The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-04-16 00:00:00

TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL 16, 1833.

WE have been favoured with the sight of a private let-
ter from Montreal, Upper Canada, dated March 14th,

1833, from which we make the following extract :
•" Upper Canada is wonderfully advancing and prospering;—
if the British ministers would only give us a land company in
Lower Canada, patronize emigration, and not listen to a con-
temptible French faction, they would soon render this province,
like the upper, essentially a British province, flourishing and
happy, instead of being, as it now is, divided into parties, and
outnumbered in all improvements by the feudal ignorance of
the 12th century, as exemplified in our Canadian population."

A FILE of the Singapore Chronicle, to the 21st Dec.,
has just reached us, containing, under the head of "Su-
matra," the following account of the wholesale assassina-
tion of three thousand Dutch troops by the natives. The
Dutch, it appears, had penetrated into the interior of
Sumatra, in order to make reprisals upon some of the
native princes, and were led into 'an ambuscade, and
there cut to pieces:—

Intelligence of much importance has reached this Settlement
from Sia'c, relative to the Dutch expedition, which we mention-
ed, on the authority of some native traders lately arrived from
Campar, as having reached Gunoug Berapi in the Menang-
kabu country. The intelligence we allude to is of such a
nature, and' involves statements of such disastrous occurrences,
that, on being made acquainted with it, we deemed it highly
necessary to make minute inquiries as to its truth or probabi-
lity, before we gave publicity to it. The result of our investiga-
tion among the several Siac people who arrived during the week,
is such as to leave little doubt on our minds, of the entire proba-
bility of the statements. Our principal informant, on whose
account reliance can be placed most, is the Naquodah of a Siac
prow, and son of one of the Rajah of Siac's chief men. This
person states that previous to his leaving Siac, some 10 or 15
days ago, a confidential person arrived there from Menang-
kabu, (a distance of about 15 days journey overland, according
to some, and 10 or ]2 only according to others,) who informed
the Rajah in the presence of this Naquodah, that the Dutch
troops had been cut off by an immense body of natives, who
assembled at night, and slaughtered them in a desperate amok.
The troops are said to have been stationed at three different
places, Pasisek, Paya Kunaboh, and Along Panjang, in the
divisions of Again and Rowu, beyond Guong Berapi. It is
stated that the Dutch, having gained over the Rajah of Pageru-
yong as an auxiliary, came into easy possessions of most parts
of the country; for, through the influence of this Rajah, the
natives submitted to the Dutch, and allowed them to proceed
so far inland as they did, with little or no opposition. It appears
however, that the Dutch, too confident of their political strength,
abused the power so easily obtained, and treated the natives
with such severity and oppression, by raising levies and con-
tributions, that the latter became desperate, and having formed
an extensive combination, attacked the troops at the three
places above named, simultaneously, (in order to prevent a
junction) and slaughtered them with their native weapons, it
is believed, to a man. The number of these victims, we were
told, was not less than three thousand.

The London Papers led us into an error in our last
number, relative to the profession of Captain Berke]v,
the new Lord of the Admiralty, and the discomfited can-
didate at the. Gloucester election. Inkead of being a
Cavalry Officer, he is a Post Captain in the navy, but
nevertheless much distinguished for his feats of horse-
manship, having rode as many steeple chases as any other
officer in his Majesty's service. It was this quality in the
field which, in all probability, misled our contemporaries,
although we can hardly believe that it could have recom-
mended him to the notice of Lord Grey or Sir James
Graham.

Mr. Edward Ellice, after a severe. contest, has been
returned for Coventry, beating his opponent, Mr. Thomas,
by a majority of 294, and which, had Mr. John Cobbett
not stood, who obtained 89 votes, would have been re-
duced to the trifling majority of 205.
We have nothing to regret at the return of such a man
as Mr. Edward Ellice, who, if we are not greatly mis-
taken, is much more conservative in his views than any
other of the near connections of Earl Grey. But it is far
from being flattering to the ministry that even the per-
sonal character and innumerable friends of this gentleman
could do so little for him in this election. At the last he
was placed at the head of the poll, and had more than
fourfifths of all the electors in his favour. But for his
connection with the ministry we are quite certain he
would not have been opposed at all. It must, therefore,
be a sinking concern which can drag down so near to a
defeat a candidate who is so generally respected and es-
teemed by his constituents.

The Colonial Secretary, Mr. Stanley, has also been
returned for the Northern Division of this County,
without any opposition. By far the ablest member of
the present cabinet, not.ei!en excepting Lord Brougham,
it would have been a lost cause indeed if he had been
defeated.. He has now arrived at such eminence, and
occupies so conspicuous and responsible a station in the
councils of his Sovereign; that a very short space of
time will decide whether, having grasped the belt of Ju-
piter he is able to wield his thunder, overaire his ene
mies, and restore to the distracted colonists that peace of
which they have too long been deprived,oand that confi-
dence in the, measures of the executive government with-
out which no trade can prosper, Sand no well regulated
state of society can exist.
Mr. Stanley is placed in the awful chasm which divides
two great parties in this empire. He. has, on' the one
hand, deep prejudices to overcome—unrelenting perse-
cutions to restrain—merciless slanders to wipe away;
and he has on the other, and almost entirely at his mercy,
the chartered rights, the complicated interests, the pro-
perty and the means of subsiStence, which• appertain to
millions of the King's subjects. No man ever undertook
more serious or more momentous duties ; and if Mr.
Stanley, in redeeming the pledges of. the :govenunent,
can devise a "tiafe and matisfactory" plan for the extinc-
tion of slavery—a plan that will be deemed safe and sa-
tisfactory by. the parties most interested, for they are en-
titled to the first consideration, he will prove himself to
be a greater statesman than any who has appeared in the
great theatre of politics for the last hundred years. We ,
would willingly repose confidence in' hini,'but we must
say that we have our rnicgivings. That, however, is his