The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-12-27
From the .Ne,U York Observer.
SLAVERY In Us MARS SrATE


The existence of slavery in the British domnions
has been denied but the facts now abundant to
prove that it is under that Government tolerated with
horrors that probably have parallel. Just before
the last ad journment of Parliament, Lord Brougham
called the attention of the House to the subject of
slavery and the slave trade.
After stating the law on the bjec of slavery and
expressing his fears that British subjects had unwit-
tingly exposed themselves to its penalties by enga-
ging the slave trade, his lordship read extracts
from the report Of the India ia,o commissioners on The
subject # siarery in India. These extracts gave in
stances Of hO,1d and systematca y planned murders or
the sake Of obtaining children 10 be sold ito slareYg
Lord Brougham, after reading the extracts made an
eloquent appeal to the Government to take steps
to accelerate the abolition of such atrocities.
The following extract taken from a full report Of
Lord Broughams statements, supplies the most valu
able OF the facts adduced by his ordshp in bearing
out his position of the enormity of the crime of slave
dealing IN India and he read extract from the re-
port Of The commissioners, which srikingly pointed out
one OF the consequences Of slaray India The prac-
uce TO which he al uded had only recently been
brought TO light, and described IN a report 10 tie
nssionerS By Major Sieeman. The description was
under the head Megpunnaism, which tins gent eman
describes as part of notorious practice for the
purpose Of getting slaves Ii is stated in his report
" This system Of numbering INDECENT parents for Liei,
children has been loIising since the siege Of bhutpore
in 1876, and the Of their combining their depreda-
lions 10 this class Of people 10 hare been The grra
demand they found for these children IN all parts Of the
country and The facility icih tchch they integied their
parents into their society They in the habit Of
dlsposlng OF the female children thus obtained for
very large sums, to respectable natives or TO the
prostitutes Of the different cities they visited and
they found this system more lucrative than that of
numbering travellers IN good circumstances, and less
likely to be brought TO the notice of the local
authorities, as inquiries seldom made after
the victims by their surviving relations These
gangs, contrary to this customs of those whose pro-
ceedings are now so well known TO u.s. invariably
take their families 10Th them their expeditions and
the female members Of the gang EMPLOY nreigiers
10 ioin the confidence Of e emgrdnf families Meu tall IN
ruth on the road They introduce these families 10 Me
gang, aud they prevailed upon 10 accompany them 10
place suitable for their designs upon them 1olere the
parents murdered by the men, rhiie the gonen take
ofhe children After throwing their bodies into
the river, or otherwise disposlng Of them the men
return to their women in the camp; and when the
children inquire after their parents, they are told
that they have sold them TO certain members Of the
gang, and departed. If they appear to doubt the
truth of these assertions, they deferred from fur
Their inquiries by threat Of 7nstant death They
allowed to associate freely with the families oil
the murderers, and in few days their grief SUBSIDIES
and they become rcconclled TO their fate. The fe-
male children arc either adopted by members Of the
gang sent in charge of the women, to be disposed
Of They find ready sale for them among the Brn-
iarahs many of whom are connected with these gangs
IN their murderous trade, and all Of them are well
known in Upper India to traffic in children These
BrlnJarabs resell the children to the prostitutes of
the different cities, who soon become acquainted with
the fate of their parents, and much pleased to
learn IT, as II relieves them Of all apprehension that
they will ever come TO reclaim them"
lie then gives the examination Of some Of the
wreiches connected with these gangs of murderers
One of these outcass says 4" We call our trade viz
murdei ing travellers for their children, megpunnar
Another asked, %. You have stated in your
various dispositions that you invariably preserve the
children and sell them Are you not afraid that these
children will disclose the manner in which YOU got
them, and thereby get you into trouble A. We in
varably murder our victims at night, first takng the
precaution 10 put the children TO Sleep anJ i'm the
morning tell them that we have purchased them
of their parents, who have gone off and left them.
z You seem TO have been in the habit of selling
children in all parts Of the country how have YOU
avoided being apprehended' A. The children are
seldom of the fate of their parents and in ge-
neral we sell them to people very well acquainted
with the nature Of our proceedings"