The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-06-04 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ST.4NDARD.

•
Sin,—The question now before the House of Commons in-
volves the happiness or misery of a million of our fellow crea-
tures, and the property of British subjects amounting to one
hundred and fifty millions sterling! !
It has been reserved for the 'Whig Administration of 1833
to legislate upon this subject in a reformed House of Parlia-
ment; which House does not contain' one direct representative
from the West Indies to raise up his feeble voice and protest
against measures which must consign the people to misery, the
property to ruin!!
Is not this an anomaly in the history of our country ? Aye,
and those who are the chief actors in the drama will live to rue
the day when they bowed the knee to the shrine of fanaticism.
If the probable results of the proposed measure be examined
through the medium of philanthropy alone, they will be pro-
nounced' by all practical men as likely to change the present
condition of the negro to a worse one. Examine the mass of
evidence which has been furnished to the House of Lords by
as intelligent and humane men as any this country can boast
of, and you will find that the time has not arrived when the
beneficial restraints to which the negroes have been subjected
can be removed with benefit to themselves, and that there is
every likelihood of their telapsing into a state of barbarism.
The great error committted by th6se (and they are many in
number,)
who are really lovers of the human race, is—that
they view the
negroes as if they were as far advanced in civili-
zation as the peasantry of this country, and theywould legis-
late accordingly; they conjure up. a state of society, such- as
they would mush it to be, not as it is: and the opinions ofprac-
tical men,
if Opposed to their beautiful theory, arc set at nought.
Such views may
be tolerated if offered at a dinner-table or in
a conventicle, but when entertained by the great council of
the nation, and gravely submitted to it by a minister of the
Crown, we may be pardoned if we beegin-to tremble for the safety
of a nation governed by such councilors. Let us now examine
the question as one' of law and justice.
The property in slaves has been guaranteed, as the late
governor of the Bank of England said, by one hundred acts of
the Parliament of ' Great Britain; and if the Parliament of
Great Britain makes any change upon this property which may
have the effect of even diminishing its value without first com-
pensating the proprietors, then the very foundation o all law is
destroyed. Then may the fund, land, and, house holders of
England tremble for their safety. The people—the majesty of
the people, will come forward in a mass and demand an equal
sacrifice—an equal share of the acres of that earth and its products
which ought to be common to all; and they will quote Mr. Stan-
ley, too, a minister of' the crown, and say, " He it was who set
us the example of spoliation; we follow but in his footsteps—he it
was who applied the first torch of revolution to the pile of the con-
stitution !" And whotan blame them? What man, conversant
with history, can expect that the act of robbery of the West
Indians will be the only act ? Experience, common sense, and
the signs of the present times, forbid the conclusion.
What then is to be done ? An appeal to the house of Lords?
No: they have ceased to be a branch of our legislature! The
majesty of the people has already, in effect, silenced therm—tr
petition to the 'lcing ? No for I have too much reverence f
that august personage and his high office to allow me torecom-
mend such a course.
I would call upon all lovers of social order—
nreally a phi-
lanthropist,whoreverences the laws, who respects justice,
rl'oisur to save his
9 every man
to unite, and, by petitioning, sce., A. B
country from the first step to a re volution--1
•

MARCH OF INTELLECT.---The following is a copy, verbatim et
literatim, of a written defence put in by a culprit, young in
years, but an old offender, for stealing a gold rmingbeth. Te
from the
ut, Lah
shop-window of a pawnbroker in the New -c
prisoner was convicted and sentenced to transportation.—"To
the Gentlemen of Chowrt of his Majesties Jestis.—For the Pri-
soner James Fullford—Gentleman on the 29 of Apevil last
bean o! Anarrant forr my Granmother into Bishopgait Street
for sum Cocko (cocoa) And in my Retern'To The New cut i
Saw a Ladd Itunce from the winder of prosecekitor And drop a
Pease of Paper which i Unfortunate -Picked up And in the
same time The Prosecucitor came up and Collard me And
strucker me in the mouth Atd said I had stolonnen a wring i
ham in Tinley iunercent of:But, Been convitured. on the 18 of
Febry last you may think i. Haan Guilty.of the charggce laid A
gainst nice with i ashour you iam not. Therfor i hope by the
murcy of the Honinable Court and by sich murcy you will
Take the Trubles of unfortunate Boy inconsideration. —The
reading of this document puzzled the Clerk of Arraign snot a
little.
