Star.
London, England, 1824-03-17 00:00:00

140.111.45 T IGHTS GAZETTE.

BANKRUPTCY r.sr.Arxim.
14,n Perkins, Upper Thames-strcet, stationer, from March 2 to
May 11, a: eleven, at dm: Court of Commissioners of Bankrupts,
Basingliall-street.
. BANKRUPTCY SUPERSEDED.
Thomas Frectity, Acton, Midditses, carpenter.

NKRUPTS.
Thomas Boswell, Surrey-street, Strand, tailor, to surrender March
7.!.1, and April ,27, at twelve, at the Court of Commissioners
ut
.Isaukrapts, Basinghall-street. Attorney, Mr. Richardson,

\Valhi.°6k.
Joseph Underwood, Blrnwich, Staffordshire, =hater, April 6,7,
and 27, at eleven, at the Yoe Inn, Shrewsbury. Attorpies, Mr.
Foster, Liverpool ; or Messrs. Willis and Co. Tokenhouse-yard.
Wil!iam Callis Corrie, late of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire,
dealer bi lace, March 24, at six, 25, and April 27, at eleven, at
the hind Inn, Wellingborough. Attinnies, Messrs. Hodson and
Burnham, Wellingborough; or Messrs. Bridges and Quitter, Red
Lion. square.
Jos,•ph Berle, late of Waterloo road, stationer, March 23, April
to and 27, at eleven, at the Court of Contmissioners of Bank-
rupts, Attornies, , Messrs. Oriel and Leader,
Wormwood-street, Bishop:late-Area.

NATAL INTELLIGENCE.

ADMIRALTY OfFICE, MARCH 16.

reference to my letter of the 24th of last month, respect-
the convoy to Gibraltar, I am commanded by my Lords Corn_
t,,l,sioner: of the Admiralty to acquaint you, that no ship having
appeared for eonvoy,his 'Majesty's sloop PANDw.P.A has been ordered
to sail from Falmouth; but if their Lordships are informed at any
suture time that any inimber of ships are collected, a ship of war
be sent to convoy them.—l am, &c.

• (Signed)
Tu the Chairman of the Committee for
Managing the Affairs at Lloyd's.

JOHN BARROW.

A letter front Captain WimtauK, of the Potton, dated the 11th
cF October, mentions his safe arrival at Calcutta, without any notice
!:aving been on shore.

The Agnes, ItEco, bound to Liverpool, has been condemned at
.a,olerara, having sprung a kak.
Maser' 15.—Wind S.W.—Arrived the Champion
!-f Wales, Moasov, from London; hclina, WILDCOOSE, from ditto
-r Demerara ; Sisters, Ihsnor, from ditto for Naples, wick loss of
Sailed several coasters, bound round land.
FottiNtovrir, AIAILCII 16.—Wind S.W.—Sailed his Majesty's
P:2:1) CLueersvca, for Chatham. Arrived irons the Downs, the
Patriot, Bocc, for Cadiz; Richardson, Diegrassori, for
I'";9i:rn: Priscilla, alas, for Brest ; Sarah, .How, for New Pro.
vt‘l7.ce; and Sir Henry Stanhope, nASON, for St. Michael's.
DEAL, MA Ken W.—Arrived and remain, the Mary,
l!")110135 St. John's, Yew Brunswick. Came .down from the
:Ind remain, the Obi Maid, Ttim.r, for Sierra Leone; and.
C.INNV U., for Dominica. Two of-his Alajesty'a steam-
hwe atehr.rLd in the Downs from the Northward. ?le
i'•able: Si-11,.rougli, BATTY, from Rio Janeiro to liamburgly
h..:1 passed at the bat k of the Goodwin Sands.

