ed evil; and ffage The
ferious clirts
be gra Martijs barren wor
Jess opptere, under an stem, it was hy no menus on? rechte agitation We consider the
romion whether through the press or of public assemblies-to June Jo its effects. It is not n enhar application to the East India the pressure from without" is ted to keep them from from flag. career of wellding; nor is it any den of extraordinary rapacity that they
THE FRIEND OF CHINA AND HONGKONG GAZETTE.
induce us to alter or modify the opinions which "we have expressed on the general question of the salt monopoly, and if we have misunderstood Mir Aylwin, wo liave given him an opportunity of setting himself right with our readers. He asserts, it is true, that the East India Company may sa- crifice their monopoly without any sacrifice of revenue; but although ho refers us to his pamphlet for proofs of the truth of this assertion, we confess that we do not think the point is established. Thie is an important branch of the inquiry, which we must reserve for future investigation.-Herald.
OUR FOREIGN POLITICS. We hope that sömne member of the Housebfrom- mons may make a motion next session for the abo
lition of the office of Secretary of State for Foreig"
|
In
We now learn, that becauso Government cannot bringing forward a discussion, though he abstain- resent Louis Philippe's falschondent present, it will i ed from expressing any decided opinion, and the protest; it will by a public declaration, disinherit House of Commons reived that in the ensuing the offspring of the Duke of Montpensier; and thus session of Parliament they would proceed to a Petitions append from the impossibility of present war, to the rareful investigation of the slave trade. possibility of a future one,
on the other side were numerously signed and for This, we fear, is nonsense. If wo will not go to warded to both houses of Parlinmelt, and the war now-and certainly wo will not-to prevent a whole pogress of the agitation went on as nearly Prince of Orleans from ascending the throne of as possible in the manner that Roman Catholic Spain, we shall be little likely to go to war for the Emancipation, and Reform were discussed. same cause at any future time. And, knowing this, this process the slave-trade underwent a most scorch. it is unwise end unfair to throw upon posterity the ing investigation. Mr Clarkeon and others pu. task of avenging injuries which we dare not resent.blished numerous essays, pamphlets, and reports. Louis Philippe will laugh at our protesta; will sneer The Privy Council entered into an examination of Counsel were at our present backwardness, and our valour in fu- the subject, and made a report. turo; and will sheathe his sword with a contempla. heard at the bars of both houses, and witnesses were ans" Well, gentlemen, whenever you are ready ;" carefully examined. In the course of these pro. be pusilling to sterilice a large portion of
showing how fully he has fathomed our purposes, ceedings every one must acknowledge that the ense, without any percepilible minns of
Allairs. The post hus become useless: far worse
labones of Clarkson were inconceivably great; bui and seen through our political subterfuges, Alling up the void thus created in their treasury. indeed than useless, since it only serves to manifest
If people will but reflect on this state of things, from the year 1789 down to the successful issue Juwell to talk pompously of a revenue of linlf 8.
blunders and record humiliations. We ask any Bullion beteg derwed from the duty on imported
man of plain senge and fairness, whether the coun- they must come to the conclusion that the safest and of his tails, Wilberforce, from his position in so must dignified way for England, would be for its i city, from the fact of his being in Parliament, and salt-bet the revenues derived from manufactured try would not be at this moment in a much more
Government to conform itself to the public feeling of, from his personal intimacy with the Prime Mini To Bengal alone amounts to about a willion dignified and pencetal position, and, at the same
the nation, and to have no foreign policy at all, fer, was embled to take a load in the anti-slavery end a hill outing. When the finance committee
time, in quite as powerful a one, haul we postssed Upparel by Lord Ellenboraught sent in its report, the good fortune to have been without Foreign-of-There is no use in having any, unless the public cause which rather eclipsed the otherwise brighten- have faith and sympathy in it, and unless a states- ing fame of Thomas Clarkson; nevertheless, he it was shown that in Bengal the receipts in the
dice and without diplomacy since 1830. Ay, and
man can act up to it. Of this, at least, we are cer- continued to labour with power undiminished and
He even went for year Jail-12, the last reported on, from the single
long before. Article of salt, amovoted to rs. 1,188,20,224, whist
Let us enumerate the chief news of that policy.tain, that it would be much boltør 18 have no foreign with zeal that never slackened,
poley at all, and no foreign office, than to reap from Paris in the midst of the revolution, to obtain, the charges in department did not exceed rs. We began by recognising the present King of the
them such fruits. Every aim of peace and friend possible, the aid of the French Government. E 6493370, raving a clear get revenue, is round
French with such headlong haste as to offend Rus- anmeis, of 1,100,000. sterling. It may be pro- sia and Austria; and we continued to give Louis ship missed; every scheme of alliance abortive; found, however, that in Paris he had spent a lo Binbin to glance again at this Belance-shert, that Philippe so cordially the band, that we rendered any every cherished freedom crushed; every useful in time to little purpose.
