the limit is only ten years, and even under that age they may be separated by sale, if it can be shewn that it is for the wellbeing of the children to be so sold.

6. Slave owners are required, but not under any penalty, not only to have slave children baptized but to send them to school.

7. The property of slaves, dying intestate, is to go to a fund for redeeming female slave children by fair appraisement.

8. No slave is to be rejected as a witness, by reason of slavery, if sufficiently instructed to understand the nature of an oath, except only in civil suits in which his owner is concerned. This is by far the most liberal provision yet made in any slave colony on this subject.

[Further progress of Colonial Reform to be continued in the next Number.]

BRAZILIAN MINING COMPANY.

We have been heavily charged by the West India Reporter, in its last Number, with a wish to suppress, from some sinister motive, the alleged criminal, nay, if true, felonious conduct of the above Company in purchasing, from the slave ships in Brazil, new negroes for working their mines. We certainly have felt no wish to screen that body from any part of the obloquy, or of the penalties, which appropriately attach to such conduct;-and what conduct can be worse than for a body of Englishmen, to involve themselves consciously, and deliberately, in the guilt and infamy of such a transaction, which the justice of our laws now ranks with piracy? But we confess that we have been less anxious to declaim against the alleged crime, than to attain the means of insuring its conviction.

I

CASE OF BETTO DOUGLAS.

The

WE have been informed that our statement of this case involves a mistake. This woman is there represented to have purchased, of Lord Romney, the freedom of her two sons; whereas the fact is now stated to be that these two sons are still the slaves of Lord Romney. mistake, however, assuming it to be one, originates wholly with Mr. Goldfrap, the agent of Lord Romney, who in his letter to Governor Maxwell, inserted in the papers laid before the House of Commons,* says, "I wrote to his Lordship, at the request of Elizabeth Douglas, to beg that he would permit her to purchase her two sons. In the same letter, gave that woman an excellent character as well deserving his Lordship's consideration. His Lordship wrote me that he had written to Mr. Davis," (his new attorney) "to carry into execution all my wishes." But be the fact in question misapprehended or not, it does not affect the enormity of the case, of which it is merely an incident. It does not diminish, for example, the cruelty of the man who confined this poor wretched creature, for six months, in the stocks, for failing to pay him fifteen shillings a month; neither does it palliate the conduct of the grand jury who presented, as a nuisance, the Governor's reference of that atrocity to a court of justice.

* Of 1st May, 1827, No. 287, not 187, as erroneously printed in No. 25.

96

REV. W. M. HARTE, OF BARBADOES.

IN the Reporter, No. 26, p. 20, are inserted the proceedings of the Vestry of St. Lucy, severely condemning the conduct of their Rector Mr. Harte, for attempting to destroy the necessary distinctions of society, both "by his offensive sermon on Easter Sunday, and his disgraceful conduct in administering the Lord's supper." Mr. Harte has since published his defence in a letter to the Bishop, and the Bishop's judgment upon it is no less creditable to himself and to Mr. Harte, than it is discreditable to the vestry of St. Lucy's parish. "I have no hesitation," observes his Lordship, "in saying, that I can perceive nothing in your conduct, which either deserves my censure, or justifies the very strong language used against you by certain of the inhabitants of your parish. The Sermon preached by you on Easter day, I have read. It is a plain and powerful denunciation against sin, but contains nothing in my opinion, in matter or in language, that can be called offensive, save to an offending conscience. And with respect to the mode of administering the holy communion, as detailed by yourself, and confirmed by the testimony of your curate, I feel myself called upon to state that the same mode has been pursued under my own eye in the Cathedral, as most suitable to the nature and dignity of the sacrament, and to the spirit of that Gospel which knows no distinctions in matters of grace."

The testimony of the curate is, that he was present at the administration of the Lord's supper, on Easter Sunday, and administered the cup, and that he never saw more decorum and solemnity than was observed by Mr. Harte, on that and every similar occasion. "In no instance whatever were the consecrated elements ever administered to a black or coloured person before a white." (We rightly conjectured that some such allegation as this must have constituted the unpardonable crime of Mr. Harte, against which Sir R. A. Alleyne inveighed with such bitterness.) "I recollect that on the day alluded to, the table was once filled with white communicants; but as there was not a sufficient number to fill it a second time, the negroes and coloured people knelt at the south end of the table, some of whom might have received, and I believe did receive the bread, from Mr. Harte, at the same time that I was administering the wine to the remainder of the white communicants."