lorg-expe,. red Novel of The Hiffhhurders," from
t‘to of the .Author of the Ilertnit in Lemann, Hermit Abroad,
"111 appear in a E-w days. If the Author displays as much
throin9mot his story, as he has shewn in his short Sketches of:
.31.-upers, he tn.:). uoticiptite the most decided traccess.
Li"! AND Sr. PATRICR!!!—Thi, being St. Patrick's
st.r,nid Day of Drawing of the Ste Lottery, and No.
b jut: the Prize, is entitled to no less than Three
". I*l scoo Consols, )1.1,000. Money, and tet:oo Consols.
1.•1, curious Prize vas SALI by liasH, 4, Cornhill, and 9, Charing-
(:•, is) Teo Sit:tires.
A i.,,,,t)er Ltunty Thonsand Pound Prize, Drawn this
snitt in Shares 'el IlAza an and Co. (No. 12,299),
hrt y
..n, oll•ai.ds already sold by them lei the first
pre-t la Lottery.
i't ctst at.-14:.ohen Martin and Defoe fotigkt t:est,ll•day at Moul-
t Y Itfat,, for 10ogs. The battle lasteti one hour and seven
1.4:4:11,)1111:g 'Z.I rounds, aild ought to have terminated d&
;:r"01, u. I..vour of bcfoe, but he threw it away: he gave Martin
~ I..st the battle, after having hen taken up by itlartin
':tie h r.mstl) by the hams, c thtuten to the groattd with
• 'elltiau.