. .

REMARKABLE CERCUNISTANCE-Tll6 Wltitoliaveh .Pacquet re-
latei the following remarkable circumstance :—ln the month
of September, 1828. a lady who was in company with a par.ty
on a tour to the Lakes, lost a gold ring, seals, and some trin-
kets, on. the border of Ennerdale Lake : the loss was adver-
tised, and a handsome reward offered for their recovery, but in
vain; they were never seen after until last week, (nearly five
years having elapsed from the time of their loss) when they
were found on the margin of the lake, most likely on the spot
where they were 'lost by 'the. lady. The party were strangers,
and took up their abode at" the Black Lion inn, in this town:
should this chance to meet the eye of the.loier, she will doubt-
less recollect the circumstance, and apply. for her property,
which, We understand, she seemed to value
.at infinitely more
than its intrinsic worth. • • •

SUICIDE OF A WEST INDIA MERCHANT-7
Wednesday morning, at ten o'clock, an inquest was holden at
the Blue Posts TaVern, in Charlotte-street,- Fitzroy-square, be-
fore Mr. Stirling and a jury of respectable inhabitants, uponview of the body of Duncan 'Brown, Esq., a West India mer-
chant, and recently arrived in this country, who destroyed
himself in a very•extraordivary manner on Tuesday morning
last.
Mr. Cydwellyn Ellis, of 24, Charlotte-street, surgeon, deposed
that on Tuesday morning, about half-past seven o'clock, he was
called to the deceased at his residence, No. 59;Upper Charlotte-
street, and found him in bed in a dying state. On examining
the deceased, witness found a deep wound in the left arm, about
an inch above the elbow. The- bed-clothes were saturated with
blood, and a chamber utensil was on the bed; and it appeared
to witness that the, deceased had held his arm over it atter in-
flicting the wound. The utensil contained about, 51b. of blood.
Witness tried restoratives, but the deceased was too far gone,
and he died in about an hour from loss of blood. He was too
much exhausted to speak when witness first saw him. A razor
was found on the bed, under the left side of the deceased.
William Pitman, of No. 58, Upper Charlotte-street, lodging-
house keeper, deposed that the deceased engaged apartments
at his house on, the 22d'inst. 'Witness had no previous know-
ledge of him. The deceased brought with him his wife and four
children, and two native servants, a man and a woman. In
agreeing with witness as to the rent of thd apartinents, the de-
ceased said that in all probability he should remain in them se-
veral months. On Tuesday morning, soon after seven o'clock,
witness heard a violent screaming in the house, and ran up to
Mr. Brown's sleeping apartment, on the first floor, and found
him in bed, and the sheets soaked in blood. Mrs. Brown and
the children were in a state bordering on distraction. Witness
was informed that Mr. Blown slept alone, his wife and chil-
dren sleeping. in an upper apartment, and that the youngest
son, a boy of seven or eight years, went into the room that
moruing, as was, his custom, to ask how his papa did, and re-
ceiving no answer he pulled the clothes aside, and seeing the
blood, ran up stairs and said " there was something the matter
with his papa, for he was bleeding." Mrs. Brown ran down
stairs and found her husband in the state described, and
screamed loudly for help. Witness went instantly for a sur-
geon. Thesleceased appeared to be about 50 years of age. He
was not in good health, and I remarked it to him, and he said
'° I am not well, but I shall soon get better now I am come to
England."
Mr. John Langley, of No. 36, Tottenham-street, Tottenham-
court-road, surgeon, stated that he was called in, and found the
deceased in a dying state, and while engaged in examining hint
recognized him as the same person who had applied to him on
the previous Friday for an ounce of laudanum. Witness told
him he hoped he would excuse his refusing to supply him with
that quantity, for he made it a strict rule never to serve more
than what he knew would not produce serious consequences.