The defence of Mr. Harte, which is an able and lucid statement of facts, drawn up in a mild and truly christian-like spirit, may hereafter furnish some curious illustrations of the semi-savage manners, and the hostility to religion, prevailing in this island.

This, and all other publications of the Society, may be had at their office, 18, Aldermanbury; or at Messrs. Hatchards, 187, Piccadilly, and Arch's, Cornhill. They may also be procured, through any bookseller, or at the depots of the AntiSlavery Society throughout the kingdom.

London:-BAGSTER & THOMS, Printers, 14, Bartholomew Close.

MONTHLY REPORTER.

No. 29.]

FOR OCTOBER, 1827.

[No. 5. Vol. ii.

The "ANTI-SLAVERY MONTHLY REPORTER" will be ready for delivery on the first day of every month. Copies will be forwarded at the request of any AntiSlavery Society, at the rate of four shillings per hundred, when not exceeding half a sheet, and in proportion, when it exceeds that quantity. All persons wishing to receive a regular supply are requested to make application to the Secretary, at the Society's office, No. 18, Aldermanbury, and mention the conveyance by which they may be most conveniently sent. Single Copies may be had of all booksellers and newsmen, at the rate of 1d. per half-sheet of eight pages, or 2d. per sheet of sixteen pages.

FURTHER PROGRESS OF COLONIAL REFORM, PART II. (Continued from No. 28, page 95.)-WEST INDIAN REPORTER.

IN the last number we exhibited a succinct view of the measures of His Majesty's Government, with respect to Colonial Reform, accompanied by some observations on the tenor of Lord Bathurst's Instructions to the Governors of the Colonies. We then proceeded, after briefly specifying the defects in the Trinidad Order in Council, to shew whether in any, and in what respects, that model had been followed in the following Colonies, viz. 1. Antigua, 2. Bahamas, 3. Barbadoes, 4. Berbice, 5. Bermuda, 6. The Cape of Good Hope. We now propose to give a similar view of the reforms which have been effected, or rather which have not been effected, in the remaining Slave Colonies.

VII. DEMERARA.

Such copious details respecting the Demerara Slave Code may be found in "The Slave Colonies of Great Britain," p. 21 to 33; in the 11th Number of the Anti-Slavery Reporter, p. 145 to 151, and in the 27th Number of the same work, that little need now be said upon it. The papers recently laid before Parliament contain little more than prolonged discussions of the Court of Policy on the same points of objection, particularly that of manumission, which are treated of in the above-mentioned publications, and in the last of them at considerable length. In those discussions Mr. President Wray, well known for the part he bore in the trial of the Missionary Smith, takes a prominent but not a very useful share. Professing, for example, to be a friend to the principle of manumission as proposed by the Government, he contrives, with great adroitness, to propose modifications of it, which, if adopted, would effectually destroy its efficacy. With him, indeed, appear to have originated those monstrous provisions respecting manumission adopted into the Berbice Code, on which we have already remarked,† and which make the manumission clause in that Code almost a nullity. They are, in fact, little more than a transcript from his speeches, which, it must be acknowledged, display much ingenuity in

• Papers, &c. of 1827, Part ii. p. 171 and 183.

N

+ See No. 28. p. 93.

embarrassing a plain question, and in frustrating the very principle he professes to advocate.

The Court of Policy persist in refusing to pay the slaves for their Sunday labour in potting sugar, and drying cotton and coffee; or to permit them to hold property in land; and they re-assert their opinion that the principle of manumission against the will of the master is a direct violation of the sacred right of property. But this point can require no farther discussion, after what it has already received: it is now in issue before his Majesty's Government, the Parliament, and the country.

