merset had thought proper to delay his return in order to avoid inquiry. He could, however, assure the House, that the Noble Lord had had no opportunity of leaving the Cape at an earlier period. He could not make his departure till the arrival of the Lieutenant-Governor, which did not take place till the 12th of February. He had expressed the greatest anxiety to return, and no one could feel greater regret than himself that he had not yet arrived.

The hon. member (Mr. Beaumont) had not adverted to the law which is established at the Cape of Good Hope. Dutch law might not be so good as English law; but it was the duty of the Governor to administer the law as established. It was not for him to consider whether the law was good or bad. He had acted according to the opinion of his legal advisers; by his actions he was ready to stand. He courted the fullest inquiry, satisfied that every charge would be repelled, every insinuation crushed, and his character completely vindicated.

The petition was afterwards withdrawn owing to an informality.

May 9.

Mr. J. S. Buckingham.-Lord John Russell presented a petition from Mr. J. S. Buckingham, complaining of the treatment experienced by him from the government of India.

After some remarks from Mr. Wynn, Mr. Scarlett, Col. Johnson, and Mr. Astell, the petition was brought up, and Lord John Russell moved that it be referred to a select committee, to examine into the matter thereof, and to report their opinion thereupon to the House; which, after some observations by Dr. Phillimore and Col. Trant, was carried by a majority of three.

Slave Trade at the Mauritius.-Mr. T. Fowell Buxton moved for a Select Committee to inquire whether the Slave-Trade had prevailed at the Mauritius, to what extent, and the causes hereof. The hon. member entered into very copious details respecting the Slave-trade in this quarter and the state of the slaves in the island. He contended that the traffic continued, and offered to prove the fact by evidence in the committee. There had been ninetynine decided disembarkations of slaves in the island, besides slave-ships captured, amounting to forty-four. These 143 vessels might probably contain 30,000 slaves. This fact afforded sufficient ground for the motion, but there were other facts. The imported slaves were mostly males, and whereas in the West-Indies, the aggregate slave population showed an excess of females; in Mauritius, the number of the male slaves was 41,000 and that of female slaves only 22,000. In the Seychelles there were five males to one female. It would be readily admitted that the great

temptation to slave-trading was the growth of sugar; and, therefore, some imperfect confirmation of the increase of the slavetrade might be found in the increase of the growth of sugar. In 1810, very little sugar was grown at Mauritius; but in two or three years afterwards it exported half a million of pounds. In 1822 (the last year for which he had been able to procure any returns on the subject) the export of sugar from Mauritius was no less than 30,000,000 of pounds; so that between the years 1810 and 1822, the growth of sugar had increased sixty-fold in the island. (Hear, hear!) It was not, as might be at first supposed, that the Colonists had turned their attention exclusively to that from other articles, for they raised other articles of produce in an almost equally increased ratio. In 1813 the price of sugar was 30s. per cwt., and the island exported 50,000 cwt. In 1823, sugar was reduced to the ruinous price of 17s. per cwt., and yet it exported that year 230,000 cwt.; so that under such an enor mous depreciation of price, the amount of this produce had, during the interval in question, been increased between four and five-fold. The hon. member, after an eloquent picture of the horrible character of the slave traffic, concluded by stating that he was afraid the conduct of this country furnished an apology to the world for the existence of the slave trade. When the government remonstrated with France on the subject, she might fairly tell them to look at home, and pointing to the Mauritius, might argue with justice, that greater cruelties were practised under the sanction of this country than any with which she could be charged. (Hear!) In what prostrate degradation, then, was this country placed, bound as it was by its interest, its honour, and its duty, to set an example to the world, that it should be proved not only criminal, but set up as the apo logist for crimes in others! (Hear hear!) If the charges which he had brought forward were false, he would be content to be set down as the basest libeller that had ever existed; if they were true, he hoped that the authors of the cruelties which he

had depicted would meet with their due punishment-not only the authors, but all

those who had at all connived at them.(Hear, hear!) If the present charges were to be overlooked, if the alleged facts were to be disregarded, then he, for one, would advise the house to give up all further legislation or interference in the slavetrade! (Hear!)

t

Sir R. Farquhar entered into a very minute justification of himself and his go vernment against the accusations of the hon. member. He declared that he had exerted himself to the uttermost to put a stop to the trade, and it was his firm conviction, and that of other persons of high authority

sequence of the new measure, if it were not in some degree obviated by the adoption of such a principle as he spoke of.

authority, that in Mauritius and its dependencies the slave-trade was no longer carried on. So far as his conduct or character might seem to be impugned by the motion, he was most anxious for the fullest inquiry. (Hear, hear!)

