Star.
London, England, 1826-05-10 00:00:00

CAIN OF MR. ZUCKINORAM.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL rose to present a Petition
of considerabie importance as concerning an indivi-
dual,connected with India. One reason for the Pe-
titon not being presented before arose from an idea
that, as the subject was then under consideratitn in a
Court of Law, it would not be consistent for the House
to interfere. There was no forger any occasion for any
excuse of the king. The Petitioner stated that he went
out to India in the year 1814, and that at that time
the Marquis of Hastings h id justified the censorship of
the Press. He remained there five years, during which
period he had published a daily Newspaper, and had
not done any thing sshich had called for the intervention
of Government. The .IJurnal was valued at 40,0001. and
in such high ertim4tion was it held, tl at 2,000,000 of
copies were published annually. He should not deny but
that he had received several warnings as to his remarks,

.mod the Right Honourable Secretary for Foreign
,airs, whom he believed to be sincerely desirous of
sing this traffic abolished, to attend to the evidence,
y which he would prove that it was now systema-
tically and incessantly carried on in the Mauritius.—
He would begin with a person who was engaged in the
military service from the year 1810 to 1817—(Cries of
Iveroe)—No; he was not at liberty to give the name of
the Gentleman at present. hut he assured the House that
he held a high rank. This Officer stated in direct
terms that the Slave Trade was not only tolerated, but
encouraged._ Mr. CANNING asked across the table if
the Hon. Gentleman meant that the Slave Trade was
encouraged uy the Government.)—He meant to say,
that it was carried on to such an extent, and in such a
manner, as reflected the.g eatest possible disgrace upon
the persons of the most exalted rank in the Caleny.—
Another officer, a General, had stated that the lauding
of nest Africans in the Mauritius was frequent, and by
no means clandestine; that the whole of the population
were engaged in the violation of the laws respec ing the
Slave Trade; and in a feaer, dated July, 1817, the
same officer said that seven hundred slaves hati been
landed dining the last month. Another officer
stated, that during the period in which he had been
enabled to make observations on ties subject, thirty
thousand new si sves were Linde.] at the Mauritius.—
He would now proceed to the evidence given by persons
in the naval service. A Gentleman, holding the rank
of an Admiral, gave a public notice to the Government
there, that the Slave Trade should not be carried
there, notwithstanding the encouragement which he
saw ey gave to it. This intimation bore date in 1812.
Captain Lynn, who captured the port of Tamatave,
stated in his official dispatches, a fact which bore
strongly upon the case. He said, that upon taking the
port, be found -400 slaves there belonging to French
owners, who applied to him for permission to remove
them to the Mauritius. Captain Lynn refused to grant
any such permission ; bat the Governor afterwards gave
them leave ; and under the pretext of transporting those
slaves upwards of 1,500 were introduced to the Mauri-
tius. A Captain in the navy also stated, in the sear
1816, that cargoes of slaves were landed in the open
day at Port Louis. A Gentleman who had been on the,
coast of Africa at the seine period, said that 1,300 slaves
were then waiting th re for exportation to the Mauritius,,
and that 20,000 were expected, who were to be sent to
the same place. At Sychelles, another Officer stated,
making use of a seaman's expression, that the Slave
Trade was carried on under his ache, in spite of his teeth.
There had been, since the year 1812, three Governors.
The Hon. Gentleman who sat opposite him (S r It.
Fa rquhar) was one; the others were. Generals Hall and
Darling. When General Hall succeeded to the govern-
ment, he stated, in his dispatches, that the Slave Trade
had attained the most daring height, and was carried
on with a degree of effrontery, which could be only
accounted for by the security (tom punishment, on'
which the supineness of the Government had induced
the violaters of the law to rely. It seemed, indeed, to
be the object of the local authorities to afford every
facility for the escape of a person detected in carrying
on th s barbarous traffic, while the legal officers inter-
posed all their ability to screen them front merited
punishment. It was no wonder, under such circum-
stan:es, that we found it difficult to induce the Conti-
nereal G svernments to co operate with us heartily and
sincerely in putting down the Slave Trade. He might,
upon this subject, allude to the language which had
been used in the French Chamber of Deputies, when
the question was agitated there ; as well as to the answerl
which had been given by the Duke de Richelieu'
to Sir Charles Stuart, when, as our Ambassador, he
bad remonstrated with him upon the conduct of the
French. Upon that occasion, the Duke de Richelieu
observed, that the English Government had to thank
themselves f r it, as the conduct pursued by our own
countrymen in the Mauritius, and elsewhere, had tended
materially to prevent the r stifi:ation of the treaties
which had been entered into between the two countries.
He would now enter into specific proofs. He could
state, from authentic documents, that the nnmber of
vessels captured at the Mauritius, for slave trading,
amounted to 44 ; these vessels may be presumed to
have made several successful voyages before their cap-
tute. He could also prove that there were many other
slave ships which were not captured, ant that between
the years 1810 and 1824, there occurred 99 debark.'
ations of slaves ; of this he had information from milie
tary Officers and soldiers who were stationed at the
Mauritius in that time. The deposition of one soldier,
named Dickenson, described a disembarkation which
took place upon the estate of a Mr. Telifair, who was
Private Secretary to the Hon. Member opposite, while
Governor and Public Secretary to the Colony: He
would also p (duce evidence to shew that soldiers
had been ordered by their superior Officers not to inter-
fere with the landing of slaves. One soldier stated
that he went to his Captain, and.informcd him that lie
could prove that a dis mbaikation was then g 'jug on ;
when he was told to mind his osn business; and that
if he interfered h: would be punished. Amongst
other evide ce, he should produce that of a Co-
lonel in the Army, who stated, that in consequence
of having endeavoured, by all the means in his power,
to put down these practices, everything he did was
looked upon with an evil eye, until he was obliged to
connive at them. There were twenty soldiers now, in
this country, whom he could bring before the Corn.
mittee, as also the depositions of these Officers, and by
such evidence he could'prove ninety-nine cases of actual
disembarkation. Mitre were other cases of suspicious
disembarkations, but he could not call upon the House
to rest upon any of which he could not bring direct
proof. He could prove that there had been 14.3 vessels
employed in the trade, and the number of slaves they
would bring fawn Africa, upon a fair average, would
be 30,000. One peculiarity of slavery, where the
slave trade was carried on, was, that the number
of the males greatly predominated over that of the
females. in the West Ind es, where the trade was
abolished, the numbers were about equal. In the
sixteen %Vest India Islands, the number of females
was 3i9 COO, of males 355,000. But in the Mauritius
the difference was in the following proportion—males
41,000, females 22,000. Another remarkable fact in
-the slave population of the Mauritius was, that the num-
SLAvit TRADE AT THIS MAURITIUS. ber of foreign slaves so greatly exceeded that of the
Mr. F. BUXTON said that the motion which he was Creoles. In the West Indies, the slaves were almost all
about to submit to the House related to the Slave Trade, Creees, or natives of the soil. The only evidence they
arid not to Slavery. He meant to state chat in the had of the co!aparative number of Creole slaves and
Mauritius the Slave Trade had been regularly and sys- foreign ones in the Mauritius was to be found in the
rematically carried on, in opposition to the law of the advettisements of the venders; and from that he found
sand. He did not mean to deny that it had been put there were three foreign slaves to one Creole, whereas
down at intervals, once by General Hall, and again in' in the West Indies there were three Creoles to one
1822 by the low price of Colonial produce; but with foreign slave. One of the greatest temptations to the
the exception of those two intervals, he would prove to trade in slaves was the growth of sugar. In the year
the House that it had been incessantly kept up. He MO, very little sugar was grown in the Mauritius; in