fluence undermined; every feeling of national prido our renders may have a clear perception of the Furopean coalition to ernsh him utterly impossible.
We had scarcely taken this position, when the Bel ontraged; every guarantee of national power and in Watiere of the Company's revenue, premising that Bengal, to which these calculations refer, is by farging insurrection occurred. Louis Philippa independence swept away; and evon all openings of trade and commerce closed against us one after the the most productive at all the presidences, and the
stantly declared that no one shonid meddle with it;
other. Daily News. one which is generally said to "pay for all." that the Treaty of Vienna was abrogated, as far as After the land tax, which yields a net income of the Low Countries were concerned ; and that neither 0.300,000, sterling, the salt-tax stands prominently Europe nor Holland should restore the status of forth asthat which yields the largest income. lo
We arquiesced. that year (1841-44), whilst the salt department yielded, as we have shown, nearly a million and n hall sterling, the opium department produced only 200,000. Next in importance stands the customs department; and it is essential that we should bear in mind the ratio of the entire custom-louse receipts to that of the profits of the sult monopuły, The gross receipts, in the year alluded to above, under the hand of Customs, are set down al rs. 61,59,324, and the charges of 6,76,613; so that the rerende derived from the customs is not equal to one and of that derived from the manufacture of sal. The departments reported upon by the Bnance committee are the judicial, land revenue, The Stampssalt, opium, mint, cistoms, marine. total receipts from these sources are set down ars. 1,36,45074, and the total charges at 19. 2,34,9,633. We borrow these detmis from no elaborate article in the Cafeutta Revivir, on " Ben- gat as it is," attributed to the editor of the Friend of India, whose extensive acquaintance with In disn statistics, combined with a sound judgment sad scrupulons good faith, Ims rendered his an thority equally respected by the Indian Govern. ment and the Indian public. This statement," ways the writer, after comerating the different items inf receipt and expenditure, "does not ia- clude the establishments in Assam, Arracan, Ten- asserim, and Cachar; but these provinces afford
surplus revenue, the income is barely sufficient for the maintenance of internal pence and external security. Neither does it include the Ecclesiasti cal and Pest-offico depoiments, the pensions and charitable allowances, the expense of the various schools of learning, the miscellaneous general civit expenditure at home or in India; nor the receipts and charges connected with the Supreme Court, the Court of Requests, and the police of Calesitta. Unfortunately these njanr items of expense were not Included within the circle of research prescribed for the finance committee. ... We are left, therefore, is conjecture their amount, and we think we fall within the mark by stating that fifty lacs of rupees (500@007.) will cover the charges incurred in all these departments. Adding thus sum to the ex- penditure acknowledged by the committee, we have 04,28,638 rupecs, or a little more than three
ons sterling, to deduct from the rent-roll of the amounting to 8,36,48.074 rupees; and we ve therefore a surplus revenue of five millions
|
|
1815.