Mr. Canning said, that as the hon. member (Mr. Fowell Buxton) had made this question one which affected the national honour, as he pledged himself to prove that the continuance of this detestable traffic had been encouraged or connived at by the local government; as it was thus an accusation against the country, rather than against individuals, he (Mr. Canning) thought that it would look ill in foreign countries if the motion for inquiry was rejected. He should upon that ground offer no opposition to it. (Hear, hear!)

May 19th.

Lord C. Somerset.-Lord E. Somerset inquired of the under Colonial Secretary if he was prepared to lay before the House the papers connected with the charges against his noble relative, who had now arrived in this country and was anxious to meet them.

Mr. Wilmot Horton intimated that the papers were not ready.

Mr. Beaumont complained of the want

of disposition to prosecute this inquiry.

If he had a seat in Parliament next session he should bring the subject before the House the first opportunity.

Currency of the Cape.-Mr. Baring presented a petition from Col. Bird, complaining of the alteration in the currency of the Cape of Good Hope. The hon. member condemned, in strong terms, the measure contemplated by ministers (for he hoped they had not decided upon it) of sending out a silver currency to replace the paper of the colony.

By accounts which had been furnished from an authority in whom he reposed every confidence, it appeared that the average value of the rix-dollar was

The monstrous injustice of such a proceeding as that contemplated by Government, if it was meant to be adopted without any modification, would be apparent from this statement. His own notion was, that they ought to take something like a graduated scale of the engagements under which the holders of this paper might be at the period of the issue of the metallic currency, and allow for the depreciation according to the dates of their engagements. A great variety of cases had been stated to him, in which the total ruin of parties must be the con

The Chancellor of the Exchequer observed, that the present was not the proper time for discussing the principle of the change of the currency. He should be quite prepared to justify the course which had been taken by his Majesty's Government in this matter; but it was desirable that the House should previously be put in possession of returns and documents necessary to show what this paper money really was; and he would take an opportunity of submitting a motion for the production of such papers accordingly. In the meantime, he hoped the House would not make up their minds quite so decidedly, as the hon. Gentleman had done, as to what he called the iniquity or injustice of the course which the Government had adopted. When the hon. gentleman (Mr. Baring) compared the paper-money at the Cape with the paper-money here, he compared things essentially different. The paper issued at the Cape of Good Hope, when issued, whether by the Dutch Government or by individuals there, was not made payable on demand, nor limited by law as to its amount, and, therefore, contained within itself all the

principles of depreciation. Upon the same grounds, too, there never existed, on the part of his Majesty's Government, any actual obligation to pay that papermoney at all.(Hear, hear, from the Opposition.)-These facts would appear from

the documents he would hereafter move for, and without which it was impossible that this question could be properly or beneficially discussed.

MISCELLANEOUS.

SWEDISH TRADE WITH INDIA.

The commercial convention concluded

between Great Britain and Sweden, on the 18th March last, contains the following articles respecting the trade of Sweden with British India.

Article 8. In respect to the commerce to be carried on in vessels of Sweden or Norway with the British dominions in the East-Indies, or now held by the East-India Company in virtue of their charter, his Britannic Majesty consents to grant the same facilities and privileges, in all respects, to the subjects of his Swedish Majesty, as are or may be enjoyed under any treaty or acts of parliament, by the subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation; subject to the laws, rules, regulations and restrictions which are or may be applicable to the ships and subjects of any other foreign country enjoying the like facilities and privileges of trading with the said dominions.

