The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-12-27
Isl FOR THE MADISoNIAN.
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, Dec. A, 1913.
NUMBER Nv.

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, Dec. a, 1913
~ NUMBER w.
Having seen the great anxiety other Britannia
Defendeioi the Faith and his Spanish Catholic
Majesty !! TO carry on their negro trade in time
OF wunder their slave passes and their slave
nags, fclns go tothe other side Of the globe,
and take smother look into the great British in
corporation for the favored few to trade in India
by reference to Accounts and Papers, nine
volumes, ~ relating TO Colonies, East India
Company, Slavery, and Slave Trade-Session
February-l5 August, 1884; vol. Xiv. 1884
SLAVERY IN INDIA.
"Return to an order of the Honorable the House of
Commons dated 9th March, 1884, fol Papers rela-
tive to Slavery in India. (l28.)
Questions il the East Indies, circulated by the Com
missionenfor the Affairs of India"
There AIRY nineteen Of these questions, page 2.
AK i ANSWERS.
Answt$s a Rev. Joseph Fern, in the interior OF
the King eoM y Trasancose, in Cotagama--popula-
ton, exclusive Of slaves, between 5000 and 1000
"I have sometimes assembled some hundreds
They present ,creched appearance. There is custom
of giving them cloth occasionally, the only clothing
they wear | am not aware of any provision for age
sickness.
They are frequently transferred.
The price oil good slave, male. is about 300
pence suppose they seizabe for the debts OF
their masters. know Of no restriction. Husbands
and wives are know separated by sale to different
parties.
81 heard, while in Travancore, [where he resided
| hat ell he m
NUM- ted, but that all slapes without proprietor ,cere
the property Of the Government. The slaves are in the
lowest possible state of degradation.
=" | was missionary in India"
Answers of T. H. BABER, Esq "Havng resided a
period Of 80 years and been actively engaged during
that time in every department of the public SERVICE
revenue, police, magisera judicial, and POLITICAL in
various countries where both domestic and agrestic
slavery prevails those countries are:
" The Bombay Territory, comprising the late
Southern Mahratta States-the western division of
the Madras territories. The laws administered
sanction and recognize slavery some slaves have
been compelled by constant ill-treatmen from their
masters in Maabar to take refuge in the territories
of Mysore RAJ abs. Slaves who had been Kidnapped
in Trayancore and sold to British subects-and free.
born children OF various castles of Hndoos, subject
to the Cochin or Travancore Raahs reduced to
slavery in the honorable Company's dominions
Page a: " In all the countries above enumerated
the varieties and of domestic slavery are very
numerous, namely: those persons who are the off
spring or descendants of freeborn persons captured
during wars outcast Hlndoos who had been sold
into slavery under or by former Governments kid
mapped persons brought by bungaries and other
ellng merchants from distant inland States and sold
into slavery persons imported from the ports in the
Persian Gulf, 10 the Red Sea, or from the African
coast persons sold when children by their own pa.
rents, in times Of famine great dearth the off,
n le inn tp pbni
consideration of Of money, in the Discharge
of a security for the payment of debt, have bound
themselves by voluntary contract to servtude eth
er for life limited period all of which have in
former times or do prevail, more or less wherev-
domestic slavery found but chiefly in the South
ern Mahratta country, both in the Companys and
Jaggheer portion of it,
" In the Dooab or Southern Mahratta country the
number of domestic slaves compute al $1,000.
Throughout the Deccan slavery is very prevalent
ain every Mahratta household of consequence there
are, both male and female slaves.
g In the Zlllah of Capara the total number of
slaves, agrestic and domestic, may be fairly computed
at so 900 in the northern division the slave popua
ton is 81, 0Z2.
Domestic slavery being fully recognized by both
the Hndoo and Mahomedan CODE as well as by the
usages of the people, and agrestic or pradl slavery
being equally SO by the common law called Desha-
jay, having existed from time immemorial, but not
so absolute has obtained since the Maabar Coast
Provinces came under the Company's government.
This evidence of T H. Baber extends through
nearly 26 folio pages.
Next comes, "Answers of Col. James Welsh.
page 2S.
"The general condition of the agrestic slaves is
bad every where. They enjoy little comfort, have
coarse, precsrous and scanty food bad clothing fire.
queny at all, and no provision that could ever
learn for old age or sickness. The domestic slaves
for the most part better off but still subject to the
despotic will Of their owners in every thing short Of
life pa. 30. They have no particular hour.
which they can call their own, not any one day in the
week set aport for rest or devotion. The LASH or at
least coercye strokes, are, fear, too commonly
used, and Unfortunately TO both sexes"
''Slaycs can be and are sold at pleasure" His
evidence extends to page 80.
Answer Of A. d Campbell Esq.
He resided in India twenty-five years and had on.
portunites of observing the state Of slavery in India
as Secretary, a member Of the Board Of Revenue at
Madras Superintendent of Police at the Presidency
Registrar Judge of circuit in the Provinces principal
Collector and Magistrate at Tanjore, SC
A. ID. CANPBELL's testimony extends fiom
page 30 to page 80, and is completely corrobo- !
rative of the Rev. Mr.. Fern, of T. H. Baber, |
Esq, of Col James Welsh, page 81. Answer
of Henry Bevan, % years in actual military |
service in India, had excellent opportunities, and
coroborates the foregoing.
Page 41. Evidence given before the Lords
Committee, 1880, relating to slavery in the East
Indies, corroborates the preceding.
The evidence on page az has these conclud- /
ing lines;
Slaves have been sold in Carara for arrears of
revenue. The persons employed in searching for
gold are the slaves of the proprletors. Az
And again, by reference TO the "Asatic |
Journal" published in London in August, 1888, /