Star.
London, England, 1818-04-23 00:00:00

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apermathe nentNegro
,Iniesimes:liorsaa*NSfikeeell. 4 'the eonditial*
Mr. MUNI' of June- '—ica,„intlikritoto94 9.1.tt ,wiiiii.
say favosir.to be show
no latch AtteoeSioa. thipt
which bad been de:yr: Hoe: Nod
Gentlemin. But *Kai • kactstophilis of in the
pored.lllo."aneLx linan, Was n• -~likatt
*avoid the rinkles eta Ilan biettlisiped
in the smeller Idands, that he.had to
the eirctunstitneles of the Islands of ominicii
and Nevis, as'inclicativeifThigag in the
'West Indies, with respect to Nearn Slaves. What
'were the Islands -of Dominica and Nevis out of the
clusters of the West Indianians's? The Island of
Dominica exported only 2000 libgsheads of sugar,
and Nevis 4000 ; whereas the Island of Jam4ica alone
exported 4ietsVeen SO and 40,000 hOgsheids of sugar.
lin Jamaica no law was passed without an intention
ion the part of those who framed and supported-it,
lof having it carried into strict execution., The Ho-
noutable Gentleman sentered into a statement of the
manner in which it Was usual to interfere to prevent
the punishtnerit of Negroes. The whole tenor of the
arguments of the Hon. add Leinned Gentleman ap-
plied to the West Indies generally. When this went
out to the public, a most erroneous idea would be it-
..ceived from it, f the treatment of Slaves in the West
Indies generally, and Jamaica more particularly ;
And no doubt it would go, because the Reporters:—
(Order I Order!)--hewoul4 only say thatlientehow or
*other, the Honourable and Learned Gentleman's sen-
timents were sure to go out to the public. The Ha
nourable and Learned Gentleman stated the number
of lashes inflicted with the cart-whip.. 134 why the
cart-whip?' The punishrnent was inflicted with a
whip. But why should Gentlemen opposite empha-
tically say cart-whip? That *as not the term used
in the West Indies-4A laugh) The Honourable
Gentleman proceeded to describe the treatment of
the slaves in the workhouses, and stated, that the
chains were. not considered as a punishment, but as
a precaution to prevent their running away. He had
seen men chained working on the roads, but no indi-
cation of severe punishment. He had never seen a
punishment inflicted in his life, but he had often been
applied to by Negroes•ordered to be put in the stocks
for running away, for that sort bf intercession with
their masters which was called by the slaves a ticket,
and it had riot unfrequently been said by them on
these occasions, if you cannot get us 'altogether ex-
cused, will you endeavour to have our punishment
of the stocks changed to thirty-nine lashes. So far
was this punishment of thirty-nine lashes, which was
the highest number that could be inflicted without
trial in Jamaica, from being considered a severe
pnnishment—(heer, hear I) ..
Mr. A. BROWN said, that with respect to the pro-
ceedings in the island of Dominica, it appeared to
him that the Hon. and Learned t-ienUeman had ap-
plied his great talents to give a colouring to the easel
which might or might not belong to it ; and with re-
spect ustheisland of Nevis, he had eccasion to know
that be had applied his talents to give a colouring to
the case which did not belong to it. The Hon. and
Learned Gentleman's charge in the case of Dominica
might be divided into two part:—first, the charge of
severity of punishments • and, secondly, the charge,
of mal-admiristration oflnstice in that island. With
rettadtt t 6 the /int ttat4 severltrof meats, he'
would take leave to say that the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman had assumed much on that point.
There was no evidence before the House of severity
of punishments. Indeed the only evidence before the
House did negative this severity of puniThreent.—
There was the return of a Grand Jury on their oaths,
expressly saying that the punishments in that island
were not severe. But the Hon. and Learned Gen-
tleman had taken on himself in this case, not only to
assume severity of ,punishment, but to say that this
was the general treatment of Slaves in'the West In-
dies.--(No, from Sir Samuel Rooligy.)--The.fact of
severity of punishment could be negatived in the
case of many of the islands ; and if it should turn
out that the treatment in Dominica was severe.
let the odium of this fall on Dominica alone—(!near.)