ARCHDEACON BARNES.

The Bishop of Exeter has conferred on the Rev. Geo. Barnes, D.D., late Archdeacon of Bombay, the Rectory of Sowton, in the county of Devon.

Additional Article.-As it may sometimes happen that a Swedish or Norwegian vessel, trading to the possessions held by the British East-India Company in the East-Indies, under the 8th article of the convention of this date, may find it expedient to dispose of the whole or part of her cargo, on her homeward-bound voyage, in other ports than those of Sweden and Norway, it is hereby agreed, that any such vessel may proceed, with such cargo, to any foreign place or port whatsoever, not being within the limits of the EastIndia Company's charter, and excepting the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and its dependencies.

A letter from Stockholm gives the following account of the prosperity of this branch of the Swedish commerce:-" "Our commerce with the East-Indies, which is now carried on for the account of private persons, seems to be more flourishing than when it was carried on exclusively for the East-India Company. Within

these few days the Syren, Capt. Mohen, has arrived in our roads, with a rich cargo from Batavia and Singapore. The Calcutta also returned lately from the same voyage; and the Preciosa, which has sailed from these seas, will be back this year."

DANISH TRADE WITH CHINA.

The following is an extract of a letter from Copenhagen, dated April 25:Last Wednesday, the frigate Christianshavn, Capt. Stage, went off for China. This ship is the property of the Danish Asiatic Company; it caused a hard strife last summer between the directors and members of that Company before they agreed on fitting out this expedition, the third only since 1819.

SIR HUDSON LOWE.

The following communication from Smyrna, dated April 3, appears in a German paper:—" "Sir Hudson Lowe, who is here on his way to India, was near falling by the hand of a fanatic Frenchman, who probably meant, according to his notions, to avenge his country. The French consular agent, Perry, got into the house where Sir Hudson Lowe resided; and finding the doors of the apartments shut, he broke them open, and destroyed all the effects of Sir Hudson Lowe, who

was fortunately absent on board a ship. Perry was armed with a dagger, and in his blood-thirsty rage, declared aloud that he should find means to get at the murderer of Napoleon, his former master. He was arrested, and is now kept in strict confinement in the consulate. Since this event Sir Hudson has remained on board the English ship.

Asiatic Journ. Vol. XXI. No. 126.

FRENCH OFFICERS IN THE EAST.

A Paris journal contains the following curious statement:-" A short time after the restoration, some French officers went and offered their services to foreign countries. Some of them having reached Persia, attached themselves to the eldest son of the present sovereign, and left the country on the death of that prince in 1822. Others, who were in greater number, entered the service of the hereditary prince, Abbas Mirza, for the purpose of training his troops in the European manner. They had all obtained a higher rank than they had in France. Their pay was pretty considerable, and they were in general satisfied with their situation. At the same time, some English officers were likewise in the service of Abbas Mirza, who likewise instructed in European tactics Persian soldiers, who were clothed in English cloth, armed with English muskets. and received all their accoutrements from England.

England paid to Fit'h Ali Shah the last part of a military contribution which I was due to him. It annexed, as a condition, the discharge of all the French officers, without any exception, and this condition was immediately executed.

"Almost all the French officers then returned to Europe, by way of Tiflis and Constantinople.

"Two of them only, a former aide-decamp to Marshal Brune, and another officer of the army of Buonaparte, a native of the Duchy of Modena, resolved to go and offer their services to the King of Cabul, or to Runjeet Singh, chief of the Seiks at Lahore. Though watched by the English, whom they persuaded that they intended to embark in the Persian Gulf to return to France, they found means, on their arrival at Ispahan, to elude observation, and disguised as Cabul. Georgians, proceeded toward They were favoured in the execution of their project by the advantage which Mr. Ventura (said to be of Jewish origin) had of being able to speak the languages of the East so perfectly, as not to be distinguished from the natives of the country.

