The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-06-30 00:00:00

A PROCLAMATION.

JAMAICA, SS.
13y his Excellency, &c.
Whereas the situation of the inhahitants of the Grand Cay-:
manas having engaged the particular attention pf his Majesty's
government, more especially 'as to the effect which the, recent
changes under the Jaws of the :imperial" parliament 'lave upon
the structure of society in those belonging to Great
.Britain,
where slaVery formerly existed ; and the opinion of the law offi-
cers of the crown having been obtained, t have received his
Majesty's eominands forthwith to communicate the decision at
which they_ have arrived uptin,the question.
The slavery abolition act having declared, that all persons of
the age of six, or upwards,, who, on Or before the first of August,,
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four, lase been duly re:.
giitered as slaves, should become and be apprenticed labourers,
and such registration not hiving been, adopted .as respects the
7sfilet of the
,Cay,fria.pus previous to the passing thereof, such
regiiteied flaVes
,hatr,e, in'consequence, become .entitled to the
ting6liAed pnjO.yrdOlt bf their personal freedOin., And where 7
as it is incinnbent'on.his Majesty's governmentto see the letter
Of the slavery abolition act carried intd.full effe;ct,,l do hereby,
tinder the. directions of his Majdsty's government, declare. and
make that 411 such unregistered slayvs,at the Island of
thif.Qaviriarlim , been, abSOutely
,manucidittetl,_ and can no
lonain• be raenfly treated as' apprenticed latiur'irs..
ully.alive, tioweVer,lo the ineorivenienkeAvhiehtlie course'
arts commanded to pumeintist entail uen,lheprivate interests
oof the community-f,thi,s island, and,' the apparent injustice in-
flicted on the proprietors of the. negroes by tide construction of
the law,, owing to the injury they vvilt stistain ill being der
prived or the service of." their apprentices, still' his Majesty's,
government have no power to interpose;. and, it will he, for pair.
liaraent itself to provide a remedy, and to deeide bojv fiir these,
affected by the oinissien ruaY be entitjedtokomp,ensaticm for the
loss unintentionally:inflicted. µpen thein: On this subject a nios.t
earnest representation will be made to the Aing, and I have the
satisfaction in the meantime to'rnakeknown that the coinglis.-.
sioners fur compensation in England consider, the Qaymanas as
an appendage to Jamaica, and entitled to share.in the compen-
sation fund, according to the interests of the respective owners
in those. islinds.

Given under my hand.and seal, at Saint Jag° de la Vega,
the 20th day of April, in" sth year
.of his Majesty's
reign, annuque doinini, 18.35.
(Signg)' SLIGO, .
Capt.-Gen. and Governor of Jamaica.
By his Excellency's command,
(Signed) W. G. NiJNES, Sec.

TO ,THE INHABITANTS OF sTtiS GRAND CAymANAS.
The proclamation which I have this day Mad.will have in-
formed
-YO(
of. the state of the- law with-respect" to this island.
To -YOU who have been heretofore slave-owners do I at first'
address myself. That there is an apparent hardship in the case,
as far as your not having the same advantage in the service, iks
apprentices; of your formi4 slaves, I freely *admit. I also admit
that the eon-registration of the'slaves was no culpable neglect
of votir own, as the law did' net prescribe the necessity of your
so aoing. StilLhoWeVer, the undoubted. constrootion of the abo-
lition act is, that all unregistered slaves shall become absolutely
and unconditionally free, and that you have no ;claim upon
those who were your slaves for any services a- apprentices; it
will remain, therefore, for you to submit with decorum and pa-
tience to the law as it stint's, and make au energetic but hum-
ble representation
,of the hardship of vour.being placed in a
worse situation than other slave-ownrs in the shape of petitions
to the two houses of parliaMent. That those petitions will be
most attentively considered I. am certain ; and, though it is im-
possible for me to do more than.form my own idea of what the
decision of the two branches of the legislature may be, 1 do feel
assured that they will in this instance act with their accustomed
regard to' the rights of individuals. Should they provide his
majesty, my most gracious master, with the necessary Means,
,I
can safely assure you that he will most favourably consider your
claims dependent, as your island is on Janiaica, which he has
been pleased always, to connect with his earliest recollections
and most partial consideratien. Should 'you entrust these peti-
tioni to my care, I can promise you all the support, private and
public, that my position or influence can command. Should
you otherwise dispose of them; you will be equally certain of
my ardent exertions in yopr behalf.
You who have been slaves, and lately acting as apprentices
are by this decision made absolutely and unconditionally free
I trust you will show your gratitude to that nation which ba
made such great persOnal and pecuniary sacrifices to ensure
your freedom by your loyalty to your common monarch, and
by the and anxious obedience you will. pay to the law.
ot the land. ''New duties cleeelve upon you with the' new posi_
tion you now occupy; ;HO I hope that, by the steadiness of
your condnet and your peaceable demeanour, you will prove
that this greatest of all earthly boons has not been unworthily
bestowed upon you. You must now entirely depend upon your
own industry for, your support. You must recollect that you.
have now no person'to feed 'you—no person
.to clothe you—no
person to give you -medical assistance it 'you are ill. You must
ddPend upon your own exertions for all theSe thingi. You have
no grounds or houses of your own; those you have heretofore
occupied lima now be given up to their owners, your former
mastera, whose property they are—all belong to him, excepting
youi furniture, clothes,' and the crops you have now in the
greutid. These you have a right to remove to where you may
please to to go, if you mean to do so; but I trast"that what is se
decidedly your own interests will induce 'you to offer to your fOr-:
mer masters'sueh equivalent, either in labour or money, as will
indtiee him to leat,e Voti in the quietnecupation of your grounds
and bathe.' Though.he'whe was your master is no longer so,
recollect of what service he may be to you. Do not imagine.
that because you are now free you ate indepentlent of one