PA RI, I AIENTA Rl' 11.1,10CEE D ENOS.
HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH a •
Petitions were presented for the Abolition of Slaver* front
Frome Selwood, by the Marquis of ; from Cerne and Sher-
burne, by the Earl of Dtaar ; trom the Inhabitants of Wellington,
!.y the Duke of WELLINGTON ; from Wollaston, and Hut ltetford,
by Lord CAWDOG ; and from numerous other places.
SLAVERY IN THE WEST INDIES.
The Order of the Da/ having been moved and read
by the senior Clerk,
Earl BATHURST rose.—lle commenced his obser-
vations by stating that he had now the honour of laying
on their Lordships table, by his Majesty's command,
some Papers which were referred to in the Lords Com-
missioners Speech on the first day of the present Ses-
sion, and these Papers were prepared in consequence
of the 'Resolution passed by the' House of Commons,
which he would *read to their Lordships.—(Here the
-Noble•Earl read the Resolution adverted to.)—lt now
became his duty to state to their Lordships what mea-
sures bad been adopted by his Majesty's Government
in consequence of the Reicilution of the other -Hobse
of Parliament. Two Circulars had, in consequence,
been issued with respect to the West Indian Colo-
nies ; one was dated 'the 28th of . May last, and the
second was issued on the 19th of July in the same year.
Of these recoMmendations on the part of his Majesty's
Government, thesubstance of the first aimed at the re-
ligious observance of the Christian Sabbath in those
Colonies; it was also in contemplation to elaOlidi the,
custom of whipping by proxy ; and, further, it -was
wished to abolish for ever all domestic kinds of punish-
ment, in relation to slaves, and in contradistinction to
what was considered, and very _properly so considered,
as judicial punishment. Another of the recommenda-
tions of his Majesty's Government related to Negro
marriages. • There was likewise a provision for the
power of willing, or bequeathment, of property on the
part of such slaves. To these advantages were super-
added the saving power of manumission, as it re-
spected masters, and the taking. in certain cases, and
under clear distinctions, the evidence of slaves in civil
and in criminal cases. Such were the regulations which
Government !fad proposed- for the consideration- of the
Colonial Assemblies; and if any of their Lordships
were of opinion that his Majesty's Ministers had gone
too far, though right in theory, he had, nevertheless,
the_satisfaction to state those instructions and regula-
tions had "been received Aith deference by the great
body of the West India Planters ; it was true, however,
that tin distinct proposition had actually been accepted,
though it was admitted, at the outset, that all our pro-
positions were in themselves well worthy of conside-
ration. if, on the other hand, there were among their
Lordships those who thought that his Majesty s Go-
vernment had not gone far enough, he could only say,
that he believed. that no recommendation of- the Im.
.perial Legislature had been unattended to. Witt• re-
spect to the great majority bf the Colonial Legiilative
Assemblies, it should be understood by their Lord-
ships that our propositions were still under conside-
ration ; and althoug-h those Assemblies might have
erred with respect to certain points, he still hoped that
some measures which his Maje.ty's Government had
recommended would be adopted. He should deceive
their Lordships, if, during this statement, he ventured
to suppose that the recommendation of Government
would, in all cases, be adopted in its details; yet, ex-
cepting the Islands of Barbackes and St. Christopher,
which were left freely to choose their allotment, there
were no apprehensions to be feared. With respect to
St. Lucia, Tobago, and Dominicarit was to be.appre,
hended that these Islands might feel opposed to the
measures which were recommended for their adoption.
With respect to the House of Assembly in Jamaica,
that. Body was likely to adopt the greater part of the
recommendations addressed to them. With regard to
Tobago, it should be recollected that the Legislature
met only in July last, when, however, they adopted
several of the recommendations and resolutions proposed
by his Majesty's Government; and when they-separated,
they separated under an idea, that if they once adopted.
all the resolutions, then they were pledged to the utter
extinction of all slavery; and this feeling was distinctly
to be attributed to the ill-advised opinion of some of their
friends in this country, who maintained that to mitigate
was no other than to abolish slavery. With respect to
St. Virieent, here the proprietors had declined to
comply with the recommendations which .were sent
out, and referred to a 13111 passed two years ago for
the amelioration of slavery in that Island, 4nd they
'thought, naturally as to themselves, that they had
already done quite enough; but he trusted that from
what had been done beforehand 4‘y that Island, which,
he must say, considering all the circumstances, was
greatly to their credit, as being done without the least
compulsion; when a more temperate view of the sub-
ject was taken, the truth would prevail. But it was
proper to State what had passed in Jamaica, as the in-
temperate manner in which the House of Assembly had
met the resolutions of the fkuse of Commons was
matter of public notoriety: But he hoped for better
things whenever the opponents of amelioration came to
a temperate view of the subject. Nor would-it be doing
mere justice to the subject, were their Lordships not
reminded of the language held in the other House re-
• specting the comparative ease of slaves resident in Eng-
land and in America, and when we were twitted with
• the 'sapient remark that our treatment of the slaves was
nothing in -comparison with that of the United States.
• Bat how stond the fact? Why, in point of fact,- their
Lordships Woald find that there was no limitation of
-lashes on slaves in the municipal rude of America ;
arid as to killing a slave, or making away with him, the
punishment of the 'mister was nuthing more than a fine
and imprisonment. Slaves were /logged 'in America if'
they happened to be absent after sunset ; en slave was
suffered to carry a cane about him ; and lastly, if any ,
slave happened to look disrespectfully at his master
or even that master thought proper to construe it into
disrespect, he was subjected to the punishment of
dogging in the United States. Now, he would say,
let their Lordships but compare the American code
with our. Weal Indian, and he vas confident that
they would feel rather proud at the contrast. Con-1
vinced that there had taken place a very great im-
provement in the treatment of our colonial slaves, and-
satisfied that this amelioration had proceeded from prin-