VIII. DOMINICA.

The usual circular communications were sent to the Governor of Dominica by Earl Bathurst, but were not brought before the Assembly until the 13th of February, 1827. The eight Bills were then proposed, but were all rejected. The Assembly expressed an intention to bring in a law of their own for further meliorating the condition of the slaves, but it was postponed, on the pretence of waiting till they knew whether the Acts they had already passed would be confirmed by his Majesty. "After all," says the Governor, General Nicolay," I must confess that, although several of the amendments recommended might very likely be acceded to, I much doubt whether the Assembly will, in any shape, effectually embody in their laws, a provision for the appointment of a Protector and Guardian of slaves; a measure of primary importance, and on which many of the other suggested improvements depend."

The Assembly have not been left long in doubt as to the fate of their former Bills, for in a despatch which bears date the 3rd of April, 1827, Lord Bathurst informs the Governor that "His Majesty is graciously pleased to acknowledge with commendation the disposition which the legislature of Dominica have manifested in many of the provisions of these acts to improve the condition of the slave population; and considering that they are in general framed in such a manner as to promote the well-being of that class of society, his Majesty has, with the advice of his Privy Council, been pleased to confirm them." "His Majesty's Government will, however, anxiously expect a revision of these Acts, with a view to the remedy of the various defects and omissions which I have pointed out."||

The Acts spoken of, are an Act of November, 1825, for abolishing all fees and taxes on manumission, to which, of course, no objection could be made; and "an Act for the further encouragement, protection, and better government of slaves, and for the general amelioration of their condition," passed in January, 1826. It is only on this last Act that it will be necessary to make any observations.

Lord Bathurst himself states the following long list of defects in this

Papers of 1827. Part ii. p. 173, 174. † Ibid. p. 186. Papers, &c. 1827, Part ii. p. 5. The importance of the accounts for the universal and vehement opposition it colonies.

Ibid. p. 8.

See No. 27. passim. measure sufficiently meets with in the

very Act which, with a strong expression of commendation, he had advised his Majesty to confirm.

1. It is silent on the important subject of Marriage.*

2. It is silent on the important subject of a Protector of Slaves.

3. Sunday Markets are there contemplated as permanent.

4. Compulsory labour, on the Sunday, seems to be allowed.

5. The use of the whip in the field, is not only not prohibited, but indirectly sanctioned.

6. The owner, &c. may still arbitrarily inflict thirty-nine lashes on any slave; and ten of these may be inflicted without any of the delay required in the case of a greater number.

7. The presence of a free witness at punishments is not required. 8. The flogging of females, instead of being prohibited, is expressly allowed.

9. No limit is fixed to the severity of any punishment, except that of whipping.

10. No record of punishment is required to be kept.

11. A slave's exhibiting recent traces of illegal punishment is not made to raise any presumption of guilt against the owner or manager. 12. No penalty is attached to a slave, who inflicts on another slave, an illegal punishment.

13. However repeatedly persons may inflict illegal punishments, they are not liable to any forfeiture of their slaves, nor to any incapacity of holding them, on account of such conduct.

14. Even in cases of atrocious cruelty and mutilation, where a jury may order the slave to be taken from his master, he is not to be made free, but sold, and the offender is to receive his price.†

15. A slave is expressly authorized to punish his fellow slaves by whipping.

16. A slave may be condemned to work in chains by a single magistrate, if convicted before him, as he may be on the evidence of a fellow slave, of habitual bad conduct.

66

17. The rules for the non-separation of the same family, are destitute of all sanctions for securing the observance of them." The separation of husbands and wives, and of children from their father, and even from their mother after twelve years of age, is not forbidden.

18. The taking property from slaves is not made penal, unless it is taken forcibly; and the only property which it is penal even thus to take away, is such only as the slave may possess both by law and custom; but there being no positive law on the subject, of course no penalty can ever be enforced.

19. No provision is made for securing or recovering debts or bequests

And this is the more remarkable, because in the preceding Acts of Dominica, annulled by this Act, provisions for the marriage of slaves, and for punishing the violation of their marriage bed, used to hold a conspicuous place, although, as might be expected, they were uniformly a dead letter.

This also is the course pursued in almost all the other Colonies.

The same may be predicated of ninety-nine out of one hundred, of all the meliorating laws, so called, enacted in the Slave Colonies. They are utterly destitute, as Mr. Burke well observed, of all executory principle.