another: no class of the community can he of itself independent
—all experience has shown how one hangs on the other. Those
of you who haYe been well treated recollect that it is now in
your power to show your gratitude for past kindness; those
who think that your masters have occasionally felt harshly to-
wards you recollect that probably you gaze great provocation,
and show that if they have,been in the.wrong, that will not jus-
tify your acting improperly. I trust' that on my next visit to
this island I shall hear that your iinprdved habits of industry,
your quiet demeanour, and your increased' and increasing
wealth will show your obedience to the
.laws,..and that you de-
serve this great benefit which you now receive,,, '
Given under my hand this 29th day of April; 1835.
(Signed) .. •
SLIGO, Captain-General and Governor of Jamaiea.

AMERICAN PAPERS.

The fate of Mrs. Alston, the accomplished lady of Governor
Alston, of South •Carolina,,and daughter of Aaron Burr, has
beep shrouded in irastery for more than twenty•fvearq,;,,,Occa-
sionally, Weed, some gleams
her melanObly end, and the belief is-. that'she fell a.'etctliti-to:
piratical atrocity: Some threeyearS•ago,it was 'currently
ported that man residing in one of the tuterioreounlies of this
state made some disclosures on his death-bed which went to
confirm the confessions -previously made by a culprit on the
gallitivs,.that the vessel. in which M-rs. Alston sailed was scuttled
for the sake of her plate and -effects. The following article,
which we' copy from the Alabama Journal, goei to throw some
additional light on the subject._ The facts mentioned in it are
new to us, and will be, probably, to.most of our:readers
CONFiSSION OF A PlRATE.—Thepublie, no doubt, remembers
the story of the daughter of Aaron Burr, Who was the wife of
Governor. Alston, of South Carolina. Owthe return of her
father frOm Europe, abOut the year 1812,, she einharkeil from
Charleston on a visit to him at New Virk,On heard a privateer-
built vessel, and was never heard of afterwards.• It seems that
her friends at first thought the vessel had lallen irito.thehande
. • ,
of piratesoind afterwards conOntled,.that it was,,wrecked And
appeals from the statement of a r:sPectable merchant
of Mobile, that a man' died 'in that city recently 'who corlfss,d
I to his physician, on his dying bed, that. he .had been a pirate,
ansl.help.d to destroy the vessel anti all the erewancl passengers
in which, Mrs. Alston had entharked Sur New York.. He, de-
clared, says this gentleman,'that ;after the men were all killed
there was an unwillingness on the part' of every pirate to taking
the life of Mrs. Alston, who had not resisted them or fought
them, and therefore they drew lots who should perform the deed,
as it had to be done. The lot fell On this pirate, who declared
014 he effected, hisohject orputtipg,the lady to death by laying
a plank along;'the edge of the ship, half pn it, and half off,. or
over the edge, and 'made Airs. Alston walk on that plank till it
tilted over into-the water with .her: The dying pirate requested
the, physiciwto, make this story public, buth is surviving family
will not permit or .consent that the nanie<of the deceased should
be known.

The above tate was repeated over and over by the merchant
before mentioned in the:presence of 'a number oUzentleinen
whose names can be given. He said he, received it from the
physician himself, with no other injunction to, pecresy.than that
hotioUld not disclose the name of the physician for the4nesent.-
Off being asked if the physician was a man of veracity and
respectability, he replied there was no one, more so in Mobile.
The merchant was warned that this story would get into the
neWipapers, to which he made no objection.—Mobile Rey isle
May 23.