ciple, rather than fr.smThiterest in the owners Of them,
the result was, that much greater care was taken of the
children born of slaves, and the aged or destitute sick
.were provided with hospitals. Thus, far Irons restins,
for amelioration of. slavety on the process of legisla-
tion, so far from appealing to the laws lot the protec-
tion of slaves, he was dually of opinion that in toasty
great instances the humanity of individuals had nun nn
the proceedings of the Legislature; and indeed it was
absurd to legislate where it was imposkible to
.ere-
cute the laws without the risk of overturning the Cou-
stitutian of a St:rte....What he therefor,: disliked Hey the
contemplation of all extremes, for the extreme of sight
verged to the Precipice of wrimg. In saying this, let
not Noble Lorchs misunderstand him: he never meant
to assert that this 'country had no power over her.
islands; we had, on the contrary, the full power to re
gulate their commercial relations—to insist t:n the pro-
portion which should or should not be paid : but ia these:
exertions of lawful power, we must look always to that.'
practicable forbear :ince which constituted the highest
recompense of statesmen in the result Of their efforts.
Letters had been dispatched to various settlements, and
it was very far from his wish gratuitously to expose out
Legislative-Colonial Assemblies to the bitter teproach
of asking ho is this Power which adventures tot
interpose between us and our. Government ?" I le ti usted
that within the space of four mcoriss an Oialer in Coun-
cil would reach annerara, embodying the whole of the
regulatioirs sent out by Government. Such an Order
had been approved by his Majesty on Wednesday last,
and was to be found in the papers laid upon the table:
of the House. lfy this Order of the King in Cs.uncil,
full prov.ision.was made for the appointment of an Of-
ficer, to be called the Guardian Protector of Slaves, to
whom, of course, the execution of the resolutions of Go-
vernment were entrusted. By one regulation Al com-
pulsory.labour
:on the Sabbaths was prohibited. The
three next provisions related, in.the first instance, to the
abolition of the punishment of whipping, on account of
the uses to which it might be applied by the man, him-
self a slave, to whom the punishment was entrusted, when
no white person was likely to be present to watch the in-
fliction, and therefore it was apprehended that some.
barbarous and arbitrary use might be made of rt. The:
next prohibition went to interdict the flogging of all
female slaves, which he considered as most brutal; and
accordingly the • recommendation was received with
great satisfaction in this country ; but, and he was sorry
to say so, it was different in the West Indian Colonies,
the landlords of which, though abhorring the flagella-
tion of female slaves, all deprecated the doing soon
away with that which inspired them with salutary ter-
ror; for in Demerara, for example, the notion that the
punishment was done away as it affected the female.
slaies, bad caused great disorders there. Females were,,
however, still liable to be put into the stocks, even at,
Trinidad, and to imprisonment. The neit provision
was for he punishment of the male slave+optilatiouol
the %Vest Indies in twenty-four hours, under due regu-,
lotions ; the punishment to be limited to twenty-five
lashes ; no second sort df punishment to be enforced:
while lacerations were perceptible from the first ; and-;
even the first infliction to be taken in presence of a white,
person. Besides this, the number of lashes so inflicted
were to be put down in writing, together.with the na-•
ture of the slaie's offence; the whole to be transmitted
for the inspection of the Guardian Protector. of Slaves.
He had now reached that part of thesubje4 in relation
to the comforts of the slaves, particularly wish respect
to marriage, when the facility of license was provided ;
andif disputed by the master, the latter might be cited
before the Commandant, who had power, on hearing
the parties, to issue a license to the offici rting. Minister
to render an account of such marriage, when required
so to do. The next measure went to provide, that in
slave-sales the husband should never be separated
(rom his wife, nor both from their children if under the
age of seven years; but that in such circumstances they
should aggregate one lot. In addition to •chese provi-
' sions, measures were recommended for the security acrd
transfer of negro property, and for bequeathing the
same. The next measure was for the manumission of
slaves, in which instance the fee was henceforward to
be paid by the State, the slave being at all times capa-
ble of purchasing, if in his power, the freedom of his
wife, his children, or his own sister. It was.not, how-
ever, at present his intention to go through all the pro-
visions recommended by.his Majesty's Garet nment for
the amelioration of the condition of the colonial slaves;
but those slaves were, notwithstanding all their difficul-
ties, to be most satisfactorily dealt with. This brought
their Lordships at length to the admissibility of the evi—
dence of slaves; and here, the first step towards such
admission must necessarily be under the presentment of
some certificate from the officiating Minister Ofreligion,:
who should certify the slave's competency and creditns
to giving his or her testimony. Limitations were, how-
ever, most necessary. Where, in civil cases,' the inte-
rest of the master was immediately concerned, there,
would be a needless exposure of both parties. Evi-
dence might be taken from slaves in criminal cases, ex-
cept where the life of a white person was in jeopardy.,
He did not mean to say that the oaths of a slave was in,
'any case to be conclusive of the matter at issue between
the litigating parties; let the oath be regulated by the
maxim Valera quantum valet. The Jury. could decide
upon:that oath as upon all others, by the manner of the
person giving evidence, and in the case of the slave,
there was an opportunity afforded forenthely ;ejecting
his oath, namely, if he could not produce the cestifi
cite of an authorised person that he understood the
obligation imposed on him by an oath, and that he was
a pet son of good_moral character. His
,Alejasty's (it)-
] vernment had thought it right to give some ps iviiege in
this respect to the slave; but they on the other hand
thought, that. without curtailing that privilege in the-
way -in which he had just had the honour to.state to
their Lordships, they would not have done anything to
wards furthering the ends of justice. He was afraid he
had taken up (ruire of their Lordships' timealran insight
tie thought necessary, in going through the detail 01
the provisions of these orders—(l/eqr, bear)—but-feeb,
ing the importance _of the question, he thought it his
Juty 'tn put their Lnroships in possession of, all the pro-
- visions. Having made this statement, he would now
a.k those who looked with the greatest jealousy at the
• , - : . .