66

A long time elapsed without any news being received of those two officers: only a report was spread that, on reaching the dominions of Runjeet Singh, they had been given over by him to the English East-India Company, which, it was said, had orders to embark them for France. "It is, therefore, with great surprise that

5 M

that a letter has been received from Tiflis, in the hand-writing of M. Allard de Saint Tropés himself, in which he announces that he is in Lahore, with Mr. Ventura-that they are very happy, loved and esteemed, and have the rank of general, with a pay amounting to 6,000 francs per month.

The country in which those two French officers are settled is quite unknown to geographers, and we have hardly any information concerning it, beyond that which was transmitted to us by the historians of Alexander, whose conquests ended with the Pundjub, which forms part of the dominions of Runjeet Singh. We may therefore hope to receive one day information concerning those countries, which will be important to science and to commerce, and cannot be indifferent to the English-the present possessors of India."

DEBTORS IN INDIA.

A petition from Mr. Henry Howell, a free merchant of India, presented to the House of Commons, April 25, calls the attention of Parliament to the hardships endured by prisoners confined for debt in the gaols of India, where (there being no bankrupt or insolvent laws) debtors are at the mercy of their creditors. It states that there are debtors in the gaol of Calcutta who have been confined from eight to fifteen years without hope of release; one man has declared that his prisoner should never leave the walls alive, unless he paid his debt. The extension of the British laws respecting debtors would, the petitioner states, protect the creditor as well as the debtor, since the property of an insolvent is often seized by one individual, to the exclusion of the rest of

the creditors. The petition represents the state of the European debtor in the East Indies as worse than that of a slave in the West-Indies, being cut off from his kindred, immured for life in a climate where confinement is peculiarly dangerous, and depending on charity for his daily meal.

AFRICAN MISSION.

The following extrac from a letter received from the Surgeon of H. M. ship Brazen, dated Badagry, 27th November 1825, appears in the Aberdeen Journal:

“Our travellers, when at Cape Coast, purchased a large canoe to carry them up one of the creeks of the Formoso to Benin. When they arrived at Wydah, they had the good fortune to meet with Mr. Houston, the merchant who was instrumental in procuring permission for Belzoni to travel through Benin, he having just arrived from America. The mission was instructed by Government to request this gentleman's

assistance, and if necessary, to appoint him their agent, with a suitable salary. Mr. Houston was reluctant to sacrifice his commercial prospects, but at length agreed to become their agent. From his knowledge of the country, and acquaintance with many of the native chiefs, he will be able to render very important services to the mission. He proposed their route from this place through the kingdom of Hio, as the most likely to be crowned with success; but thought it necessary to send a messenger to the capital to request permission of the King, an arrangement which would occupy the space of twenty days.-When the Brazen arrived at Wydah, Captain Clapperton and Mr. Dixon went on shore, to inquire if the messengers, which the King of Tohatoo promised to send to this place, had arrived. -They were received with great coolness by the King and a rich Brazilian named De Suzza, resident at his court, no doubt in consequence of liberating the slaves which belonged to the Spanish schooner. But they conducted their negociations with so much address, that they both declared themselves friendly to the mission, and invited them next morning to a grand breakfast, where the King of England's health was drank, with military honours, succeeded by the King of Dahomey's and other Chiefs, according to their supposed rank. De Suzza has so great influence among many of the African Princes, that he deposed the King of Popoe, who had offended him, and placed the next heir on the throne; and he has promised to do all in his power to forward the mission through Dahomey. He even offered to accompany Mr. Dixon to Abomey to request permission of the king. This was too favourable a proposal to reject; Mr. Dixon went on shore the same evening, with orders to proceed to the capital without delay, and return again to the coast to communicate the result of his visit to Captain Clapper

ton.

