wednesday night, at
eleven -o'clock, by Mr. Howard, at Knaresford,
who walked over a two-mile piece of ground,
IVentworth having engaged to touch on 16 contitieS.
This match is bevoiHi the compass of .the powers
of any horse, and nothing like it has ever before
been recorded of than. The pedestrian .finished
his work•well on the first. six days, and. he had
clone 390 miles (30 more than his ground). On
Sunday he began to flag with 'swollen-leg, but be
did 56 miles. He was 18 hours doing 57 ni►les on
Monday, and bathing had eased him in. some
measure. On Tuesday he was- 19 hours perform-
ing 52' miles, and he was not expected to be able
to go on the last day from excessive fatigue. He
had 45 miles- to win.the match, and he started at
two in the Morning, proceeding at first under
three miles an hour. • At four o'clock r. M. he
-went to bed, having done 31 miles. He had 14.
Miles to do in eight hours, and he rose again at
seven o'clock, 'and won the match soon after
eleven o'clock, distressed in a manner not easily
to be described. It was for 200 guineas.

SHOCKING MATHS By BuitNlNG.—wennmay
Mrs. Mary Porker, .aged 76, residing at Horner-
ton, Hackney, sitting in her apartment reading,
by some accident her clothes caught fire through
a spark flying out of the grate ; she-was burnt in
,
dreadful.st Wanner, and died shortly afterwards in
the greatest
gony.--;.-Tursday a fine boy, John
Prudence, aged five years, was left with his
brother, not much older than himself, playing in
(heir parents' parlour; by some accident the
child's linen clothes caught fire, and he was
shockingly burnt ; he was taken to the Londob
Hospital, where he expires' in the greatest, pain.

POLICE INT-ELLIGENCE....

MURDERS AT GREENWICH.-
THANES POLICE.—YCitentaY• Mr. Eclatonto",
of %Yapping, .aiid his '-nepliewatterided at this
Office, and gave 'the following information,
They stated ~that about 8 o'cloCk on §°['cleYe'
morning_ last, as they were 'waiting ' for a b°B
in order to cross the water from Elephant„stairsi
near Deptford, a man of middling stature, &rose('
in a light green, coat, light lustiln
light hair and whiskers, with two fingers on °ne•.
hand, but which they could not tell,
and bad' the
appearance of a bricklayer, came and asked the
Waterman when he was going to crosS? The water-
man answered directly; the man replied, it might as
%veil be in a fortnight, and went away in great haste
he appeared either drunk, mad, or much On:,
fused; he had both his hands in his ir'ocket"-
the time, but on turning round to go away he
took them out, when witness observed they weref.,
all over blood, and likewise the pocket holes n
his coat, and his clothes had 'several. spots °f
blood,; the blood was dry, and appeared to hore•
been on him for some hours. The waterman
noticed the same circumstance, but not hearing of
the murders of Mr. Bird or his Housekeeper, they
permitted him to proceed, otherwise he should have
stopped him. On his return home to bis
at %V apping,he mentioned the-ciretunfitance,but af"
ter hearing of the dreadful murdersat Greenwiehibr
was induced to lay the present information,. 9113
he has not the smallest doubt, from the' time a"
circumstances of the case, but that the man W-25 91„e
of the murderers, and he could positively stirea-r: , 1
'i,
hint ; by his manner of acting, he imagined tnea.:
he had other persons in waiting for him, as!ierks
turned the same way he came. One of the Citrh'l
e:
triok down a full description of .his dresi,
Offices were ordered to exert their utmost "0.
lance for the purpose of his apprehension.
SHADWELL.—In consequence of information re:,
ceived at this OfEce, that a man Of very suspicion'
appearance (having a great quantity of hlooo - Oil
los,apparel) was' seen in the neighbourhood
Dockhead, IVeald and Hewit, two active olcer9''
were immediately dispatched in that direction, it..!
order to apprehend him. On arriving there, they
found, he had been gone for some time, bps after
a very strict inquiry, they traced him as far as.
Lewisham, where they succeeded in apPrelliel:%„,
ing him. On searching him, they loon°
clothes all stained with blood ; they conveyed
in Mr.Birn, jun.'s carriage, in which they travelled
to the White Hart, at Greenwich, where
one of the Magistrates belonging to thin
office, and Mr. Mallet, the Chief Clerk, ,were
attendance along .with other 'Magistrates, whel,
the prisoner underwent a very.strict examination-
On heingfasked how his clothes became so bloodY'
he showed them a wound on his hand, which 10
received in an affray, which was the cause a 'he
blood' on his clothes; and bringing satisfactory
proof as to that statement, and ‘l. 4)e r e he had heel
at the time•thc-miirder wascommitted, he was °
course discharged.
UNION-HALL.—The' officers (May, Goff, and
Halo itecived 'such information as will tn°4
probably lead to the apprehension of the'
derers of 'Mr. Bird awl Mary Sim-Month. Tbe
persons suspected (who have absconded) Are amerl'
Brat ; the cause why they are sitspected th't
they hAve a sister who was some time sinCe in 11"ril
service of Mr. Bird,w.,toto they occasionally use';
to visit at the deceased's house, and are s„opose"
to have a knowledge of the premises. They urn
also.snspected‘ of various robberies comMitted in
Kent and Surrey; along with a noted character
now in custody. Yesterday the mother and sista'
of the'l3tays were examined, but their examine
tioa threw no light on the horrid transaction.

DR. IVATSON, AND A MYSTERIOUS BUNDLE•

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.--A Sr. Anne's Cotr
stable sought advice. how to act respectiogb!
bundle which had been left at St. Anne's ws,t.cr,
house, by the celebrated Dr. Watson, on
day evening. 'Floe Doctor stated at the tvact".
house, that he was passing through Soho-6(100T.;
on Monday night, on his way to procure .1°
Thistlewood, when he heard the cry of • 51°,21'
Thief!' and soon after be picked up a bundl"
which lie deposited at the watch-house. 11)4
Constable was desired to keep the bundle until tC
was claimed.

DREADFUL ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.—Wednef
day Join Byatt, a' shoemaker, residing, in New
ion-street, Holborn, after having 'a 4ifiarrel with
his wife, suddenly seized up his working kolles
and plunged it into his breast. A surgeon
fetched, Who dressed the wound, and immegialof
ordered hiM to be taken to' St. •Bartholotricw's
HOspital. He now lies in a very dangerous state.
ACClDENT.—Yesterday afternoon, a young "'°°,
tnan, in going across Holborn from the cud
Queen-street, was knocked down and run over:
by which she had her arm broken, and fecei,"'
several other bruises. The coaehinan was this:-
lug at a very furious rate, and- refuse-0 to scold
though called to, A yonng manAollowed en'
took his number.

Tuesday morning, at four'o'elock, there W2S au
alarming fire at the back- of the` nuke Beau''
fort's mansio4l, ire Grosvenor-square. The wrien"
man discovered the water 'trough, at tb•.! stabi4
door inia blaze, and the wood wr;rk was burnt t''
a cinder. ,There were eight valuable horses ici
the stable. It must have been the act of an in"
cendiary.