which were considered to be against the Indian Go-
verostnent t but their they were against a most despotic
Government. The articles complained of, so far
from I eing of a character which would be considered
dangerous in England, were such as would be deemed
rather, perhaps, deficient of political spirit. When he
WAS bre isli-d Irani India, he left a successor to protect
the valuable property which he had created by his.lite-
rary and political talent. The regulations which gave
to the tuition Government the power of granting or of
withdrawing the license for newspapers had been
registered in the Suprem? C,urt by Sir F. M4Naughten,
who declared that be recorded them only because
be felt assured they' would not be levelled against
existing literary property. Notwithstanding this decla-
ration, however, after repeated aoempts to harass and
injure the establishment of Mr. Buckingham, his publi-
cation was at length suspended by order of the Govern-
ment. This _step was followed by much negotiation
for the renewal of the license; but, after a consi !erable
lapse of time, the Government distinctly said that they
would never renew the license for the Calcutta Journal,
so long as Mr. Buckingham or any of his co-proprietors
had any interest in, or controul over it ; and they after-
wards went so far as to declare, that the license would
be granted to no other person than Dr. Mustorn the
son-in-14w of a Member of Council. Thus did the
'Government, by an arbitrary act, either antral late the
copyright, or transfer it to a favourite of their own.—
The Pe:itioner stated, that in consequence of these pro-
ceedings he had lost a valuable property, and was
besides involved in debts to the amount of 10,0001.
(the Noble Lord) would only make one or two observa-
tions on these statements of the Petitioner. The conduct
of the Indian Government bad been supposed to have
the sanction of•the Marquis of Hastings. From letters
he bad seen from that Noble Lord, he could not suppose
this to be correct. He could not but consider the case
as one of very great hardship. The most rigid censor-
ship upon the press would have been preferable to these
regulations, if they were •to be employed, as in the
present instance, to the destruction of property. Lord
Hastings had, indeed, thought this kind of power held
over the heads of Editors a beneficial mode of carrying
on the Indi in Press ; but if he had remained in India he
would nut have employed it so harshly; his successor
however, did thus employ it. Mr. Buckingham having
been encouraged. by the notion of a free press, to establish this lite-
rary property, he (the Noble Lord) did consider its destruction in
the Runner in which that had been accomplished as a dreadful
hardship—as a personal grievance of such magnitude as to demand
the interposition of that House. Ile should, therefore, after the
Petition bad been brought up and read, instead of moving that it
do lay upon the table, move that its contents be referred to a Select
Committee.
M. C. W. WYNN said, that when the case of this
individual was on a former occasion brought before the
House, be had deprecated any discussion of the subject
on the ground that an action had been threatened by
Mr. Isuckingliant against Mr. Ad ems, under whose
government the transactions had taken place. Unfor
innately the death of Mr. Adams had rendered it im-
possible for that action now to proceed. But be had
the most perfect conviction that if it had gone to issue,
its result would have been the complete' vindication of
that lamented Gentleman, for whose character he c.ruld
not express too warmly his admiration and respect.—
The motion contemplated by the Noble Lord was so
unusual on a petition of this nature, that on forthet re-
flection he thought the Noble Lord would probably not
persevere in that intention. The question was now per-
fectly unshackled, and he was fully prepared to meet
it. He agreed that here, under a free Representative
Government, such publications would not be dangerous.
The ewe was very diff:rent in India. If they thought
proper to alter the government of India, it was within
the competency df Parliament to do so, but an absolute
greFernment, such iis existed at present in India, and a
tree press could not co-exist. A free press might be
very serviceable in a representative Government, but
could not be anything less than en anomaly in India.—
Neither was it to be supposed, that because the passage
in the Journal referred to did not appear libellous in
this country, that therefore they were perfectly innozi-
ous in the Colony. A harmless sentence here might
there become a firebrand which would set India in a

