Star.
London, England, 1819-11-23 00:00:00

• I*,
ABOLITION
. . .
OF TIIS'SLAIT TB.Artir
The following proceedings in Jimaiia, are hi
itr
creditable to that Island, an prosecutioa of au
tempted offence against the Abolition Laws. ,
JAMAICA, ;UP( ele tsl9-
TIM RING v. JoHN HUDSON AND JOHN JONI&
names PIISZ3I7.
Nis maw Haul Conran, Esq. eke... Governor, Profane.
Ilse Honourable William Roden &snails, Judge of the
' Admiralty Court.
TM Honourable Thomas Witter Jackson, Chief Justice of the
Island.
Forces at the SMOG.
tirkHome Popham. Commander-iall
of of the Navel
Cafhaln /14117 Heft, of his Majesty's ship 51applithirie.
Captain Theme Wren Carter of MI Majesty's p Waspf
parties The Courtbound huitiv,ittpafiebare7nweopere
Grand Jury sworn, his Honour, the presiding Judge`
nce.di culled e over, names
a fd
thet
e
delivered 6e following charge:— •
bied." Gentlemen tvl
virtue
ne
of
ff
histh e
mGariaarsttly pry—We are assem.l
ems.. It appears by the' Calendar, that your attcol
the purpose of trying offences committed mifntitetersd oPnathenetihiffmteh
tion will be principally called to the investigation cf
a charge preferred against, two persons, for a viola.
don of the Acts of Parliament passed in the 47th and
gist years of his present Majesty, for the Abolition of
the Slave Trade. By the first of those Acts, thid,
epecies of traffic was declared to be illegal, was
pecuniary penalties. By
asubbo
jliecshtes,du,
nadnedr
tfhoerpeainverorrohibited among British
the second) this crime was declared to be a felony,
not, however, of a capital nature, bat subjecting the
offender to transportation or confinement. [His
Excellency here recited the words of the Act, which
declared the punishment for the offence to be time-
poitation beyond seas, for a term not exceeding four.
teen years—er imprisonment and hard labour, for a
term not exceeding five, nor less than three year 9.
Gentlemen, many years have elapsed since the wis-
dom of the Imperial Legislature, after a long and
assiduous deliberation, declared itself upon this in-
teresting and important subject. Whatever might
have been the doubts and difficulties incidental to the
measure in its progress (from the real or supposed
interests of these Colonies), all speculation on the
question has long ago been at rest. The Law has
passed, and been obeyed. I say*, Gentlemen, that the
Law has been obeyed, because I conceive it not to be
inconsistent with the duties of the present occasion,
and of this place, to call to your recollection, that
onr Island Legislature has gone hand in hand with
that of the brother Countg, in passing local regula-
tions in aid of the Abolition Laws. 'This very pro-
ceeding is itself, in some degree, a manifestation,
that a desire to violate or evade them,forms no pelt
of the character' of the inhabitants of this Colony.
This is the first time that there has been occasion to
institute-a legal pro:,ecution similar to that in which
we are now engaged. Indeed, I cannot disregard so
suitable an occasion as the present, for deelanng my
implicit conviction, that in Jamaica those Laws have
been strictly and scrupulously fulfilled. The length
of time during which I have here held a public sta-
tion, must have allowed me the means and opportu-
nities for observation; and it is from the experience
and information thus obtained, that I feel• myself
bound to make this declaration. Your experience
and general knowledge of the Laws render it unne-'
ceesaq to expatiate on the nature of the duties at-
tached to you, as the Grand Inquest of the country.
You art well aware, that in the investigation of
,offences, it is your province to hear evidence on the
part of the prosecution, and to inquire whether there
be sufficient cause to call upon the party accused to
answer it? You will have the goodness for the pre-
sent to withdraw, and the indictment will be laid be-
fore you with as little delay as possible by the Officers
of the Crown."
VIUDAY, JULY SO, 1819.
The law Court being formed (with the exception
of Sir HOilt Poreu), and the prisoners put to the
lbw., his Honour the Judge of the Vice-Admiralty
,Cetart, delivered the following address and sentence:
:Abu Hodeski and John Jones—" You have been
indicted, and found guilty;.of carrying away and re-
moving, and also of detaining and confining forty-
, four ,p -monk Jqr the purpose of their being sold,
,trand'erred, used, and dealt with, as slaves, by im-
.portation into this island, or elsewhere. And you,
Jphn _Hudson, have been separately indicted, and
Ifound guilty, of having taken the charge and cons-
mend of. and emharking on board of a ichooner,
called the Saint Aatonio, as Master, you well know-
seg thachichooner was to be employed in an il-
wP
lieu ffiet,eu ,in slayes. You have had the advantage
cieveri sasietance in your defence, and of a trial
before a most.respectable and intelligent Jury. The
iidence produced against you was unimpeachable,
in regard to the character and demeanour of the
,:witnesses, and irresistible as to the clearness and con-
iourrence of their statements. The Court were happy
to find, that although the conclusions against you, to
be drawn from the evidence were undeniable, you.
Sand alone in the transaction. Not the slightest
;suspicion arises that you had, in this island, any con-
federate to draw you to our shores, but you appear
to have iashly come hither, unsedaced and uninvited.
FeHrausr isfrsoonnmd, e d
on meetingere there
north
e with
i side
by encouragement,
thed e
the
u your
sto cargo,
doAn
calnadildeadinitinoeniYshaedppolifethde for
peril iondfi
wspdpelhoreisscialperson
shnuyou
ttofisland,
v hhooue when
yo
, oyouh
John
excuse has been alleged for your intrusion into this
Colony, that you were diverted from another desti-
nation by r.ecessity and famine. Were this allega-
tion true, it would not have been a legal exculpation;
for it was a felonious act in you both, as British sub-
jects, to have engaged in a traffic in slaves of what-
ever national character. It appears in evidence
,against you, John Hudson, that you disregarded the
warning which you had received at Annato Bay, and
approached , Oracabassa, there again offering the
Africans, on board your schooner, tor sale, and avow-1
• tug your resolution to continue along the coast for
the purpose of disposing of them. Ignorance of the
law cannot be urged in behalf 'of either of you. The
crime of which you have been found guilty, was, it
is tree, once introduced and sanctioned by the Bri-
tish Legislature ; but the change in the complexion
and consequences of such a transaction was not made
on a sudden. Time was given for the sentiments and
commercial habits of men to assume a new direction,
before the Act of trafficking in slaves was denounced
as a felony." • •
John Jones—" The Court, in adureasuring the