condition of the slaves in the West India Colenies, and
who considered that liis Majesty's Government had, in
the robe!. House t f Parliament, pledged themselves to
the amelioration of the slaves, whether that pledge had
not been now to the'faliest practicable extent redeemed?-
--:-(llear, hear, from both sides of the I louse.)—There was
doodler measirre to vs !rich he should log leave to call
the xtte.iiiin of, their Lordships-3 ineasine which, in -
his oci•i;cm, wa, more necessary, aad !setter calculated
fiu the improvement of the slave population, than many
of the provisions to which he had had the honour of di-
recting their Lordships' attention— he meant the measures
adopted for the religious instruction of the slaves. It
Was hardly necessary for him to state to their Lordshipt,
that our whole Ecclesiastical Establishment in the West
Indies was most lan?entably deficient, whit reference to
the duties which it was now considered necessary that
they should per form, namely, religious. instruction of the
slave pop:dation—Wear, hear)—and when he acknow-
ledged this, he must at the same time acknowledge, and
it was s ith feelings of shame he made the acknowledg.
mint, that when these establishments were made, they
were made without reference to the slave population ;
indeed, he might say, that the state of the coloured in-
habitants of these Colonies was not taken into` account.
Notwithstanding this state of things, he was happy to
say, that the Christian feelings and Christian spirit of
the inhabitants of Great Britain had given rise to a va-
riety of religious societies, who sent out to the West In-
dies Missionaries, through whose instrumentality great
-portion of the slave population was indebted for Chris- -
flan instruction. There were at present in the West In-
dies a Church of England Establishment, Missionaries
from a society instituted for the propagation of Chris-
tian knowledge, and from a society formed for the con-
version of the negro population. Tire two first of these
establishments were -for the general instruction of the
inhabitants. of the West Indies,
.but the latter society, at
the head of Which was the Right Reverend Prelate the
Bishop of London, devoted its efforts entirely to the
conversion of the negroes.. There were, besides those
persons, Missionaries from the Moravian, Wesleyan,
and other dissenting societies. To all those societies
the 'country was. indebted for their exertions to afford
religiars and moral instruction to the slaves ; but when
it was 'admitted that the religious instruction of the_
slave population was a matter of great importance to
this country, he thought it was not fitting that the exe-
cution of such an object should be left to depend upon
the casual and voluntary exertions of individuals—upon
the exertions of irrespcnsible agents—(hear,
He therefore wits of, opinion, and he trusted their Lord.-
ships would also be of opinion, that our Ecclesiastical
Establishrneat in the West Indies ought to be strength-
ened, more extended, placed upon a stronger hold, and.
that'the discipline of the Established 'Church ought to
Ibe more extensively introduced. To effect any altera-
tion in the Morals of the slaves, it was necessary in the .
first place to obtain,.hy religious instructions some con-
trail over their passions and their feelings, and thato
controul could not be obtained except by.a resident,
Clergy—( Hear, Ilea"). 'lt might he said that this had
• already- taken place, and that Clergymen, regularly.ora