fl .me from one extremity to the other. The question
should therefore be—whether or no the whole system
of that Government should be changed ? But Mr.
Buckingham. at least, must acknowledge that he had
not been punished without previous warning. He had
thought proper to canvass the appointments of that Go-
vernment, and he was told that if he did so again he
would be deprived of his license. He had done so again, and the
threat had been put into execution. If this power were supposed
to be impolitic, let a Bill be brought in to annul the regulations
which established that power ; but while the regulations were suf-
fered to continue in existence, they were law in India; and though
he admitted the reality of the grievance of which the Petitioner
complained, yet he had drawn it on himself by persisting In what
be had been informed was an illegal course. He should oppose the'
motion on the grounds that no notice had been given.
Mr. SCA RI.ETT said, it was perfectly futile to suppose that any
sedress could be afforded by action here for an injury inflicted on
the Petitioner in India. The only means of redress which lay open
to him must come through that House. He should think it his duty
to support the motion of his Noble Friend for a Select Committee.
3lr. J. S 311 TII said, the object of the Government in India ap-
peared to be not only to punish the Petitioner, but to persecute and
ruin him. ( Hear). He thought this WAS not the only instance in
which that Government had acted with heat and precipitation.—He

should support the motion.
Mr. ASTIiLL said, whatever the Petitioner bad suffered, he had
drawn it all on himself.

Lord J. RUSSELL said, he should persist in his motion, that
the Petition be referred to a Select Committee.
Dr. PHILLIMOItE opposed the motion. Be the
law just or unjust. it was the law that nn individual'
could reside in India without a license from the East
India Company, which might be revoked by them when
they pleased. The Petitioner's Journal had been in the
first instance distinguished by the most virulent attack►
on private character, after which it had srmred to the
higher rank of the Government measures—it attacked
all their proccedinp; and, in fine, became so perfectly unrestrained,
as to resist interference absolutely necessary. The lion. Geode-
sists cemeellied, that whatever calamities bad befallen Mr. &a-
bstain. be bud dawn them upon hirneelL It would have been
highly intondest for the Government to have countenanced conduct
which tended to lower it in the estimation of the natives.
Mr. TRANI* thought there had been oppression towards Mr.
Buckingham, on the part of the Indian Government. The subject
requited the consideration of the House.
'I he [louse time divided—Ayes 43—Noes 40—Majority in favour
of the motion S.

