Star.
London, England, 1827-11-07 00:00:00

,COUfirOir Abs:llßALilr. Not:11;

This bring the first day of Term in the Maritime
Course, iand StowELL toot his stet at eleven o'clitit
and the Court Was opened with the usual f•rmahtier.
JOHN JOSEPH NIUNDrbI and CHARLES Tociatt were
'admitted and mow in Pi °MIS of this HoNoulable
Court.

IN THE NATTER OF THE SLAVE GRACE.
Lord Srowtu. gave his judgment in this case. The
venerable Ji.dge said he had hitherto invariaqy pro•
nouticed his judgment with his own voice, but he now
bound it necessary to devolve the pronouncing of the
judgment sin Dr. DODV)H, the junior Counsel in the

ease—. This was the more necessary, as his eyes were
unable to the task of reading a long and complicated
judgment.
Di. DODSON read the judgmen•. The case is one of
the most important which, perhaps, ever came before
the Court, as it involved the question, whether a slave

who once touches the British snore is thence After c

dered to be free? The judgment of the Noble Lord
entered m;nott ly into the facts of the case, tstfch have

been alreidy before the publk. The first two count.

of the chhsvie slid not at all ihoi hence the decision of the

Court, and wo,ild be at once di,missed. The third

count pleads that this woman, Grace, was exported

frorn•Xntigua to this country without the regular cet-
tifica.e necessary. on such occasion; and the fourth
count pleads that the laid Grace was forcibly bought
back to Aniigua, and there entered as a slave, without
cestifica,e of the same name which was requiteo
by the remit:aliens of the coloay. It appeared to. his
Lordship dr such • certificates were not necessity :lc
cording to hit view of the Act of iment : at least
not so op 'coming to this country. • 'fhe.fifth count
reamed Id' ter illegal detention in Antigu.i ; being m
free btltit subject of Great B item. This was liable to
many objectio"s; for what necessity had a freeborn
Baittsh qttsject to the credentials bete sought for, to the
credentials of slavery ? The process was only neces-
sary for the emancipaion of a slave. But then it was
'aid to b: contrary to the statute. To what statute he
would ask? to none that he could find out. • She sea,

- . -
described as a free-mourn sti4ject sailing from Great Bri-
tain, and could cot seek the remedies demanded by a,
slave. if the case depended on this fact alone, it must
be dismissed; but there was a still move important ques-
tion behind, which his Lordship would boldly come at.
His Lordship was the more induced to do this, as papers
had been submitted by hi. Majesty's Advocate General,
to his Majesty's Government, containing the facts of
the case. The case depende d principally on that of
Somerset (a slave), which bad been so much alluded to
in the arguments in this case. In that case, one of a.
similar nature, the then Attorney General and the So-
licitor General had decided, that Somerset might be
tent back by his master, and this was confirmed by Sir
Philip Yiak, the Chancellcir. But in 20 years after,
Lard Mansfield teemed that judgment, a:though he,
for three or four terms, avoided c.ming to the que.tioe.
This judgment decided, th:st masters had no controul,
over their slaves in England, nor could they send them
back without their consent. To this opinion the other'
Judges silently confotmed, and within 20 years as great
a change occurred on the subject as was said of the
Romans on another occasion, popu!us Romanus subito
alienus. Lord Mansfield has said, that" slavery was so
contrary to nature, that it must not be supposed to exist
any wh.re but by positive law." This opinion his Lord-
, ship could not acceJe to, for the foundation of most laws
oral ancient custom. and in this.coonstry villeinafte,
species of slavery, existed for a considerable time. There
were in this coon ry'two.species of 'class ; yilkins en
gros and vilkics regardans. Thus species of slavery was
not similar to that of the Al-Licari'; they were persons
of the same colour, and, after the lapse of some ye .rs,
public opinion operated to put an end to the system. It
was much to be lamented, when this occurred, that
Parliament did not by an enactment put an end to
all doubts on this subject, it any doubt existed.—
Lord Mansfield had, when pressed at length to pro
noance his judgment, confined himself to its applies-
Rion to this country, and left what related to the Colo-
nies as he found it, merely recommending that the mer-
chants would apply to the Legislature to settle the
question. It appeared to his Lordship favourable to
the persons charged, that no complaints had for fifty
years been made against the slave owners of this island;
for it; was scarcely possibly to suppose that cases of'
a native similar to this had not occurred. It had,
been said in the system of ancient villeinage, thatl
" once a freeman, a freeman for ever," and its goal
plicability to tbis case had been urged on the cond.
deration of the Court. But his Lordship was of opinion
that no similarity existed. Villeinage was confines' to
this couatry, and did not travel out of it; it had no re-
ference to foreign countries, and :elated only to the
service due from the.villein to his master. It, therefore,
coul.' not be contended that any similarity existed. His
Losdship alluded to several judgments in cases some-
what similar. Lord i%lotthirgion (Chancelloi) had de.
tided, as he (Lord Stowell) considered somewhat pre-
maturely, that the moment a slave touched English
ground he became free, and that if detained here by his
master he might obtain his discharge by habeas corpus.
,But the great difficulty in the case was, that it was
th %lit the law of this country abroga ed that existing
in the Colonies. His Lordship then reviewed the several
casei applicable to this subject. Those who contended that
t-slavei coming to this country should be ever after her,
•arere bound to show Ilia slaves, on their return from
England, were set free. It was also said that the cone
m u law must supersede all other s turns of law but a
po itive enactment for slavery ; but those who so argued
forgot that another great source of law existed, 'lamely,
ancient custom. which bad sanctioned the habit of
slavery in this Atchipelago of our West Indian pos.
sessions. It was said that slavery was a *alms usus
et abolendms est ; and this when it was sanctioned by
his Majesty's Privy Council in the hearing of appeals;
and by the Courts of law by the original hearing.
It was not till a late period of the last century
that it was pronounced incompatible with this country si
and his Lordship, therefore, could not as yet pronounce
it a maw usus abolendms est. The time might come
when its abolition should be demanded by the provosts
f opinion in the Colonies, as well as in this country.
But, at present. it had not as yet been so pronaunced,:
Several recent Acts of Parliament had sanctioned slavery
in the Col 'nits, and pronounced slaves as disposable as
any other chattel property. How could it then be said
that the law of England did not sanction slavery in its
West Indian Colonies? It that were a sin it was one in
which this country had borne its share, and the remedy
of which k should'also bear proportionately, not allow-
jog its feelings of charity to supersede its justice. Not-
•lthstanding the ex:rtions of serval eminent indivi-
in Is of thus country to accomplish the abolition cf
-slavery, they had hitherto been unavailing. His opinioli
was that such slaves, when brought back to their colo-
nies, aetestill in a state of slavery..
Atitt tt,e reading of the judgment,
Lord'Srowata. said it had expressed fairly his serious
opinion of the case, which was, that persons bringing