He protested against the induction that this was to
be considered as a sample of the treatment in the
other Islands. He had said that the Honourable and-
Learned Gentleman had given colouring to the affair
of Nevis, which he had reason to believe did not be
long to it. He was not aware of this till yesterday,l
when a respectable Gentleman, who is the agent for
that Island, stated to him all the circumstances con
nected with this affair ; and he should now state to
the House, from memory, those circumstances as
they were related to him. He was no apologist of
the conduct of Mr. Huggins. That conduct had, he
considered, brought discredit nn himself, and he was
"afraid also on his employer; but he thought at the
same time, that too great stress had been laid on the
circumstances brought forward by the Honourable
, and Learned Gentleman. The circumstances of the
Icase were these :—A Negro was concerned in theft
I from a Gentleman, for whom Mr. Huggins acted as
attorney, and two other negroes had secreted the goods
stolen by him; the theft was brought Ironic to the
negro, and he acknowledged it; and though the two
negroes denied having received the goods, they were
found on them. There could be no doubt of their
I crime. They were ordered to receive 100 lashes.—
What was the number they a:tually received was
I not clear, but it was clear that the whole one-him-
I dyed lashes were not inflicted, and it was clear also,
that the punishment was so slight as to permit those
two Negroes to appear at a Negro Masquerade
r next evening ; one of them in the character of Bona-
parte, and the other as the Duke of Wellington—
(A laugh.)—Was this punishment, he would ask, to
subject Mr. Huggins to the character of inhumanity
and severity :•' But the Honourable and
.I.;:tarned
Gentleman had dwelt particularly on the case of the
two women who were afterwards punished, and had
spoken in strong terms of reprobation of the severity
both of that punishment and of the cause of it. but
it was not a just representation of the case, which the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman had made. These wo-
men were not punished for shedding tears for the two
negroes and the thief; but in consequence of their
yells and cries, which went to prevent the punish-
ment about to be inflicted—(Hear, hear, hear.)—
A' ens and cries which had a teodency to prertnt dis-
Cipline—thef were not cries of sn. row, but cries of
obstinacy—(fleor. hear).- %;itji raspect to the woine.l
on whom this punishment was inflicted, it was stated
as an aggravation, by the Honourable and Learned
Gentleman, that one of them had been brought up

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as a domestic. and had been rearedop in Mr. Cottle%
family with all teuderness and kiridnees. This *4
no doubt true ; but it was also true. ttat*Mr. Cottle,
before he left the blank, had disteitsid :her IS segues
tory, and left her to work in the hold ;'and Mr. Cot-
tle, who was here, had given his approbation to the
course Mr- Hugginsted adopted. But the Henouee
eble and Learnedllentlenian hid ablest; 'That the
Jury were unwilling tcc•give -a verdict in this ease.—
The fact was, that the- Council and Assembly el
Nevis, influenced no doubt by the stigma, the t onse-
quence of the former occasion, in which Mr. Hug-
gins was concerned,' ordered a prosecution in this
case, and that the 4irtfieitraOff might-be conducted
with all the impottaace* 'arid' solemnity' which they'''.
thought it deserved, they sent to Si. Kitt's for the
AttorneyeGeneral. The cause was conducted in the
[lsland of Nevis, with every inclination to inquire
fairly into the circunistances of the case, and if Me.
Hugeias were guilty, to visit the guilt on his head.—
The Jury acquitted Mr. Hulemie ns ; and the Honour-
able Geraleee: :I had inferrei from.this acquittal, the
prevalence of seatimenss it:• the island-which would.
'not admit of justice being done to the Negroes. He
had referred to the opinion delivered by General Pre-
*sr ; but it was proper to state that another Goner=
nor (Governor Proby) in a letter, did signify his un-
qualified approbation of the verdict of the Jury.