Mr. Houston has just come off with the pleasing intelligence that there is no objection to their proceeding through Badagry to Hio, and thence to Niffy, a large town on the banks of the Niger, not many days journey from Sokatoo, where Captain Clapperton terminated his last journey. Captain Clapperton intends despatching a messenger to-morrow morning, to instruct Mr. Dixon to proceed through the kingdom of Dahomey to Sokatoo. On leaving England, the mission thought the greatest obstacle to their proceeding from the sea-coast, would arise from the influence of the Portuguese and Spanish at the native courts. It shows, therefore, how admirably adapted the members of the mission must be to accomplish their perilous undertaking, to have conducted their arrangements so ably at the outset, as to convert the greatest obstacle to their progress into a protection and support to them

them in their adventurous journey. A more worthy persevering character than Captain Clapperton could not have been sent out, or one more likely to accomplish the important objects of the mission. Every step has hitherto succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations. Two tracts of country, containing extensive kingdoms scarcely known by name in Europe, will be traversed by the divided mission, if the unhealthiness of the climate do not arrest their progress. Even in this respect they are fortunate; the rainy season is now over, and the country comparatively healthy. Captain Clapperton has perfectly recovered from the consequences of his last journey, and is now in excellent health and spirits, as are all his companions.They commence their peregrinations to. morrow morning."

Accounts have reached Cape Coast of the death of Capt. Pearce, R.N., and Dr. Morrison, the companions of Capt. Clap. perton, who had reached Soudan, 160 miles in the interior, nearly in lat. 8 north, and was, by the last advices received of him, descending the north of the Kong Mountains on his route to Timbuctoo.

COLONIAL APPOINTMENTS.

His Majesty has been pleased to appoint A. Baxter, Esq. to the office of Attorney General in the colony of New South Wales, and James Holland, Esq., late Attorney General of the Bermuda Islands, to be Solicitor General and Commissioner of the Court of Requests in the same colony, in the 3 tead of J. Stephens, Esq., promoted to be a Puisne Judge.

LOSS OF THE PERSEVERANCE.

The free-trader Perseverance, Best, was lost on the Whale Rock, working out of Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, on the 12th March-Passengers and crew saved.

ARCHDEACON OF BOMBAY.

The Rev. John Hawtayne, some time since appointed Archdeacon of Calcutta, is now appointed Archdeacon of the Presidency of Bombay.

PROMOTIONS AND CHANGES IN THE BRITISH ARMY.

(SERVING IN THE EAST.)

4th Light Drags. Capt. H. Master, from h. p., to be capt., v. T. D. Burrowes, who exch., rec. dif. (27 Apr.); Corn. E. Harvey to be lieut. by purch., v. Richardson prom (4 May).

13th Light Drags. Capt. T. P. Lang, from 8th F., to be capt., v. Maitland, who exch. (20 Apr.)

16th Light Drags. Lieut. J. Douglass, from 81st F., to be lieut. by purch., v. Smyth prom. (22 Apr.)

2d Foot. Lieut. G. C. Mundy to be capt. by purch., v. Ford prom. (13 May); Ens. S. N. Fisher to be lieut by purch., v. Mundy (13 May);-Mac Mahon to be ens., v. Torrens dec. (10 Sept. 25); M. W. Lomax to be ens. by purch., v. Fisher (13

May); Assist.surg. D. Campbell to be surg., v. Alexander app. to 6th Drags. (27 Apr.); Assist. surg. W. M. Wilkins, from Ceyl. Regt., to be assist.surg., v. Ralph dec. (20 Apr.)

3d Foot. Lieut. S. Ridd, from h. p. 60th F., to be lieut., v. Wheatstone app. to 53d F. (13 Apr.); Lieut. E. W. Antrobus, from h. p. 13th F., to be lieut., v. Ashhurst, whose app. has not taken place (27 Mar.)

6th Foot. Assist.surg. to forces P. Campbell to be assist.surg., v. Hood, whose app. has been cancelled (20 Apr.)

13th Foot. 2d-Lieut. C. White, from Ceyl.Regt., to be ens., v. Pearson dec. (13 Apr.); Hosp. Mate P. Brodie to be assist.surg., v. Henderson prom. in 87th F. (20 Apr.)

14th Foot. Brev. Maj. M. Everard, to be maj., v. Tidy prom. in 44th F.; Lieut. H. B. Armstrong to be capt., v. Everard; Ens. B. V. Layard to be lieut., v. Armstrong, and Lieut. J. Grant to be adj., v. Armstrong (all 4 May).