dained, were residing there; and it was said that the-
Right Reverend Prelate had authority to ordain Cler-
gymen who might wish to take up their residence in.
the West Indies.. To that he would answer, that that.
Right Reverend Prelate had no such authority;
.but
even admitting that 'he had, such authority, he (Earl
Bathurst), than whom no man thought naore highly of
the pious and zealous exertions of that Right Re-
verend Prelate, would say that it was utterly impos-
sible for any Prelate residing in this country to, ade-
quately disclia•ae the duties of a Prelate placed at the
head of a Church Establishment in the West Indies.
It was therefote necessary to have two Bishops in the
West Indies=-one in Jamaica, and the other in the Lee-
ward Islands, because, froth peculiar circumstances, a
Bishop resident in Jamaica would k as unable, to
discharge the duties for the Leeward Islands; as, he,
would be if he were resident in this country. It was
also proposed to have in Jamaica one Archdeacon, and.
in the Leeward Islands two Archtleacont, and it was
further proposed to send out at the outset a certain
number of clergymen, to be sent to the d:fferent parishes
which were now calling upon the Clover nment for resit
dent:clergy meu. Those persons were to make a teport
of the slate of d- churches, &c. in the places to vvhielo
they might be sent, aod to point.out to theCovernment
such alterations as they might think proper. It was.in-
tended to place ill the hands of the Bishops the presen-
tation-to the livings which were now iu the hands of the
Governors of the various Colonies ; but it was, during
the continuance of the present Governors in othce,
thought unnecessary to take out of their hands this pre-
sentation, but merely to subject their nomination to the
approbation of the Bishops ; and after the expiration of
their respective Governorships, the presentation was to
be wholly vested in,the Bishops. As it would be part
of the duty of the resident clergymen to take particular
notice of the peculiar character of the slave population,
it was therefore necessary to establish schools, under the
controul of each clergyman, who, as it could oot be
'expected that he could, consistently o ith the discharge of
his other duties, attend to the routine duties cf a school—
(I./ear)—was to have teachers under his controul. It had
been observed, and with truth observed, about three or
four years ago, by a Noble Baron opposite (Rolland)
tlasit it was very desirable that slaves should be taught
the religion professed by their owners, managers, or over-
seers, because, if they were taught a differect religion, it
:might induce the slave to look upon Maisel! as consi-
.dered in the eye of religion an inferno' 'being. Ile agreed
with the Nab!e Baron to the prop; iety such a system,
'because 'it was to be hoped that owners, overseers, or
'managers mould look with less jealousy upon religious
instruction, when administered by persons of their own
:persuasion. Besides.which, he thought a great advano
tage toiglit be derived by the.slave and the master from
!,attending at the same place.of worship, because a corn-
f—mu(lnlitiyar,ot
fk.esavteit.i_shNi,piliwaswoalunidtobleiegetiettliatilylc.it7eolll
ey
fifee
jeallit
two
the master and to theslave. -By uniting the high and
the low, the rich and the poor, in one emotion form of
prayer, men weir- taught at the time to confess that
equality cl which all men were, at sane hours of their
to entertain too .strong a doubt-ot/Itlr); but
•

. •

, .