New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-06
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1856.

From ten to kheen families are united under the
thority Of an individual belonging TO the band, and
chosen BY themselves These Jsdt or judges, Of the
Gipsy bands are subordinate TO chief whom the Clip
sies term their Buls5assa The latter is chosen in full
assembly in the open air. Every Gypsy has the right
TO vote but the candidate for election must belong to
a family from which a Briu6ossa has already been
chosen. BE must be better clothed than his fellows
ripe in years and of imposing statue and bearing. AZ
ter choice has been Effected the successful candidate
il raised three times upon the shoulders of those
bed. with noisy demonstrations of respect. The rag
eed Gipsy leaves the field Of election as proudly
Magyar o:d of earlier times returning from the field
of Rak6s or an elector of Germany from the choice Of
An emperor. The Bphsbassa, as well as the subor-
dipae Judges, must be confirmed by the military gov
ernor Of the Principally In order to be distinguished
from other Gipsies they generally ride on horseback
and have the right TO wear beard, long red cloak,
leather boots Of red or yellow COLOR and also to carry
a knout wherewith to punish delnquents. The BUlu-
b0ssa stands between the Gpses and the Hospodsr of
the Principally He apportions the tribute that is to
be paid, acts as supreme Judge in cases where an sp
peal is made to his authority, Furnishes the guty gen.
orally with his hand and occasionally informs the
Government of the condition of his subjects The lat
ter stand in greater fear of their Buubassa than of the
prince himself.
The Gypsy slaves held as private property, in con-
tradistinction to those of the Government, belong
either to the costers TO private individuals They
are divided into two classes, the Laiessi and the
Vd,rassi The former roam over the Pincipslities
under the command of their Jude, differing from the
Locs of the Crown only paying tribute to the clos
ters and private individuals nstesd of the Government
Closters and similar religious institutions are more
numerous in Moldavia and wallachia than in any part
Of the world. excepting the region of Mount Athos.
and posess more than one third of the real estate in
the Princpalties In the year ls4s alaw was passed
manumtting the slaves belonging to the coisters,
which, however, has not been executed.
The second class, namely, the Vdtrasst, have liked
dwellings their position corresponding very nearly 70
that of the slaves in own country. They are TOR
the most part the house and field servants OF tho
wealthy Boysrd families. From being constantly
brought in contact with their masters, they nave
lost many of the distinctive characteristics oil the
Gypsy race. So completely have they forgotten
the language and peculiar customs OF ther no
madc brethren that it is difficult TO distinguish them
from the Walachian peasantry Some OF them hve
in villages engaged in agriculture, or serving as ma
sons smiths taors and shoemakers; but the greater
part do service in the city palaces OF the boyardS'
Their ancestors as well as those of the other classes
we have described were doubtless reduced to the
condition of slavery after their appearance IN the
Prncipaes-not as prisoners of war nor as the debt
ors of the wealthy Boyads, but by the right Oh the
stronger; and the few efforts made to anelorae ther
ptoble condition have thus far been attended with
but little success The influence OF this hateiui
institution upon both the master ana inc
slave must be everywhere essentially tho
anne. Families are broken up, virtue disre-
garded marriage dishonOred, humanity insulted
and wropged in Wanacha and Moldavia the same a.
in Virginia and South Carolina. The bastnado upon
the soes Of the feet the latter being elevated so that
merely the head and shoulders of the sufferer rested
on the ground, was formerly the ordinary mode oil
punishment for the slaves. The lash, spiked collar
and close confinement are now generally employed. In
Bucharest it is common thing to hear that TINS OF
that Boyard hos murdered one or more slaves. Gypsy
blood flows in the veins of the best Boyard families
bodied males be purchased for less than sioo
Females however, usually much more expensive,
their value depending upon their youth and natural
CHAINS. No thought attention is paid to the edu'
cation of the slaves and complete is the authority
of the Boyards over their human chates, that the
Government officers are not allowed to give the num-
Der of the slaves in the census. This unlimited au'
thorty of ownership, the entire absence OF iustruc
tion and the cheapness of the article, are evidently
improvements upon the system as it exists in the
Southern States But in Eastern Europe there are
no bloodhounds-no fugitive Slave Laws. Even Aus.
tra, with all her political sins, unbnd' the chains OF
the slave and makes of the serf afreeman Before the
occupation of the Danuban Principalties thousands
Of Wallachian Gpses were under the protection OF
the Austrian Consulate at Bucharest, and since that
event they have not failed to protect the unfortunate
slaves Iom the cruelty and rapscy of their Boyard
masters. A movement is now on foot to emancpate
the Gypsy slaves in Moldava, but owing to the dis
ordered condition of the Prncpslities but little good
is to be expected from that quarter Should Austria
become the possessor of Walachia and Moldavia their
emancipation will doubtless speedily follow.