three yeah .the:growth had increased lo half a mil-0
lion a pounds; and in NO, it was thirty millions—
being an increase of sixty. fold. It might be supposed
that the cultivation of other articles had been aban-
doned for that of sugar; but this was not the case, be-
cause the produce of other articles had also increased.
Another argument which proved it no less forcibly,
could be drawn from the returns of the registration of
shave This had always been considered as the greatest
harrier to the Slave Trade ; and h.: would prove before
the Committee that the Orders in Council for the regis-
tration of slaves had almost all been disregarded in
the Mauritius. In 1816 the population, according to
the register, was 87,000; in 1817 no registry was
kept ; in 1818 there was no registry; in 1819 the num-
bers were reduced to 21,000; in 1820 there was no
registry ; and inlB2l the number was 7,482. From this
it appeared that the registration of 80,000 slaves, the
value of each being 1001. was omitted ; and the penal-
ties upon these would amount to eight millions of
money. It was not for him to say what the Govern-
ment should do in respect to these fines ; but the slaves
who had not been registered, were the property of
Government until those fine; were paid. And he
would state publicly, that all negroes imported since
the year 1810, were free by the law of England.
He would make another observation as to Mr. Tellfair,
whom he had before mentioned. The number of negroes
returned as being upon his estate was 260. Now he
would bring persons to prove that new slaves had been
seen upon his property, and that the number was from
ten to twelve hundred, instead of two hundred and
sixty. The next view of the subject which presented
itself was the dreadful treatment of the slaves in the
Mauritius. Wherever the Slave Trade raged, there
the conditions of slavery were clothed in tenfold fero.
city. Wben the proper time arrived he should be able
to produce such cases of outrageous and detestable
atrocity as he believed had never been stated to an/
Assembly. The Honourable Member then referred
to accounts upon which he admitted he could not
wholly rely, chewing that although the de ohs of slaves
in one instance amounted to 6.558 out of 11,000, in the
course of six years, the population had gone on in-
creasing. Three years after the Planters returned the
number of slaves at 87,000, Governor Hall proved
that 40,000 had not been registered. In one of his
dispatches the Honourable Gentleman said to the,
Earl el Liverpool that he war an enemy to the Slave
Trade, and the friend of mankind. After such a de-
claration what influence and exertions must have
been employed to induce him to put his hand to such a
dispatch as that dated the 15th of February, 1811, in
which he argued strongly in favour of a continuation of
the Slave Trade, and said that the Act did not extend
to the Mauritius, as we had guaranteed the customs
and religion of the island, of which customs the Slave
Trade was a past. The dispatch fur:her went on to
say, that as we allowed the continuance of the Slave
Trade in Trinidad after the passing of the Act (which,
however, we never did), the inhabitants of Mauritius
were a fortiori entitled to the same immunity, as their
island would be desolated by the discontinuance of the
trade. He was astonished that the Hon. Gentleman
could think of asking the Earl of Liverpool to give hjs
sanction to the commission of felony—[Mr. BROUGHAM
'WC suggested that slave trading was not a felonyj;
—it was, however, a crime of the deepest dye.—
In the year 1821, anew disembarkation of slaves took
place. The mode of presenting them was by bodies of
aimed negroes sent through the country, who were to
seize on every unprotecteJ man, woman, or child, whom
they met. Among the unfortunate captives at that
time was one woman, the sister of an African King.—
W.ten the crew of the Voyageur landed at Mozambique
on the coast of Attica, they acted in this manner, attack-
ing a village during the night; they killed several of
the inhabitants, and carried others away. Captain
Morsley, who was reluctant to make disclosures, from
an apprehension of giving offence to the traders, though
he was assured that Government wished him to give
information, had no difficulty in speaking as t s the
mode of capture. The Arab Slave takers, he said,
were accustomed to provide quantities of strung
beads, with which they went into the country, where
they doomed a village to destruction. After setting
fire to it, it was their practice on the following
day to assemble the inhabitants, out of whom they
selected the adults, and killed the old and infirm, and
those who were too young to answer their purposes.
—The next stage of their sufferings was the dreadful
journey to the coast, a distance of perhaps 600 miles,
which sometimes occupied six months, but was seldom
passed in less than 80 days. The horrors of that journey
were described in an extract from Capt. Gray's 1 ravels
in Africa, which stated that on the 10th of February,
1821, the K tartans went into Bondoo on a plundering
excursion, and had made 107 prisoners, chiefly women.
The men were tied in pairs by the necks, their hands
secured behind their backs, the women by the necks
only. Thus they were hurried along at a pace little
short of running, so as to keep up with the horsemen
who drove them along, as drovers do fatigued bullocks.
One woman, at least 60 years old, in the most miserable
state of emaciation and debility, almost entirely naked,
was compelled to carry a heavy load of water. When-
ever she :hewed the least inclinat'on to stop, her
drover beat her in the most unmerciful manner with
a stick. A young woman (who had for the first time
become a mother only two days before she was taken,
and whose child, being considered too young to be worth
saving, was thrown into a burning hut), after endur-
ing much torture, implored that an end might be pot
to her existence; but blows with a leathern horsewhip
were immediately inflicted on her, which soon made
the wretched creature move again. A man also lay
down, and neither blows, entreaties, nor threats of death
could induce him to move: he was thrown across a
horse, his face down, and with his hands and feet tied
under the animal's chest, was carried along for some
distance. When be continued obstinate, they bad re-
course to a mode of compulsion, which though com-
mon among them, was yet of too disgusting a nature
to be described. Bad as the journey was by land, the
sea voyage was still worse. According to the state-
ment of Captain Moresby, the Arab Dows, or vessels,
were large unwieldy open boats, without a deck, in
which temporary platforms of bamboos were erected,
leaving a narrow passage in the centre. The negroes
were then stowed, in the literal sense of the word, in
bulk, the first along the floor of the vessels, two adults,
side by side, with a boy or girl between, or on
them, until the tier was complete. Over them, the
first platform was laid, supported an inch or two
clear of their jsodies, when a second tier was stowed,
and so on until they reached above the gun e ale at
the vessel. The voyage was expected not to exceed
twenty-four or forty-eight hours; but it often hap.
pened, that a calm or land breeze delayed their pro-

'pets, and in this case, a few boors Were sufficient to
decide the fate of the cargo. The lower portion that
died, could hot be removed, but remained till the upper
nortion also were dead, and then throWn over-board.—
From a cargo of frotri two to four hundred thus stowed,
it has been known that not a dozen, at the end of ten
days, have reached gangibar. On their arrival there,
after inspection before the Iman's Officer, those who were
weak (Jr maimed by the voyage were left for the
coming tide to relieve their miseries. An examination
then took place, which for brutality- was never exceeded
in Smituheld. But the middle passage exhibited a
scene of wretchedness still more terrific—worse in-
deed than the most morbid fancy could conjure
up in, fictitious tales of horror. The hold for pack-
ing the slaves was from two to four feet high.—
Here they were made to sit with their hands
pl ,ced between their knees, while the packer struck
down their legs with a club shod with iron, till they
became one mass of living corruption, emitting a
stench which would prove fatal to any EuropeaN
starving f,•ir want of food, and fainting for want of a
supply of water. He must dismiss the cons;deration
of their sufferings on the passige, and confine himself
to a mere statement of their murders; and he would
contend, that for every single slave that was brougli
into the Mauritius, two others were murdered. It t'a.
a galling reflection to him, that their conduct with
regard to the Mauritius afforded apology for the slave
trade of the world. France, twice in her official docu-
ments, replying to their rem )nstrances on the subject,
bid them look at home for worse practices than they
called on that country to relinquish. In the French
Court of Deputies, the question was brought on under
the most favourable auspices; some slave vessels were
seised at Nantz ; and Petitions were sent in from se-
veral towns, praying for the abolition of slavery; when,
at this ctitical juncture, a Deputy, 'who was himself a
Bourbon planter, observed in the House that it wa,
true they dealed extensively in slaves; but then in to
doing they acted merely in imitation of the English,
as was evident from the trade of the Mauritius.
The fact thus put forward could not he gainsaid there
or here, and the question was consequently lost. In
what a state of degradation therefore were they placed,
bound by every feeling of honour and religion, by their
former professions, to put down the infamous traffic ;
and yet they here appeared not only criminal them-
selves, but apologists for the crimes of others. If his
statements were proved false, he was content te he
called the greatest librller that ever existed ; but if they
were found true, then vengeance ought to fall on the
„heads of those wretches who had perpetrated the enor-
mities which he enumerated. If they entered into an
investigation for the redress of the gs ievances of which
he complained, they thereby retrieved their character;
but if they put off the question to the next year, and
made their inquiries through the agency of of hers, they
might as well give up the whole matter, and never
again ought they to repeat their former professions of
hostility to the principles of slavery. He would therefore conclude
by moving—" That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire
whether the Slave Trade has prevailed at the Mauritius, and to what
extent, and the causes thereof, and to report thereon to the House."
Sir It. FARQUHAR said, that he had been quite
ignorant, until the Hon. Member had addressed the
House, of the scope, object, and tendency of his motion.
He had thought it usual for an Hon. Member, who
intended to found a motion on any specific facts, togive
some short notice of what those facts were. The Hon.
Member had spread his motion over a period of 16
years, though he had directed the attention of the House
to the first ten years of that period, leaving out altoge-
ther the last sir, as he well knew he could not support
the allegations which he had been making to the House
by any reference to those six years, with the ezcepticn
of one place, indeed, which could not fairly be consi-
dered within the meaning of the English laws. As that
most infamous traffic in sl +tees in the Mauritius had
long since been discontinued, the whole of the argu-
ments of the Hon. Member fell at once to the ground ;
he had not, indeed, a leg to stand on. As far as he (Sir
R. Farquhar) was concerned, he repelled with scorn the
imputation that had been made against him, knowing,
as he did, that they were unfounded.
" Teturn imbelle sine ictu."