We took the French view
Then accurred the death of Ferdinand, and the revolution eflicted in Spain by his testament. Here again we joined France, and recognised Isaba, withet king express procuations against her or But we had her sister's marrying a French price. at that time so lended Louis Philippe and his house with benefits, that we did not doubt of his gratitude. We concluded the quadripartite allance, We sent our soldiers and sailors to combat: gave arms, mo. nry, English blond,
|
THE VENERABLE THOMAS CLAERSON.-This illustrious philanthropist died on 27th Sept., at his of the question against ourselves. We approved residence, Playford-hall Ho bad attained the age of the siege of Antwerp, Louis Philippe, to gratiof 88, but his spirit burned bright to the last, and fy us, did not, indeed, put his son on the new Bel-he ceased not to direct his thoughts to the great question of the emancipation of the human race. gian throne; laut, by means of a marriage, he did the
He was the son of a gentleman who held the silu- same thing. Commercially, politically, and mili
ation of master of the Wishench Free Grammar tarily, Belgium was absorbed by France; and we
School, and was born on the 28th of March, 1760, have taught ourselves to consider it the natural or-
Having received the first rudiments of education der of things.
under his father's eye, he was removed to St. Paul's School, and completed the days of his pupilage at St John's College, Cambridge, where he attained considerable distinction. In the year 1772, a negro named Somerset was arrested in London by a man who claimed him as a runaway slave. Mr Gran. ville Sharp brought the ease before the Lord Mayor, and by the Lord Mayor's orders Somerset was a charged from the Poultry Compter, where he had Whilst Louis Philippe enten-freen imprisoned. The master, however, in deli- voured to make a merit with the Eastern Powers of ance of the Lord Mayor, seized the slave, and tore not cordially co-operating with us, we, in despite of him away from Mr Sharp. An action was brought French lukewarmness, saved Bilbon, and with it the against the master for assault, and the case being tried, it was finally referred to the twelve judges throne of Isabella. The sword of Espartero se cured it. And then,-in stepped Louis Philippe to who, after solemn argument, decided that is soon He suburned a as a slave sets foot on English territory, he becomes profit by all that we had done. party to oppose England in Spain; he set up a press free. This circumstance powerfully excited the youthful mind of Clarkson. In 1769, and again in to calumniate her; and in a few months he drove out of the Peninsul with every friend of England | 1776, Mr Sharp had published works against slave- or of liberty, every vestige of English influence. ry; the controversy had been raised in England as Further, to render security more sure, be placed his early as 1729. In the year 1785, Dr Peskhard,
the Vice-Chancellor of the University announced. minions near the throne of Portugal, and was as much master of the Sourt of Lisbon as of Madrid. the following question, as a subject for a prize Latin And this course of policy he has now wound up by dissertation:Is it right to make slaves of others putting an extinguisher on the little Queen; andby against their will? Mr Clarkson in the preceding giving openly to his own son the succession to the year gained the first prize for the Latin dissertation Spanish drone, by means of a marriage with the and, filled with an earnest desire to sustain the fame Jufanta. We wonder that the ghosts of William the thus acquired, he repaired to London, and purchas- Third and of Marlborough do not rise from the ed as many books connected with the subject of grave, to reproach the men who wield the sceptre slavery as he could possibly afford to buy. With and the sword of England.
these he speedily returned to Cambridge, and set Now, we ask, would we not be much better off, himself earnestly to work, But so painful to him. had we possessed no foreign minister, no diplomacy, was the perusal of these volumes, that for a consi- no fat-seeking policy for the last sixteen years?derable time be scarcely look any rest day or nig
or night Trial for li Need we speak of Itay: where we helped the he ceased to regard the essay as a French to take Ancona, one result of which is, that terary distinction, his greet desire being to produce the French are now predominant at Rome? Need a work which should call forth a vigorous public we speak of Grecce; which we helped to liberate effort to redress the wrongs of the injured African. in order to have it governed by the French Prefect, His essay was composed under the influence of feel Coletti? Need we speak of Syria; where we en- ing so excited, and with labour so imense, that its dangered the peace of Emope in resisting France, reading was attended with brilliant success. In a and where France by their monks. have won almost very short time after he adopted the resolution of
of thrabim?
