Star.
London, England, 1818-09-15 00:00:00

SIERRA LEONE.

It appears by the Sierra Leone Gazette.; to the 18th
of June, that this interesting Colony increases in
prosperity, and visibly improves in civilization. There
is not only a considerable increase in the commercial
relations of this infant settlement, but also what is
more desirable, a sensible amelioration of the morals
of its inhabitants. This may be proved, as it is in
the present instance, by the continual decrease of
criminal business at the General Quarter Sessions.
For the last three or four of these judicial sittings we
perceive that the calendar has become comparatively
'lighter, not only in the number of the accused, but
also in the magnitude of the offences. This diminu-
tion is, in a very great degree, owing to the active
and persevering exertions of the Governor and those
who immediately assist him in the administration of
1 justice. Amongst other new regulations lately plan-
ned for the better preservation of the laws, we cannot
omit to notice one which has already been produc-
tive of the most beneficial results. At the Sessions
held in May last it was stated by the Chief Justice,
the Hon. Edward Fitzgerald, in his address to the
Grand Jury. that a plan had been submitted to, and
approved of by the Governor and Council, which it
was hoped would, by affording immediate redress in
all cases of trivial aggression or fraud, put an end
to tho.,e constant broils and frauds engendered amongst
an irascible and ignorant people by any lengthened
delay in the settlement of their disputes. This plan
consisted in the establishment of an office similar to
our police offices, where one of the Magistrates was
to give daily attendance in his turn, with a power of
investigating all complaints, and of affording such
immediate redress as circumstances allowed. To any
one acquainted widr the charact&and disposition of
the African negro, fierce and impatient of any con-
troul whete he thinks he is injured, but mild and
tractable when he imagines that impartial justice
will be administered, this must seem a most wise and
salutary regulation ; and we are happy to learn, that
as far as experience has been had of it in the colony,
it has fully answered its object: for we find the Chief
Justice, at the ensuing Sessions, noticing to the Grand
Jury, in strong terms, the good effects which it had
produced; but this is still further proved by the state
of the then calendar, which only presented four per-
sons for trial, and these merely for assaults.
Among the other topics introduced in the course
of the address to the Grand Jury, connected with the
general economy of the Colony, the Chief Justice
also impressed on them, and through them on the
other principal inhabitants and heads of families, the
importance of tile duty of instructing their native
servants and those captured negroes who were in
their employment, in the English language, in a
more perfect manner than that in which they then
understood it. The English language was the me-
dium through which all other instruction was com-
municated to those persons, and an adequate know-
ledge of it would be found highly beneficial in all
matters of ordinary business, as well as in all cases
where such persons should have to give evidence in
trials at law touching matters of property, or mat-
ters of criminal justice. At present it but too often
happened that when a native who knew nothing of
English was brought before the Court, another na-
tive was brought to interpret between the Court and
' him, who spoke such a jargon for English, that it,
became necessary to call in a second interpreter, in
order to make the language of the first intelligible.
And by this two-fold interpretation the Court and
Jury had generally to grope their way, not only on
the most important cases of property, but also on
' the more awful trials of life and death. Now one
• part at least of this complication of difficulties might
' be removed by a more diligent attention on-the part

of the principal authorities and heads of families, in
giving a better knowledge of English to those em-
ployed about them as occasional labourers, atten-
dants, or domestic servants. The advantage of that
care would soon be felt, and if it was neglected the
injuries resulting from that neglect would become
daily more manifest and grievous.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1818.
THE FUNDS.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAT AT TWELVE O.CLO7K
Bank Stock shut-3 per Cent. Reduced shut—
per Cent. Consols 75i /—for Acc. 7511.
31 per Cent. shut-4 per Cent. shut
5 per Cent. Navy 10511—India Bonds 83 85 pre.
Omnium S disc.—Exchequer Bills 18 19 prem.
This morning the market opened very heavy, and
but little business was done : Consols commenced at
751, at which price they kept pretty steady.. The
Commissioners gave 751, and were served generally I
by the jobbers.
The Foreign Loans do not go down in the Money
'Market. The few persons who have been deluded
vai* hie prospect of great profit by their old friends,
the Jews, are now reaping the bitter fruits of their
credulity. In the City this morning Bonds of the
Prussian Loan were offered to pawn at 20 per Cent.
below their value, with an interest of .5 per cent. on
money to be borrowed for two months. Notwith-
standing this undoubted security, John Bull will not
bite, and no money chn be raised even upon these
atban:aa•eous terms.

The Paris Papers of Saturday arrived this morning,
The following are extracts:

PARIS, sp.PTEMBER 12.

We are assured that the Duke of Richelieu will not
set out for Aix-la-Chapelle until the 20th or 22d of
this month.

The depositions of the Captains of five ships, arrived
at Havre from Martinique, and the letters of health
which they received at the moment of their depaF-
ture, establish the distressing fact that the Yellow
Fever has re-appeared in that Colony. The Minister
of the Interior has in consequence put in force certain
sanatory measures, in virtue of which, until it shall
be otherwise ordered, all ships arriving from Mar-
tinique will be subjected to a-quarantine of 30 days.
The obsequies of General Kleber were celebrated
with great pomp, at Stra'sbourg, on the 7th inst.

French 5 per Cents. due from 202 d September, Fri-
day, 75 fr. 50 c.

AUGSBURGH; SEPTEMBER 4.

The thief who carried off the casket of the Arch-
duchess Louisa from Baden, has been discovered.

VIENNA, AUGUST 31.

The Archbishop of Aleppo has arrived here to im-
plore the protection of his Majesty in favour of the
Catholics of Aleppo, who are now experiencing the
most cruel persecution.
The plague unhappily spreads more and more in
Egypt, and many of the Islands in the Archipelago
are still suffering under its ravages.