Star.
London, England, 1824-07-21 00:00:00

THE FRENCH' COLONIE&

In the French Chamber of Deputies; on Saturday last,
the article of the Colonies formed the subject of debate.
From the report, with which the papers of Sunday are
nearly filled, it appears that the French planters are not
only no less hostile to any suggestions for ameliorating the
condition of the negroes than some of our colonists are,
but that they are protected in their violence by the local
Authorities and the Government at home. On the ro•e
for Martinique being proposed, Benjamin Constant ob-
jected to the appropriation of 70,000 francs for that
colony. The ground of his opposition was maladmi-
nistration, by which the colony was rendered of no value
to France, and in the course of his speech he brought
forward charges of oppression and injustice against the
Courts and the Governor of that island. A few copies
of a pamphlet recommending the amelioration of the
condition of the West India slaves, which was published
in Paris, having reached Martinique, was made a pre-
text for the persecution of all persons supposed to be fa-
vourable to the view of the subject taken by the author.
The enemies of amelioration addressed a remonstrance
to the Governor, in which they declared that the inha-
bitants of Martinique were determined at all risks to
maintain the existing legislation. The Governor, in-
stead of indignantly rejecting this defiance, replied that
the disturbers of tranquillity who had clandestinely in-
troduced certain pamphlets should be prosecuted. A ge-
neral search was ordered, and, besides the pamphlet th-
ready mentioned, some copies of a speech of M. Laisne
de Villeveque, on coloniar slavery, which the Chamber
of Deputies had ordered to be printed, were found. In
consequence of these discoveries, 1,500 persons were ar-
rested, of whom thirty-seven were sentenced to trans.
portation, and three to the gallies for life. The sentence
was immediately executetl, without allowing the parties
an appeal, their application for reference to the Court of
Cassation having been refused by the clerk. One of
the persons ordered to be transported was a man of
seventy, who, in his despair, was on the point of com-
mitting suicide. His case was thought hard, and by the
way of mitigation, his son was transported in his stead !
Another individual was transported instead of his bro.
ther I The persons thus severely dealt with, M. B.
Constant stated to be men of property, transported at
the instigation of their creditors. The printing of M.
B. Constant's speech was mo►ed, but opposed by M.
Dudon and others. M. Dudon defended the Govern-
ment of Martinique. He observed, that pamphlets and
speeches which were harmless in Paris, might become
firebrands in the colonies. The speech alluded to,
which was delivered at the close of a sitting, was
scarcely heard, and was only ordered to be printed in
consequence of one of those votes of courtesy which were
but too common. M. Dudon further insinuated that the
African Society had its instruments, not only in the Bri-
tish House of Commons, but in the Chamber of Deputies.
The Marine Minister stated that a conspiration, the
ramifications of which were very extensive, had been
formed in Martinique. M. Clermont-Tonnerre contra•
dieted the statement that a son had been transported in-
stead of a father, and a brother instead of a brother.
With regard to the appeal, the parties were not entitled
to it, except under the sanction of the Governor, ob-
tained within 24 hours after their sentence. The Gover-
nors of the French colonies have always had the power
of banishing or transporting, not merely persons of co-
lour, but whites. The Government had been pleased
to grant a relaxation of the law with respect to the men
sentenced to the gallies, and who are now at Brest.
Though they had no legal right to a reconsideration of
the judgment pronounced against them, the Court of
Cassation had admitted their appeal. The motion for
printing M. B. Constant's speech was rejected.