The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-02 00:00:00

cbc ILibt.tpuoi Stanbarti.

TUESDAY MORNING, 'JANUARY 2, 1838.

g The Publication of the STA NDA D cornmenced this morn-
ing at 5 o'clock.

NEGRO ApPRENTIdESHIP.—The A 81.071 of yesteiday
pel'sists in asseverating that the alleged " solemn con-
tract" entered into between the West Indians and the
British people, on the subject of the abolition of slavery,
has been violated by the former. In saying this, the
Albion. only echoes the cuckoo cry of the self-styled
philanthropists who have so liberally traduced
the
planters and maligned the legislative assemblies of the
West Indies.. We find the same charge in a memorial
recently ,presented by the Anti-slavery delegates to her
Alljesty's government. This document has the follow-
ing paragraph:—

• " We, your. Lordship's memorialists, are fully and painfully
convinced, hy evidence of a character authentic and indubitable,
of which a large portion is derived from official documents, that.
slavery in all its essential features, and in some respects under
aggravated circumstances, still exists in the British colonies;
that the principles Of the imperial act, Av.ised avowedly for its
Pxtinction, and to effect .the- eurincipaAt9i!oftag negroes, for
• which he immense .sum £20;000,00 teas .hate been
SytCmatiralli nullitid, and its benevOlent intentioli4rievonsly
• pnd:•shajnefully defeated. hy'.the..l—egistatures.and spetial inagis-
• •of: the c, dorries; on I,*huro its execution has heendevolved.''
Tll's is certainlY'alc'ilitit chaig:e.'l BLit' how does the

n-witer Stand ? The imperial legislature passed 'an act

for the extinction of slavery. That act conceded a pay-
ment of £29,000,090. to the planters as a compensation
for .the losses contingent upon the emancipation of the
negroes, requiring from the planters, in turn, the fulfil-
ment of certain conditions before the money could be
paid. Tire colonial legislatures, as we spewed in our last,
passed certain acts for carrying out the purposes of the
imperial parliament. Government were duly certified
of the passing of such acts, and must have been satisfied
that the provisions of the impetial act were duly recog-
nised by the colonial assemblies. The money was, in
consequence, paid to the claimants for compensation.
Upon whom, then, does the responsibility rest ? It is
evident that if there has been any infraction of the terms
of the " solemn Contract," it could only have taken
place with the connivance of government. To say that
they have sanctioned such a proceeding is certainly pay-
ing them a left. handed compliment. And yet this is ex-
actly the kind of compliment paid them by the liberal
press throughout the.qountry
We are glad, however, as far as the present ministry
can be relied upon in any_ matter, that there appears no
prospect that the present views of the anti-apprentice-
ship agitators shall be realised. We infer this from the
following reply of Lord Glenelg to the memorial of the
delegates ;

"Downing-street, Nov. 27.

" Sir,—l am directed by Lord Glenelg to acknowledge the
receipt of the memorial, dated the 17th inst., presented by you
and other gentlemen to his lordship on the 18th, expressing a
desire that her Majesty's government will take the earliest pos-
sible period for introducing a measure into parliament to bring
the system of negro apprenticeship in the colonies to an end, and
further deprecating the appointment of any committee of either
house of parliament for the purpose of inquiring into the work-
ing of the present system; I am to acquaint you, in reply, that
Lord Glenelg, after an anxious and minute attention during the
laSt two years and a half ti the details of this subject; and after
a careful consideration of, all the information respecting it to
which his lordship has bad access, dues not feel that there are
sufficient grounds to justify her Majesty's government in pro-
posing to parliament to make so essential an alteration in the
act of 1833 as that which is desired by the memorialists. His
lordship is further of opinion, that, however desirable it might
be that the apprenticeship should be terminated by acts of the
Colonial legislatdres before the period fixed by law for its.expi-
ration, the proposal by the goverunrient to the British parliament
of a measure for its immediate abolition would, without tending
to shorten the duration of the present system, have the effect of
producing irritation, excitement, and disappointment throughdut
the West India colonies. It would thereby, in Lord Glenelg's
judgement, present a serious obstacle to the success of the con-
stant and unremitting endeaVours of her Majesty's government
to secure to the apprenticed population the enjoyment of the
immediate rights to which they are legally entitled, and to in-
sure the ultimate termination of the apprenticeship under cir-
cumstances the most favourable to the fall possession and ex-
ercise of unqualified freedom. In the prosecution of this ob-
ject her Majesty's government will not hesitate, in case of ne-
cessity, to apply to parliament fur such additional powers as may
be required to strengthen the hands of the Executive government
in the discharge of the arduous and responsible duty with which
they are intrusted.

" With respect to the desire expressed by the memorialists,
that her Majesty's government should resist any proposal for
the appointment of a committee of either house of parliament to
inquire into the working of the present system, I am to inform
you that her Majesty's government have, in the two last sessions
of parliament, assented to the appointment of a committee of
the House of Commons on this subject. on the motion of Mr.
Buxton, and that, the inquiries of the last committee having
been interrupted by the unexpected termination of the session,
a short report was presented to the House of Commons, which
appears to have been unanimously agreed to, in which it is
recommended that a select committee should be appointed to
pursue this inquiry in the next session. of parliament. On the
ground of this inquiry, and of the admitted obligation on the
government to afford the fullest information which parliament
may require on so important a subject, Lord Glenelg directs
me to state that her Majesty's government could not, in his
opinion, be justified in refusing their assent to the appointment
of such a committee during the present session, if a motion with
that object should be made in either house of parliament.

" I have. &c.,

" GEORGE GREY.

" Captain Harward, R.N., &c."

We shall again recur to this subject, and conclude for
the present by appending the following notice or ex-
stipendiary Palmer's conduct, which we find in the
Jamaica Despatch, of November 24 :