He replied that witness need not fear his having it, as he was
in the habit of taking it every night. Witness, however, still
persisted in his refusal to supply an ounce, and gave him one
drachm and a half, which was sufficient for three doses, telling
him that at the end of three nights he could come again and
procure the same quantity. He walked very lame, and witness
asked him if he was paralytic, and he said no, but that he had
great weakness in his limbs.
The Coroner.—Did it seem to you that there was any thing
remarkable in the manner of the deceased?
Mr. Langley.—lt struck me, Sir, that there was a remark-
able degree of anxiety and despondency in his countenance,
and I communicated that opinion to my family immediately
after he was gone. He requested my card, which I gave him,
and I saw no More of him till I was called in on Tuesday
morning. Upon mentioning to Mrs. Brown the application of
the deceased to me for laudanum, she told me he had never
been in the habit of taking it, and the first she knew of that
circumstance was from having seen my card; which was found
in his pocket.
The Coroner.—l am very glad, Sir, to find that some gen-
tlemen of the medical profession act with such commendable
caution. Your conduct is highly praiseworthy.
The Jury joined in complimenting Mr. Langley.
Mr. Peter Cosgrave, surgeon, of 14, Surrv-street, Strand.
deposed, that the deceased Was under his care about 4 or 5
years ago, when he came home from the West Indies in ill
health from dropsy. When he returned home this last time he
sent for witness to attend him. Witness observed a great
difference in his mental faculties from what he had observed
formerly.
He was labouring under a very severe form of uni-
versal dropsy, but such was the state of his mind that witness
could scarely fix his.attention to his disease. He was con-
tinually reverting to the state of his affairs, and spoke almost
incessantly upon the West India question. It wilt perhaps be
considered merely conjectural on my part (continued Mr.
Cosgrave),
.but I should say that from his mind being in so
agitated a state, and his disease so extensive, he was unable to
withstand the shock which suds a letter as the one which was
found in hjs desk from his agent at Glasgow (Mr. Thompson),
must have produced upon hint. That letter stated that he (Mr.
Thompson) had stopped the sailing of one of his ships, and it
also contained a refusal to make some remittances, which it
appeared were expected by the deceased.
Mr. Patrick Cruikshank, of No. 8, Cornwall-terrace, sworn.
—I am a West India merchant.
The coroner here produced a letter which had been handed
to him by Hutchings, the beadle, and which was found in the
deceased's pocket, and Mr. Cruishank deposed that it
.was in
Pthe haudwriting of the deceased. The letter was then read by
the coroner; the following is a copy
" Dear Barclay,—l cannot bear the result of your letter.—
My health is very bad. .I cannot bear to see my family neg-
. lected. You are one of my best and oldest friends. I made
my will before I left the West Indies. You are one of my ex-
ecutors, pray act and do the best you can for my family.. God
bless you. "DtsitlAN BROWN."
The letter was without a superscription; and had not been
folded in the usual form.
Mr. Cruikshank.—Mr. Barclay, for whom that letter was in-
tended, is a merchant in Dublin, and one of the oldest and most
valued friends of the deceased. I saw the deceased on Satur-
day last, and he was then perfectly collected, but very low and
desponding when lie touched upon West India matters. My
mercantile house in the city have been the London agents Ail
the deceased for four or five years. On the'subject of the West
India question he was dreadfully depressed, appearing to dread
the effects of the impending measures which government had
brought forward. In fact, in consequencd of those measures,
his agent at Glasgow had suddenly made demands which he was
not prepared to meet. In a letter to sue, dated this day week,
(the 22d,) lie said the demands from his Glasgow agent were so
unexpected that it was impossible for him to bear up against
them. They were demands, he said, which he had never con-
templated, and which he was therefore unprepated to meet, and
that there could be no doubt that the demands were made by
the Glasgow firm in order to save themselves from the general
ruin which the measure alluded to would bring down.
The evidence terminated here, and the jury, after viewing
the body, returned a verdict " That the deceased destroyed him•
self whilst in a state of temporary derangement."