—Then, too, with regard to the charges that had been
made against Mr. Tellfair, there was nothing true in
them ; that Gentleman was too honourable, too high
spirited, to have lent himself to what had been charged
against him—(Hear,)—as the letter which he held in his
hand, and which he would read to the House, would
prove. (The Hon. Member here read a letter from the
Chief Justice of the Mauritius to the Governor, from
which it appeared that Mr. Tellfair had agreed to sub-
mit all the slaves on his estate to open inspection, and
also to justify his possession of them.) He would nest
proceed to remark on a few of the facts brought forward
by the Hon. Member, as far as his memory would allow.
The Hon. Member had said, that he had not gathered
much of his information from the printed papers.
though it seemed to him that he had made railer an
extensive use of them. And here he must observe against
the practice of the Government in granting manuscripts,
on which charges were to be founded, to those who
were to make the cf•arge, while those against whom the
charges were to be made bad no sort of information on
the subject, until the pspers were printed, and before
the House, which, in the present case, happened
to be only two days before the discussion took place.
All the facts referred to by the Hon. Member came
down only to the beginning of 1820. The first case to
which he would advert was that which regarded slaves
at Timatoe. It had been believed, that by the capitu-
lation of that place, the slaves there were exempted from
the operation of the British regulations, as they were
not freed by any article in the capitulation. Then with
regard to the traffic in slaves, between the Sechelles and
the Mauritius, he had employed his power in extin-
guishing that, and had succeeded. (Hear, hear). 131 t
as to what was done at the Sechelles, he could not be
held responsible ;—they wee a cluster of islands, situate
at least one thousand miles from the Mauritius, as far
indeed as Gibraltar was from Downing-street; and as
he was without a navy, or any other repressive force.
be could not undertake to put down what was got!,.::
on there. Then, again, with regard to the +o,oo'i
slaves being in the Mauritius beyond the number gat
was registered, it had never been denied that
pren-
ously to 1820 there had been a great debarkation et
slaves at the Mauritius, but he did not believe that t
was to the extent stated by the Hon. Member ; and that
system had been altogether crushed since the year
182 g. He had a memorandum of General Decamp!.
the former French Governor of the Mauritius, wherein
it was stated, that by the Tax Rolls there appeared to
be in the Island 59,000 slaves; but there was a note
in the General's band-writing, observing that he "Jai
sure there were 80,010. He (Sir R. Farquhar) on.!
mentioned that circumstance to chew that the practice oil