back kiveros loan 1. ire Oa* Imn ix! to maintain
diem. He-0411,140.7eoeiplii -eivraiss fie appeal, and
coo firm, the je.lmilint it the. Coui t below;. with costs,
Ind :edit tficeitte. '

Dr. Jes,san raid there lasi anothor question as to
iestitutin, which trevadd trader it aecessiry that the
cave sh, aid wat,factertuttett
Lord SrowiLL—Let it be so.

EDINBURGH, Nov. S.

• —r4oo"-- .
A tenet ha% lieen received tn- day from Dr. CHALMERS.
acceptink the litswofessor ship of Divinity in our Unisys sky;
ho', in costtequence of his previous engagements at St.
Andrew's, for the minter ses%ion. tie Learned Doctor
will be unable to commence his lectures het this season.

It is remarkable, that two ships, the Rattler, of Le'th,
and Pl•anix of Whitby, on their return heme, in the
middle of September, alter getting clear niche ice to the
west maul, in lat. 79. kilted in clear water ai many ash,
about four each, as made them bumper full.
Last week as a man was qua• Tying on a farm in the
pati It of At birlot, he accidentally came upon a round
stone, wl ich excited his curiosity. He accordingly
lbroke it with the view of examining it more tiartienlarly,
when, to his a.tonisbment, be found a living tod Indeed
tin its centre. 'Tne sides of the hollow or cavity in which
it was found were covered with an incrustation of
crystallized spar. Hat what renders the phenomenon
the more Singular it, that the back of the animal was
covered with a coat of the same substance. •
RoIIaNSON enutioc.—John k and Eepbeinia
Mackie, Selkirk's father and mother, were married 16511,
and lie was their seventh son, born 1678 ; John, his
e'de_t brother, married Margaret Bell, 1682; William,
their eldest son. was married 1712, to Elizabeth
Pearson ; and they all• inhabited one house by rota.'
tint. which is now the site of the Relief Make.
John, who was William's eldest son, was been 1714,
and married, 1736, Susan Adamson; afterwards mar-
ried Elizabeth Yule, my mother, in 1762. lam
alone the only male relation alive. I have in my ca►
tody S:lkirk's flip jug and cane, along withthecootieets
lof maul:get of tho e mentioned. On the jog these is
the following distich
When you me take on board of ship,
Pray fill me full of punch or ffp.
These elics may be seen by calling upon Jahn Selkirk,
teacher, Canoilmills.—Scotsman.
DALIeiNY.--The assemblage of people from the star-
rounding parishes was greater on Sundry than on any preceding
Sabbath since the suspension of Mr. Greig, it being understood that
there was an order of the Sheriff to put the Presbytery in possession of
the church. Accordingly, in due time the Sheriff Substitute mad. ids
appearance, and repaired to the manse, where be was joined by the
Reverend Mr. M'Call, minister of kluiravonside, the Gentleman
appointed by the Presbytery to officiate on the °tendon. In
the meantime two Sheriff facers hid,by the direction of thy Sheriff,
taken their station at the church door, with a seeming deternsioadat
to exclude all intruders, and to carry the *entente of the Alserir
into effect. While the congregation were anxiously waking the
result, the Sheriff- depute and Mr. 'Wean came from the manse
with the unexpected information that Mr. Orelg had promoted,
against 'the Sheriff's sentence, r suspension and interdict, pro.
Daunted by Lord hiedwyn, on Saturday at two o'clock, es as
application from Mr. Greig, said to be drawn by Counsel. but signed
by Mr. Greig himself. Tile principal grounds alleged by Sr.
Greig. brapplying for this suspension and interdict, were that the
interlocutor of the Sheriff had not been waved upon him, awe se-
messily, that tke...erbole.proceedings of the Presbytery against him
were informal, and ought, therefore, to he null and void. The
Presbytery, I: is said, are enjoined to give in dun. usurers Ofibin
six days. In consequence of this circumstance Mr. his Call, of
course, declined to officiate, and Mr. Greig proceeded with his lec-
ture and sronwra in the usual way. Among elbow prevent, before
the ringing of the bell, were ohwived the Marl of Hopetosa, Mr.
fends. of Duodaa, Sir David Wedderburn, the Sheriff-Depute of
Orkney, and many other Gentlemen, echo divulged when Inkiest!
of the interdict.—Caledonian Mercury.

