Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-11-20
THE MURDEROUS TRAFFIC.


evening. ICour;ier.
THE MURDEROUS TRAFFIC.
1hou5h we cannot approve the motive
winch prompts Great Britain to suppress the
slave trade, we are truly grateful for the prac-
'lce in respect to it. We observe that two o.
ther vessels have been captured at Bony, on
the coast of Africa, by the boats of the Tartar
anu I!lstlc. One OF them was schooner of
many heavy guns, and an abundance of small
arms, manned by about Fifty "of tie most
desperate fellows unhung," as the account
| says, and great address, as well as some very
severe hShiinS, was necessary to take her
She had Spanish colors, bat h r crew, BY their
language were chiefly American or English
VINO appeared To be excessively alarmed at
tiielr condition, after capture, fcarfully look
| ln5 10 their well earned reward, the gallows
On board tins vessel there were 80 slaves, a.
nons whom the dysentery already prevailed,
by which many had died, and The dead and
dying were mixed together. The other was
under the Portuguese hag, and, having on
ly Just commenced business, had only about
100 slaves on board. In The former the wo-
men, who were said to be comtcriably slowed,
compared with the men, had II room four feet
high, sixteen feet long, and nine feet wide to
sleep iii-one hundred ri them were cram
stood at 100. We pray that in some of the
captures made, evidence may be- had to con-
wet some OF the principals in this nefarious
trade The execution of a dozen or two of
persons wing la the United Statcs, would do
much to check it, and save hundreds OF lives
IN year. Mics Rerister.
As to TIC o'ylniz ,tio of the Navy De-
parlment, the Secretary is known and nc
knowlcdged as lis head. Nothing is done
without his consent but the details of the
ministerial dG.ics are by law given to the
Board these details embrace equipment and
supplies and after he has ordered the Board
to prepare ship, and fit her for sea. he waits
until she is reported ready. The benefits of
tins arrangement have not been experienced
merely in the convenience o the Department.
but ITS advantages TO the public interest have
been far greater than the nation generally is
aware of. They consist in having relieved the
Secretary OF duties with which he must, from
inc nature oi his previous pursuits, be entirely
ignorant, AMI placing them in the hands of a
b0ari Oh officers practically acquainted with
all The mlnuiia ofnaya equipment, the Droocr
cost, quantity, quality, etc. Of naval supplies.
and. IN word, in having substituted, in the
naval administration, knowledge for igno-
rance, and economy for extravaganza. From
this Judclous system like the wse system
ofresponsibility, decomposition and economy,
so happily introduced by the present Sccre
tary, into the other branch OF the military
service, the War Departmcnt-the benefits
WIN every day become more apparent, I'M
I'll they will be fully appreciated and approved
by the people. f.Nai mt
SALEM, Mas. Nov. Title Supreme Ju-
d'c'dl Court, OH Saturday last, delivered ma
ny opinions in cases argued at the last and pre-
sent terms. They decided many important
principles. But the most important decision
was that Of the Heirs of Foster against The
Essex Bank, for the amount of $1,000 dol
lars, special deposit, pundered from said
bank by the Cashier and Chief Clerk The
opnon OF the Chief Justice in this case was
able and conclusive. He first considered
whether the bank in this case could be said TO
have made any contract with the deposition.
II so, what the nature Of that contract was
and If the contract had been violated? He
considered, ~ the bank authorized its officers
to receive special deposits, that the Bank was
the depository, and not the Cashier He then
went into learned disqusition on baiIments
from the highest, that which amounts to alb
soIute insurance, down TO the lowest, that of
simple deposits. If the bank derived no bene-
TIT from the deposit, it was to be- considered
merely in the nature of simple deposit, and
they could only be answcrabe for the same
care Of the deposit as they took of their own
specie. They could only be answerabIe for
such gross negligence as is considered fraud
in law. If the Cashier should have left the
Bank with the doors open, and any person
should have entered and stolen the money,
then the bank would be liable. The Chief
Justice then considered the question whether
the bank did derive any benefit from special
deposits. Ii had been argued that they could
discount upon them but this from careful
examination Of the statutes, the Court were
satisfied was not correct. IL was further
stated that such deposits gave to the public
confidence in banks; but any confidence dcriy-
ed from such source was faIlacious and decep-
i've, as the banks had no right TO open such
deposits for any purpose. From ali the cir