smuggling slaves into the Colony had existed for a long
time. In 1819, from 7,000 to 10,000 slaves had been
carried off by the cholera morbus. With the exception
of the diminution arising from this cause, the number
the .lave population remained pretty steady. The
,nourable G-ntleman said, that an open trade was
carried on between the Sechelles and the Mauritius, in
Slaves, and that before their introduction into the latter
place. they remained six months in the Sechelles,
for the purpose of learning French, and then being
passed off as slaves born there. His firm con-
yletion was, that there had been no introduction
of slaves from the Sechelles for many years. The
slave population certainly decreased there, but it
was occasioned, he believed, by the cutting down of the
forests. Nothing could be grown in consequence, for
want of shade, and therefore the . slaves went to the
Maur i.ius. Their introduction, however, was strictly
regulated by law, and there was a fine of 201. for every
,•ne proved to be smuggled. Some time back it wa.
quite as legal to transfer slaves from thence to the
Mauritius as from one island of the West Indies to
another. At present, he understood the owners were
not al:owed to lend their slaves, but were obliged
themselves to accompany them. The Hon. Gent. went
into a long and bighly•coloured description of the trade
carried on in sl Ives by Arab ships to this colony.—
Now the fact was, that there were no Arab ships
in that trade. Some came there from the Persian Gulf.
With the exception of Mozambique, every slave market
in that quarter of the globe was closed, and all the
slave dealers were obliged to resort to the west coast.
With respect to his letter to the Earl of Liverpool, no
blame could fairly attach to him for what it contained.
It was written upon a different subject, and at the time
he was totally ignorant of the measures taken by his
Majesty's Government, which did .not come to his
knowledge until the year 1812. The Hon. Member
referred to,the opinions expressed in Paris with respect
to the trade in slaves. He would contend, and he had
the means of knowing, that their principles were pro-
fessed with the most Machiavalian intentions, for the
purpose of screening their own practices. He could
show that, during the whole of his government, he
made every endeavour to infuse into the people a moral
feeling hostile to the trade, and that it was only call-led
on by privateers and renegadoes. There was one case
in the island of Bourbon to which he must advert.—
There they would not admit that they were bound by
the slave law, and the consequence was that he was
under the necessity of suspending the whole bench
of Judges, for V.e purpose of showing the deep
sense he entertained of the evil. [Here the Honour-
able Member read short extracts from letters of Sir
Lowry Cole, and others, stating, that in the Man-
ratios and its dependencies the Slave Trade had no lon-
ger been carried on.] He entered into arrangements
with the Emperor of Madagascar, for the purpose of
putting an end to the trade in his dominions, which were
attended with the best effects. His great objects were,
first, to prevent their own subjects (tom being contami-
nated with such a traffic ; secondly, to shut up the trade
as much as possible from foreigners ; and thirdly, to
extend civilization to countries situated as Madagascar
was. The Honourable Baronet referred to a letter writ-
ten within the last three months from the Mauritius,
by a Gentleman who was a Wend of the H-nourable
Member for Weymouth. The letter was to the follow-
ing effect;—" Tell our friend Borton, horn me,
that there is. not one word of truth, nor even the'
shadow of it, in all the villainous reports he has
picked up with regard to the people of this colony. i
am afraid he has mistaken the Mauritius for the Isle of
Bourbon; but at all events, you may tell him, that in
his attempt to throw obloquy upon the inhabit tilts of
the Mauritius, he will as surely be wrecked in his pur-
pose, as I was bodily upon my landing here."—(Hear).
—The Honourable Baronet concluded by thanking the
House for the indulgence they had shown him in the
statements he had felt it necessary to make. He had only now to
declare, that so far as it might be considered that there was any
thing connected with this question reflecting upon his conduct or
character, he was most anxious that the fullest inquiry should take
phice.—( Hear.)
Mr. W ILMOT-HORTON expressed hie regret that the vole:
ruinous papers referred to by the Hon. Member (Mr. Buxton)
were not previously printed for the use of "Members; who, by that
means would be able to form a sound opinion of their contents. He
tbersfore hoped the House would suspend its judgment till it was
in possession of such documents on the subjects alluded to by the
Hun. Member as would enable them to form just inferences.
Mr. BUXTON would be glad that the Papers were in the pos-
session of the House, to whom he would be able to prove that the
traffic in Slaves existed from 1810 to 1824.
Mr. W. HORTON said, the traffic was admitted to exist to
11120, but denied its continuance since that period.
Mr. F. BUXTON contended for the necessity of the Com-
mittee; and would persist in seeking it.
Mr. Secretary CANNING would object to the Motion for a
Committee. It was grounded en partial statements, and was sup-
ported by vague charges. But as the Hen. Member declared his
Motion was founded on national ground., and not on individual
charges, and was calculated to express the sense of the Parliament
of this country on the Slave Traffic, and ether States, he would agree
to the Hen. Member's proposition for examining into the system
of Slavery at the Mauritius.
Mr. BROUGHAM supported the motion, and contended that
evidence of the strongest nature justified the inquiry.
The Resolution for the Committee was then agreed to.—The
Committee were appointed.
Mr. MARTIN brought forward his motion to exempt Invalids
from being arrested by Writs of Sheriffs. He contended for the
necessity of amending the present law, under which--no matter
how fatal to the health of the party—the Sheriff was bound to drag
him to prison. He moved for leave to bring in a Bill to authorise
Sheriffs to abstain from arrests where the arrests would be dan-
gerous to the health and lives of the parties arrested.
Mr. P. MOORE seconded the motion.
The motion was negatived without a division.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL would not bring forward his
motion on the Report of the Chancery Commission till the result of
the Hon. Member (Mr. J. Williams's) motion was known.
Mr. J. WILLIAMS postponed his motion till the first favour-
able day.
Sir R. HERON postponed his motion for leplising the sale of
Game till Thursday next.
On the Order of the Day being read for the mead reading of
the Warehousing Corn Bill,
Mr. H. SUMNER wished the question to be adjourned.
Lord MILTON wished to know whether Ministers had any
other modem for the relief of the distresses of the manufacturers
than those two submitted to the House.
Mr. CANNING would answer the question when the measure
of an Hon. Friend (that was postponed from to-morrow) was
before the House.
Mr. H. SUMNER would persist is the adjournment.
31r. CANNING was against adjourning the question.
Sir E. Kwascstoru. and Sir T. Layman' were also against the
adjournment.
Mr. H. SUMNER said that the measure was totally uncalled
far. Nothing had transpired since the 18th of April to warrant is
I::troduction.
For it, •
Against it, •
Majority,

. 174

--17!

. •
The 'Alembers who divided were, Mr. Ctravms and Mr. RION-
TORD , the tellers were, Mr. Sumas and Mr. WHARTON.
the Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed
ea the motion fur the second reading of the Impartation of the
Foreign Curti Bin,
Mr. St ere ary CANNING postponed the further consideration
of the lieu to Thursday neat.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

WEDNESDAY, MAY MAY 10, 1626.
STOCK EXCHANGE, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

Consols opened this morning at 78j for the Aaeount, ant from
Fifty to Sixty Thousand Consols were sold at 7111 for the July
Account.—ln the Foreign Market a good deal is doing in Co-
lombian Bonds.

Current Prices: Old Spanish 71 8, Mexican 881 63, Greck
Bands 15 I, Scrip a preen.

ONE O'CLOCK.

Consols remain steady at 711 i for the Account, alternately
Buyers and Sellers. In the earlier part of the morning, a good deal
of business was doing.