THE NON HEARER.

• Austere and timely, cruel to himself,
" Did they report him."—Home.

In a sequestered glen in the Upper Ward of La-
narkshire stands the ruins of a co tage, inhabited, about
half a century ago, by William Witten, the last of
the Non-hearers, a sect whose very name is fast re-
ceding from oar view, but the principal features of
which are well worthy of being remembered.
Their strict celibacy, and other peculiarities, may be
regarded rather as grievances arising from the peeuliar
circumstances of their situation, to which they contain.
tiously submitted, than as leading dogmas in their
creed. They asserted that they were the only legitimate
representatives of the old Covenanters, and were Atigi-
nally the collected remains cf the suffering remnant,
into whose soulthe iron of persecution had entered most
deeply, adding a still darker hue to the austerity of their
Calvini►m, and whose morbid feelings were still fiirther
deepened by the final extinction of those hopes of ven-
geance on the matignants, in a hich they fondly, indulged
at the Revolution.

Wilson's meditations, composed in doggerel rhymes,
exhibit the piety of a saint, with the stern devotion of a
martyr, and show that he inherited no inconsiderable
portion of that seal which animated the heroes rf
Drumclogg and Bothwell Brigg. The echoes of Paddle
Wood have long slew undisturh-d by the ferient thanks-
givings for heavenly vi4iati•• ~ or perilous victories
ach:eved over the foul fiend by this doughty champion
ot the covenant ; but his fame still sur.ives in the sur-
rounding neighbourhood, and his prophetic annuntia.
lions of coming judgments on backslidden Scotland, ate
till hinted at in fetuful shispers by the pious spins:Ala
ot Douglas Water.

CORN RXCHANGR, MARK-LANE, Nov. 7..

Our supplies (2,500 sirs. of Wheat, 780 qrs. of Barleys 10.1130‘r0.
of Oats. and 1,550 sacks of Flour) being large, (Barley excepted)
the sale of all descriptions of Grain was extremely heat; this wow
in, and with difficulty kletiday'a prices were maititiked, for lee
samples of Wheat and Barley that was In abort supply was hot Meth
sought after. Oats were nearly unkleahle, the supply frees Ireffsed,
and what is still on its passage, being immense, have cussed& seek
'stagnation in the trade.

Between midoight on Saturday and nron on Sunday
sennight, the town of Sherborne was inundated M Many
parts horn the torrents of rain which fell in that interval.
In the cottages near the river, at the foot of Dancing gill,
ts. e water was four feet in height on thegioand floor,
and in ,everal houses in the town the water ran through
them like a mill stream. OR the following day the
weather was so fine, and the wind and sun -had so
eismpletely dried the roads in the town and neighbour.
hood, that many per•ods who came in from the ei.untry
inquired whe her no rain had fallen.
Monday evening, as a yot ng Gentleman, tie onlrsou
of DAVID GRIMORT. E.q. residing rn the City Itoad,
-was amusing himself in lettng off fireworks in the Gals.
well•street Road, a lid who had set light to a serpent,
placeJ it so near the young Gentleman% trowsers
rockets, which were crammed with fireworks, that the
whole ignited, enveloping the f•ody and legs of the
youth in one mass of sparks and fire, and throwinillM.
sa his back. Ile was taken up perfectly senseeo, his
body trom the breast downward, with the upper part
,of both his legs, being so frightfully burnt 'Out *
hopes are entertained of his recovery. His hands
likewise seriously injured in his endeavours to
fireworks from his pockets for they were so crammed
,a that his attempts roved fruitless.

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