16th Foot. T. Douglass to be ens. by purch., v. Kellett prom. (22d Apr.); Ens. W. F. Ĥannagan, from h. p. 76th F., to be ens., v. J. M'Intosh, who exch., rec. dif. (20 Apr.)

30th Foot. Ens. C. H. Marechaux to be lieut., v. Gregg dec.; and E. R. Gregg to be Ens., v. Marechaux (both 6 Apr.)

40th Foot. Hosp. Assist. J. Mackenzie to be assist. surg. (12 Apr.)

41st Foot. Ens. J. G. Inglis, from 54th F., to be lieut. by purch., v. Gray, who rets. (22 Apr.)

44th Foot. Ens. A. A. Browne, from 13th F., to be lieut. by purch., v. Hawkins prom. in 89th F. (13 Apr.); Brev. Lieut. Col. F. S. Tidy, from 14th Ft. to be lieut. col., v. dec. (4 May.)

46th Foot. J. Lacy to be ens., v. Cumming dec. (20 Apr.)

47th Foot. Lieut. C. Walker, from h. p. 4th F., to be lieut., v. R. Cochrane, who exch. (27 Apr.)

54th Fot. Ens. R. Burton to be lieut. by purch., v. Crofton, who rets. (12 Apr.); Lieut. F. Tincombe, from h. p. 30th F., to be lieut., v. Thomas app. to 26th F. (13th Apr.); C. Daintry to be ens. by purch., v. Inglis prom. in 41st F. (22 Apr.); Lieut. J. Gray to be capt., v. Grindley dec. (20 Apr.): Ens. G. Holt to be lieut., v. Considine dec. (12 Sept. 25); Ens. R. Dodd, from h. p. 20th F., to be ens., v. Holt (29 Apr.)

78th Foot. F. Montgomery to be ens. by purch., v. Holyoake prom.; and Hosp. Assist. J. Thomson to be assist. surg. (both 13 Apr.); Ens. T. M. Wilson to be lieut. by purch., v. Vassall prom.; and T. Wingate to be ens. by purch., v. Wilson (both 13 May); Ens. J. E. N. Bull to be ad., v. Cooper, who res. adjtcy. only (4 May).

83d Foot. Qu. Mast. J. Stubbs to be adj., with rank of ens., v. Swinburne prom.; and Serj. J. Rusher to be qu. mast., v. Stubbs (both 20 Apr.)

87th Foot. C. Urquhart to be ens. by purch., v. Ramsay prom. (13 Apr.)

89th Foot. Lieut. W. Gorse, from h. p. 3d W. I. Regt., to be lieut., v. Palmer app. to 65th F. (22 Apr.); Lieut. T. W. Stroud, from h. p., to be lieut., v. W. Butler, whose app. has not taken place (27 Apr.); Assist.surg. J. Henderson, from 13th F., to be surg., v. R. Daun, who rets. on h. p. (20 Apr.); Ens. Gray to be lieut., v. Olpherts dec. (4 May); Ens. J. Dewes to be ens., v. La Roche, whose app. has not taken place (3 May); C. Lee to be ens., v. Gray (4 May).

Ceylon Regt. 2d-Lieut. H. V. Kempen to be 1stlieut., by pur. v. Dempsey, who rets. (22 Apr.); W. Hope to be 2d-lieut., v. H. H. White dec. (12 Apr.); J. Deaken to be 2d-lieut., v. C. White app. to 13th F. (13 Apr.); 2d-Lieut. T. W. Rogers to be 1stlieut., v. Lord W. Montagu prom.; and J. Edwards to be 2d-lieut. by purch., v. Rogers (both 4 May).

Allowed to dispose of their half-pay. Capt. W. Kelley, 40th F.; Lieut. W. R. Knevett, 11th L. Dr.; Lieut. H. Green, 67th F.; Capt. G. Price, 46th F.; Capt. W. H. Burroughs, 69th F. (all 13 May); Ens. J. L. Clarke, 44th F. (20 May)."