Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-04-24
ABOLITION IN THE DUTCH WEST IN
DIES.


We announced some time since the publication
Of law abolishing slavery in the Dutch West In
dies We give below synopsis OF the act late
proclaimed. regulating this manunssOn for the
colony OF Surinam, u settlement in which we may
feel peculiar int crest, from tho tact that having
been originally planted by English sstters. it was
transferred tu the Dutch by way Of Umpensatun
for the colony of New Netherland.
Surinam is the principal Dutch colony. contain
ing MT the last census the fret Of January.
1856, some thirty eight thousand slaves, ct whom
twenty nine Thousand and upward were employed
ON plantations. Another law, il is to be supposed
will be issued regulating the emancipation in the
islands belonging 10 the Dutch. These islands are
however, incunsidernble, their entire population
not heng quarter part thnt of Surinam.
The emancipation III Surinnm, AS regulated by
the in question, is i: will be seen not absolute
but rather of tie slaves from the ownership Ut
their masters to the superntendence and control
Of the Government which is to continue until by
virtue of certain fixed cOntrbn,ion the Govern
ment shall be reimbursed the mlunt paid to the
owners by way ot in nlemnlty. But any ,lave able
to pay down to tho Guvernnent tho ant ad
vanced TO his owner is tu become his own unster
ut once. The maximum indemnity is $3.50 for
sinces hetween the ages OF twenty five and thirt,
five. rhe .nnu,un is twenty dollars for slaves OF
htty'f>o and upward. For children under five,
nothing Is u he paid. and they become free i'm.
medmtely. Children between five and ten are
rated at forty dollars. These would be thought
very low prices in our Southern slave markets,
where new bern infants are sold at dollar II pouuu
aud prime hands at n thousands or fifteen hundred
dollars each ; but the profits of slave labor and
the current prices of slaves III Snrinam during the
last twenty or thirty Years on which the estimate
Is based, have been bat moderate The slaves
purchased up by the Government are TO he hired
out on certain fixed StipulatIons, and under Ger.
tain regulations. To the planters. two funds to be
deducted from their wages One t, he appropriated
as already mentioned, to indemnity the Govern
ment for Its advances f; the other tn bc apprnprnt
ca to their religious tenchng, the education ot
their children and the relief Of the SICK poor and
aged.
In order to bring planters to TERMS and to com
pei them to submit to the rules and regulations
prescribed. it is jnticiously provided that where
the planters do not choose to employ tie negroes
on the terms laid down, thev shall he established
in rural settlements, each of some fifteen hundred
pers ms. to be employed in agricultural labor
under the supervision of officers appointed by the
Government. having IN assessors elders chosen by
the inhabitants. The agricultural labor required
is to be nine hours day tor five days in the week
the lab"rers to have Saturdays and Sundays 10
themselves. Separate pro,is ms are made for
the late household slaves. The law
provides, also. for the civil rights of the emauci
pated on the essential topics of marriage, divorce.
minority, guardianship, succession, wills, &c. S,
tar as we can Judge 10y the synopsis for we have
not the law at length---it appears to have
be cn drawn with great care, with enliyh h'ened
regard to the interests of all parties. and With II
view to avoid. a. far possible. the inconvenicn
yes which reIutel in the English West Iudi -
from y sudden transition from state ui absolute
-htrry, IL Is e iiut htNeVrr. thtt in an rXurr.
""nt ut tins -"rf tuc h"St i1u Witl await uu: itte
o Il succ ss II raul. Everyih must lie end
lt'," II" ,nH,ge"cr rni .o'I in,tn auth which
IA" Ihnu ~ carried uur. IL II desuut> he h ped
mat the prrsuns tr whom the butch ,vernnrn,
may oomlnit me charge ut ihis experiment ma,
he i"uni adequate To the grave trust COMMITTED to
,hem.
The prinrnl product Of Surnnm is sugar and
molasses, Paranarbo. which is the seaport and
capital, contains population Of twelve or fifteen
thousand. Besides the forty thousand slaves. the
C"lnny contains free population ut eight or ten
Of whom not above quarter part are
white Tribune