PRICK OF STOCKS AT TWO O'CLOCK.
Bauk Stock 200%
3 per Cent. Red. 77%
,s/8
3 per Cent. Cons. 78 MA 3/1
31 per Cent. 64% 5A
31 per Cent. Red. 841/8 8414
4 per Cent. 94% 5/a %
Long Ann. 18% ys 13 16
India Stock 219
India Bond:, 9 10 prem.
£l,OOO I.:idle+ Roll 11 10 11 prem.
£5OO ditto 11 10 11 ptem.
C 10() and 1:200 ditto 11 10 11 prem.
C atc. for Acct. 78% git
4 per Cent. Scrip Vs l4 prem.
4 per Cent. 1826. 931/2
FORRION FUNDS, TWO O'CLOCK
Brazilian Bonds, 5.51 I Me: Bonds 1525, 621 1 1 5}
Colombian 11(11,6 pC. Ditto Acct. 691 131 3
Do. Bds 1624, 411 4 31 Perim lids. 6 p C. 51 2 11
Do. Acc. 41k / j 41•51 4 Ditto Acct.
Danish Ilds, 1625,3 p C. 541 Pruss. lld.. 4p C. 90
Greek Bds 1625,5 pe. 16151 Russ. 11(1141822,s p C. 76 5/ 6
Mexican Bonds, I p C. 54 Span. Bonds 5 p Ct. 7.
111t1TISki AND FOURIGN SHARKS, TWO O'CLOCK
SNAIL rain.
100 15
100 71 3 1
100 15 5
400 50 102/ 105
40 10 20
50 11 10
100 15 51

Brazilian
Colombian
Pasco Peruvian
Tlaipuzahua
United Mexican
United General Os&
Mexican Company

This forenoon we received Frankfort Papers to the
4th instant, and the Nurernierg Correspondent to the 3d.
The former contains an article purporting to be written
by a German, long resident in Russia, pointing out
some blunders committed in the Newspapers in attri-
buting to the Senate of Russia powers it does not possess.
The writer states, that all matters relating to foreign
policy depend exclusively on the will of the Sovereign;
we suspect, however, that were he sent on a diplomatic
Embassy to St. Petersburgh he would find that there is
another body that has some influence in these matters,
and that no Emperor would venture on any important
measure without fist obtaining its sanction.
The French Papers of 51,,nJay contain some further
intelligence from Greece; according to which, IBRAHIM
attacked on the sth, 6th, and 7th ult. and his loss is
estimated at 1,200 killed and wounded, and 147 pri-
oners ; 430 muskets were also taken. On the Bth of
April, the fist division of the Greek fleet of ten vessels
entered the port of Zaute.
The Etoile of Monday states, on the authority of
letters from Corfu, of the 13.11 of April, rectived at

Trieste, that after another attack on Missolonghit onl
the 6th April, -the Egyptians had remained quiet in
their entrenchments. No confirmation is given of
IBRAHIM'S deadly wound ; but the brave garrison is
said to have been supplied by ThAtius with ammuni-
tion and provisimis for two months, and supplies from
the lonian Islands are also said to have arrived at Petala,
a small island in the neighbourhood of the town.

Letters frotn Bucbuest,of the Isth ult, speak of a new insurrec-
tion broke out in Thessaly, excited by a Greek Captain, named
Talcum

A private letter, in the Quotidiettne, speaks of an action having
taken place between laßsun and the united forces of Fonzaa,
Gonaas, and ICABAISCAKI, but this wants confirmation.

---•••••""`"-_
A letter has been receiveedrrom the Coast of Africa,
which we regret to find raises some apprehensions for
the fate of the African Traveller', though the report
may, perhaps, be unfounded. The following is an ex-
tract from the letter :

" Prize Schooner Therca, Sierra Leone, February 23,11326

" In the absence of the squadron, I beg to transmit to you at.
account brought here about a week since by the Master of a Bra
titian ♦easel detained by his Majesty's ship .%thol, on the Lid of
February, relative to the African Travellers who were landed at
Badagry in November, by his Majesty's ship Brazen.

. .
•' In consequence of the Brazilian vessel Active having been de-
tained to the _snot's—ward of the Line I could not get at any precise
date, but from his log, and other circumstances, there is every rea-
son to believe he left Badagry or its neighbourhood in the Brat week
of January. He states, that the Master of the American schooner
Albert (Mr. Houtson's vessel) was on hoard his vessel, and told him
that the Surgeon of that part of the expedition had fallen a victim
to the fever of the country ; and that upon the arrival of his trunks
at the beach, intelligence was brought of tho death of one of the
other two. Officers. He did not appear so clear in t►e account of
the latter circumstance, nor could he at all tell to which of the two
it related, whether it was the Commander of the expedition or his
companion."

Accounts are said to be in town from Carthagena,
stating that orders had been received from the Colombian Govern.
mein to ship a quantity of dollars for England, to pay the dividend
on the Loan. It is said the South American States will be called
on to contribute towards the expenses incurred by the Colombian
Government, in freeing them front the Spanish yoke.

The Bonded Corn Bill was read a second time last
night in the House of Commons, after as futile an opposition as
perhaps the annals of Parliament records. When Mr. flummox
moved the order of the day for the second reading, Mr. H. SOCHI&
moved as an amendment, that the House do adjourn, and pressed
it to a division, when there appeared for the original motion 174,
and for the amendment only two.