This was a true statement of the case of the Island
of Nevis, as it had been stated to him.' IWe* the
case of the Lland of Dominica he was.aotarinain-
ted. If it turned out as .it had been -stated, it was
his anxious with that these instances of abuse should
find a remedy, but a remedy sonsistent with th.e
peace and security of the Colonies themselves. if
the Honourable and Learned Gentleman should ef-
fect such a remedy, he would do the greatest service
o the Colonies and the Negroes, a service which
would make him live in their memozies long aftethe
was no more.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH said the House had
heard the defence which had been set ep -in answer
to the statement of his Hon. and Learned Friend, of
certain aces committed by a man named Huggins,
infamous for his atrocities and barbarities on a former
occaiioa. It had not been disputed by the Honour-
able Gentleitten, filet the greatest atrocities and bar-
b:Li-cies had disgraced the conduct of that indiailuel
oat a former occasion. 11tvieg stated that there was
a universal concurrence in this %Wm:smith
to his former conduct, with what surprise luretsSe,e
heard quoted, by the Honourable Gentleman, a cer-
tificate of the good conduct of that man, from the
person who was capable of employialfehim as an At-
torney over Slaves, towards whom his barbarity had
resounded throuehout the whole world—(hear, hear,
hear.) The approbation of such a master weighed in
a very different summer with him from what it had
done with the Hon. Gentleman. It seemed to him:the
testimonial of a leading criminal w an accomplice in •
common guilt. Such a testimony could only operate
aeeainsethe master ; but never could avail the servant.
Wich respect to the punishment of the-two boys and
the two women who feelings were agitated by that
punishnient, he world, observe, that the Honourable
Gentleman who, bad accused his Honourable and
Leatned Friend of petting his owl colour cm the fac'
stated by him, had here put his own colouring on the
facto--for the facts were the senses the- onfrdiffe-
renee being the discovery of the Honourable Gentle
man of the state of mind which had produced dwell
symptoms in the womea for which they were sub
jected to Punishment. • The Honourable Gentlem:
had said, it was not tears of sonow—(Hear, hear
hat yells. lie should have thought the proper et
pression, yells of horror ; but the Honourable Gentle s
man, who was be:ter acquainted with what was par
ing in the minds of those females, called them yel.
of obstinacy. It was the violent expression of the
painful feelings with which they witnessed the penis'
meat of persons who were dear to them---(Naar
hear.) According to the Honourable Gentleman, du
were yells of mutiny, and denoting an intention
interrupting the punishment. This construction,
owned, did appear to him a most singular one.—
This he believed was tote first time in the history
tyranny, of spectators having been punished far
pressing their feelings on the punishment of those w
were dear to them—(/tear, hear.)—The Hostoora'
Gentleman had told them or a letter written by
.vernor Prohy to. this Mr. Hue-ens. When did
hear that this was part of the duty of a Cover
of a laicish Colony, to communicate his aepro
tion of the verdict of a Jury ? What were they t,
to think of a Governor of Nevis having any coin,
nication with such a man as Huggins ? It could
be a public communication, for it .Was not his di
It could not be a private communication, for sue
no man who held the situation of a Governor
British Colony, could be on terms of intimacy
such a monster. He should conceive that sitr
man would be shunned by the Governor of a Br
Colony like the pestilence--(hear, hear, /tea;
What connection could there be between them
could be no act of duty that in support of so e:
lent a characterto heal the wounds which had I
inflicted on him—and to wash away the stain w,
for the first time had sullied his formerly
character, had procured him the consolation or
ter from the Governor of the Island. lie h,
feeling of hostility to the inhabitants of the West
Colonies : but he thought the cause of the inhale
of these Colonies could not be favoured by a'n.o,
defence which verged so much towards exaggera:
for nothing he conceived partook more of exaeo
tion than the defence of the Honotitahle
(lMr. A. Brown)-oeor, hear, heal. ti ith rev(
Dominica, he would .not atieirpt to enter in I
principa:otoints respecting the Grand and Pet bey
ty
'nese ts, in a subsequent stage, i..ight
matters of very serious charge against the p:
concerned. But his charge against the Island of
minica, at present, was of a different kind. H.
not charge the Grand Jury with doing that w
was not lawful, but with overstepping all law-.
snaking that Bill which they had thrown out a
ject to be presented among other nuisances.
complained of thy scandalous encroachment of
Jury, or rather of the twenty-three persons of
lit was con for in making such a pia
meet they could be no longer considered a G
Jury; in having encroached on the right of pe.
to LI Bills bore Greed Juries. But the Honour,
Gentleman had omitted altogether the case
presentment. In consequence of the Grand
tilt owing out the Bill, directions were issued-