THE EUPHRATES EXPEDITION,

( From the Malta bovernment Gazette, June 3d.)

By his majesty's/ brig Columbine, Commander Henderson,
from the Orontes, we have received some account of the En,
phartes Expedition ' and its first proceedings. Col. ChesneY
and the whole of the officers and men were quite well on the 3a.
of May: they were encamped on a spot near: he'mouthof that'
river, to which they have given the name of Ainetiols6rtid,.
`f he Getoge Canning was towed by the Columbine almost the
while way fronniMalta to the bay of Orontei, where the expedil'
tion anchored on the 3d of April. On the '6th, the landing of
thei,paekages and stores was commeneed'by means of a hawser,'
which was extended over the bar from the George, Canning 'td
the shire, a distance of one thousand two hundred yards, by
the officers and men of the brig of war: Captain Hendetson
likewise stationed Lieutenant Thompson and: Mr. Pritchard'
with twenty-five men at the camp established on shore; and
every thing being thus well disposed, nearly two-thirds f the
whole of the equipments were landed by the boats of tile two
ships, eight in number, during the first week. The only acci-
dent'that happened was the temporary loss of a cask, contain-
ing the valves and other parts of the steam engines, which by
the breaking of the slings sunk to the bottom ; but it was soon
recovered by part of the apparatus of the diving bell.
The attention-of the officers of the expedition was then di-'
rected to other objects; to Captain Estcourt was allotted the re,
pair of the road to the Euphrates; to Lieut, Murphy and a
party, the survey of the bay of Issus ; to Lieut. Cleaveland the
landing -of the stores and the preparation of the caravans;
whilst Colonel Chesney, and Lieut. Lynch of the Indian navy
(who had been waiting and preparing for the expedition some
time in Syria), were employed in soliciting aid from the au-
thorities of the country, and making arrangements with the
ArabS' near Bir on the Eophrates, whether Lieut. Lynch pro-
ceeded 'to receive the first:section of light material's, which
would have arrived there about the 17th, if it had been possible
at once.to procure cainels,
During the second week the weather was so boisterous as to
retard' the landing a good deal,' and the gig of the Columbine
was upset on the bar with Captain Henderson and fem. Men in
her,' wild were all happily saved by a boat which immediately;
pushed off from, the George Canning.. But notwithstanding the
batl'Weather, by the 21st every thing was disembarked except
nfew coals.
ColOnel Chesney had now to contend with difficulties which
were, quite unexpected. The party left England in the fullest
persuasion thatthe promises which had been made to the Bri-
tish 'government of support and co-operation on the part of the
supreme authorities-would be fulfilled. A firmau had been is-
sued by the Sublinie 'Porte authorizing the navigation, of the
Euphrates, nor would so expensive a preparation have been
made for the shores of Syria without the concurrence also of his
higbnesS the Paiha of Egypt; but none of the people could be
induced, even by high pecuniary offers, to afford either their la.
bour or the means of transport. It was clear, therefore, that no
orders had been given on the subject, 'and Cc:done' Chesney
conseqUently paid a visit to Ibrahim Pasha, who was just ar-
rived at Tripoli from Egypt; but neither did he feel himself
enimw.ered to use his influence until farther instructions shoOl.
be received front Mehemet Ali. Fortunately, however, the
command of 'the expedition has been entrusted to an officer
whose determination and promptitude will admit of no delay;
no circurnstances. however discouraging, short of physicalOb-
stacks will, prevent his 'carrying into effect the orders he hai
received from his'government. By the able and zealous assist
ance of Captain,' Henderson, he has disembarked in safety. his
brave little band with everything. that is necessary to further
the objects of the undertaking,' and when the. Columbine left the
coast of Syria 'he was endeavouring to purchase "a sufficient
number of b011ocks•to transport the first division of materials to.
the river Euphrates; where it was•expected he might arrive
about the 9th of May. Notwithstanding, therefore, the first
disappointments, as no insuperable difficulties to impede his
progress were foreseen at our lastliates„ the next letters from
Colonel Chesney may, announce that the steamers are afloat
near Bir, where the people-are anxious fdr the arrival of the
expedition, and ready to give it assistance: Indeed, froth the
coast onwards, a considerable interest was ,manifested for 'the
success of the project, but such is the natural apathy of the
inhabitants of these countries, and's° new are they to the.cle-
million tinder which they now live,'''that they 'seeni• to fear
almost thsii—own acts, unless set id' motiOn by their own
The 'CoiatAbine, we belieVe,bringS 'despatches for his majesty's
goveriiMent, reporting the first steps of the, exPedition, and
complaining', of the necessity 'Colonel Chesney finds. himself
reduce'd to, Of depending altogether upon his own resources.
Fertile as his mind seems to be in expedients, and perseVering
as he,has Shown himielf in the service to which his majesty has
been pleased to, call him, we still trust that as soon as the saga-
cious Pasha, Mehemet Ali, heard of the arrival of the eipeditiOn,,
his highness lost no limn in transmitting to Syria the necessary
directions to countenance and support it. To the .unhappy
visitation under which'the, Egyptian possOisions 'at present
labour, and whith muStoccupy all the energies of their ruler,
can alone be attributed his inadvertence to'the objects of the
navigation of, the ..Etiphrates,--objects .which his penetrating
mind will not. fdit' to perceive must.cariy with Went, in their
success, the atiginentation of his resources, the iniprovement
and opulence of the dominions lately'subjectedtO his sway, and
draw closer his connexion with a great commercial and maritiine
power,
The estuary of the Orontes appears to have been a happy
selection for the disembarkation of the expedition ; and the
success with which it has been effected may be a favourable
omen of its future prog,reSs. . Amelia Islatidis'deScribed as pre-
senting a scene of high interest. The people of the surrounding:
places constantly visited the camp, and viewed with wonder and,
amazement the operations of our sailors andlriechanics • the
landing of the boilers:and large. pieces of the iron steam-boats
and engines, as Well as the fishing up of the: heavy cask from
the, botiona of the sea, caused the greateit possible sorprise. ,
truth, the, various eostnmes,,the mixed nature of the stores, the
general activity which connected the ships with the shore;the.
beautifill scenery, with the crest of Mount Cassius towering
above to the height of 5618 feet feet in the back,ground,lorrned
altogether a striking pieture'on the ancient wait of