Last night, in the House of Commons, Mr. F. Bus-
vaa brought forward his motion for a Committee to inquire into
the Slave Trade, which he pledged himself to prove had been car-
ried on at the Mauritius to a great extent. That this was the case
at one time, we believe there is no reason to doubt ; and owing to
the contiguity of the Colony to Africa, and the previous habits of
the Planters, the Governors found much difficulty in suppressing it.
In the course of his speech, Mr. Buzenn made a severe and illiberal
attack on the late Governor, Sir Roataz FMK/INAS, which was
answered with much temper and firmness by that Gentleman.—
Notbipg cupid be more manly or satisfactory than the statement of
Sir Rosier, who declared, that horn the commencement of his
Government, his exertions to suppress the traffic had been incessant,
and he pledged himself to prove that it had been discontinued for
the last six years; indeed such has been the zeal Sir ROBERT has
manifested, that he has received the best thanks of the friends to
the abolition of Slavery, including Mr. Ci.a.axson.
Mr. WiLwoz-Hosirox wished to limit the enquiry to the last six
years, which is the period within which it is only contended the
traffic at the Colony has entirely ceased. Mr. Secretary Cantatas
considered the enquiry necessary, in *Mee to skew to foreign na-
tions that we are sincere in our desire to put down the slave trade.
The motion was agreed to, and the Committee appointed.
It is really lamentable to see the pertinacity with which Powers
boasting civilization and humanity cling to this inhuman traffic. It
appears from the correspondence of British Officers commanding
to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, and between Madagas-
car and the Mauritius, that the French Hag there, as well as else-
where, is made the cover for every enterprise, the basest and most
audacious, in which slave traders are concerned. Commodore
OMEN expresses to Sir Lower Cox' the opinion that has long been

entertained, ♦iz. that it is ridiculous to think of putting an effectual
stop to the Slave Trade, unless France shall agree to establish with
this country a mutual right of search by national ♦essels, in cases of
suspicion occurring at sea.

Earl BATHURST had an audience of his MAJESTY
yesterday.
The Earl of HARROWS; Viscount Mstvict.s, and
Mr. HUS[IIISO/f, had a consultation yesterday afternoon with Mr.
Secretary CANWINti.
Mr. SMITH, the King's Messenger, was sent off yes-
terday afternoon, from the Foreign Office, with dispatches, which,
it was understood, were for the Duke of Dxvottsusaz, Mr. SMITH
having to proceed to the Nore to meet his Grace.
The King of BAVARIA has resolved on removing the
University of Landshut to Munich.
A leading c spitalist paid into the Bank yesterday two
hundred thousand pounds in gold.
Mr. BARING, it is mentioned, stills for 'Middlesex, at
the approaching Election.
Yesterday, at two o'clock, his Grace the Duke of
DEVOIIIHIS.I embarked on board the Government steam packet,
opposite the Tower, and proceeded to Sheerness, where the GLou-
CUM, 74, was in readiness to receive him. Several friends ac-
companied his Grace, to witness his departure, together with the
remainder of his suite. It had been expected that his Grace would
go on board the Gcoucessu on Saturday, but owing to the wind
being unfavourable to his proceeding to sea, his departure was ne-
cessarily deferred. His Grace embarked on board the Gi.ou c ity
last night, a little before sun-set, under a salute of thirteen guns,
and slept all night on board. The Gunman's& sailed this morning
at ten o'clock from Sheerness, with a fair wind, accompanied by
the Meteor steam-boat.

The Moniker, of the 7th, contr.rficts the assertion in
the Brussels Papers, that no less than 900 French officers bad sent
in their resignation, since January last. The average annual num-
ber of resignations, from 1816 to 1819 inclusive, was .502, of which
it were superior Officers; from 1820 to 1825, the annual number
was 215, of which two and one-third was the average of superior
Officers. In 1825 the number was 195, and there were no superior
Officers resigned; but, from the lit January to the lit May, 1826,
there were only 4S resignations! _ _ _

The value of merchAndize imported into the United
States in the year ending the 30th September hst, was 96,310,075
dollars. The value of experts 99,535,388 dollars, of which amount
66,944,745 dollars were domestic produce.

• .
ENSUING OLD HAMRA' SESSIONS.—Summary state-
ment, descriptive of the various offences with which the prisoners
for trial severally stand charged, viz.—Murder, 2; burglary, 10;
highway robbery, 11 ; cutting and maiming, 1 ; house breaking, ;
stealing in dwelling houses, 7 ; horse stealing, I ; cattle stealing, 1 ;
burglary, 1 ; embezzlement, 7 ; to►ing away a child with intent to
steal from her petrol', 1 ; stealing from the person, 23; receiving
stolen goods, 1 ; selling counterfeit coin, I ; procuring counterfeit
coin with intent to circulate, 1; fraud, 2; perjury, 1 ; attempting
to commit felony, 1 ; larcenies, 105.—Tutal, 179. Of the above
number 34 are charged with crimes alleged to have heen committed
in the City of London, and 145 in the County of Middlesex.

THE ARMY.

Thursday usondag, SAO of the 58th Regiment, with the staff
baggage, &c. sailed front the North-wall, Dublin, in the Hibernia
Steam-packet. for Liverpool.
The 14th Light Dragoons, stationed at Cork, are to proceed to
Dublin.

It is stated that the three Veteran Battalions lately disbanded
will be forthwith raised.

The last of the 77t1 Ilegiraent left Paisley for Ireland, on
Thursday.

Thursday se'nnight, the 25d or Royal Welsh Fusiliers left the
Depot at Brecon, for the Island or Guernsey,vrhere they are at pre-
sent ordered to remain for the space at three months, daring which
time ♦arious alterations, enlargemems, and improvements, at an ex.
pence of nearly 15000, are to be made in the Barracks at Brecon.
Tini Tyne Hussars, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Sir Tams. Buanon, have received orders to assemble in Newcas•le-
on.Tyoland Gateshead, en Tuesday the 30th inst. to perform
eight days' military duty.