MR. ALBANY FONBLANQUE AND MR. ROEBUCK:

(Copy,) Athenmum June 27, 18.35.
'Sir—ln vonr paper on the stamped press you obserVe that
"It has suited Mr. Fonblanque to compare me with Lord. Win-
chelsea, and thereby to insinuate, that I desired to put down the
Press. He knows that this is a false. insinuation." And, in
another
.passage',you say, with relation to 'the same subjett,
" He insinuates a'etiarge that he knew to be false'vrhile he made
it."
No such insinuation having been made in The Examiner; and
my observations in that paper not warranting the constructioo
which you have put upon them,• you .will feel the propriety of
withdrawing an accusation against me, of having insinuated a
charge which I knew to be "false even while I made it," and of
retracting ihe'above, and other offensive expressions, in which
this imputation is conveyed. My•friend Sit Francis Knowles
will receive your answer at your earliest convenience.
I belie the honour to be, Sir, your 'obedient servant
To J. A: Roebuck, Esq., M. P. A. FONBLANQCE.

The following answer was conveyed to Sir Francis Knowles
by Sir William Molesworth, on the part of Mr. Roebuck :

(Copy.) June 27,1835.
Sir—As from your letter it appears that no such insinuation
as I conceived was intended by you, 1 have no hesitation in
retracting the imputation of „wilful falsehood which I applied to
you, arid regret my misapprehension of -your meaning which.
led to it..
I terrain, Sir, your obedient servant,_
(Signed) J. A. ROEBUCK.

• .
The Common Conncil. of, this .town, at a meeting held on
Tuesday last, resolved to offer no opposition to the Corporation
Reform Bill now before Parliarneut.-7—Ncwcastle.Journal.
It is said that the Hon. Miss _Bylon, "Ada, sole da.ughter.of
my house and race," is about, to be united in marriage to Lord" King. The-bride will be twenty in next December; his lord-
ship- is thirty.,
.CHANGE OF EMPLOYMENT, • PLEASURE.-Mr. Guthrie, in
hi? ?catnina:tiori' before the Medical Committee of the House of
Comriibns, aftet alluding to the hard duty of examining persons
for prOising surgery; very naively. says, " There are many
evenings'When, after sitting some hours at a stretch, should
be.gla'r{to give a guinea to be allowed to go for half an hour
ane break stones in Lincoln's Inn-fields."
The unexpired part
.of the sentence of six months' imprison-
ment, passed upon a person in this town, who refused to give his
name, in )February last, for selling unstamped publications, has
been remitted by aßordef from the Home Secretary of State.
This is another spsGtmen of whig.equitv, Why are the Stamp
laWs suffered to emit if they are not to fie enforced.—Newedsr4
Journal.

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.