sterling to meet the polical and military charges more influence than they wielded through the sword
of Government." Of this surplus revenue of five maillons derived from Bengal, which is the rupee garden of India, nearly one third is gained by the manufacture and sale of salt; and it is this one- third of the pet rerenue of Bengal that the Com- pany are now called upon to abaidan. Nay more, they have long been vociferously called upon to abandon the opiam monopoly, and its revenues— that, it must be acknowledged, the demanda
upon their forberance and disinterestedness, as a governing body, are so considerable that it is not greatly to be wondered at if they do take refuge ehind the non olet argument of the Roman Em- peror. We have not, we repeat, taken upon our elves the duty of apologist general of the East Hadia Company, but it is only just to observe that whist the company are incessantly implored to ncrease their expenditure, in one way or another, they are at the same time, with equal constancy, treated to abandon this or that branch of re- Yenue, as though their capacity of expenditure most increase in proportion as their inconte di Dinishes. We generally fad, indeed, that the
Turn away from France, and look to Arperica. We have had two causes of differance with the United States, their north-east and their north-west frontiers. In both we yielded more than ever the Americans themselves dored ask ten years back. We were right, indeed, to yield. But would it not have been inorn dignified to have flung it up care- lessly and magnanimously from astion to nation, than to have employed diplomatic agents to cavil and discuss, to have heard Polk blustering and Peel replying, with the certainty of concession in the end To have held our tongues, and abided by our fate, would have been just as profitable.
Then there is Texas. How lucky would we have been to have had no Mr Pakenhamn simply to spirit up Mexico, and intrigue with Texas, that Mr Polk might break through the web of our intrigues with a kick of his foot. In the Old World as in the
the parties who would most straiten the resour ea of the Company, clamour the loudest for atively crushed,
are liberal expenditure of the income which they
Coing their best to reduce. We do not assert
Mr Alwm ad his friends are of this
bht we wish it never to be forgotten Company are onlled opon to aban
theur revenue they are called portion of those very amekora- They are @xorted to put in
sthe ortay Money the aid of which Grovern
arga barvest of national
New, our habit waiversally is, to thrust ourselves between two combatants when they are nearly done fighting, and encourage the weak and half-beaten party to stand up once more against the stronger, in order to get himself entirely beaten, and defini- but all this proceeds from the absurd vanity of our statesmen, who will aspire to have a foreign po- icy, when he nation not only has none, but does not care to have any. Here, for example, are those marriages of the Spanish Princesses, Ministers have thrown themselves into all kinds of menacing attitudes, of hurt pride, of angry remonstrance, or of contingent war. To what purpose & except to how that Eaghod ought to be angry, but has not The stomach to be so. Lord Palmerston makes his press thander, it is true, and is full of deep ire in his own heart. But he is forced to be blund, even when addressing that archiaraifor Louis Philippe. He
promise that the amicable rela
tire countries wil not be disturbed 2
Without
cause he knows the people of England east datorbance of their
facesses of Spain mas the Emperors of all the realms of the
|
|
presenting it to the public in the language of his na
Notwithstanding the labours of Wilberforce an Clarkson, the slave trade at the close of the In
yer century still continued to exist; but in the 1801 the union with Ireland was finally accom plished; and, as the members who represents
me were not or that part of the kingdom were not much intereste in either ships, colonies, or commerce, they care but little about the slave-trade, and were not avers from any sort of charge which did not directly in terfere with their favourite pursuit of jobbing in Government patronage. By their aid in motion for leave to bring in a bill to
bill to suppress the slave trade was successful, and eventually, ale mensuro
house. Some years, however ca passed both houses.--- before the triumph of the anti-slavery party complete for this memorable measure did not come law in the 14th of March, 1807. The bill of 1807 having once received the Roy
Mr Ghurkson it no longer was necessary for A oppene before the public as the author of so ma|| pamphlets, reports, statements und abad It was at that time he began and completed his history of the great struggle in which he and his friends live beau engured. Thirty years after flies he was secused of having publicatio of that work he was devoted too much el its pages to the praise of lits own labours at the expense of his great Parlia- mentory lender, Mr Wilberforce. He lived long enough to publish a defence of his conduct and his writings; it becomes, therefore, the less
ress tccessary now to
asser
dicate either. However eminent the reputa of Mr. Wilberforce, and however great beyond those of all other men in the services which he rendered to the cause of the suffering Negro, there cannot be much doubt that Clarkson or giboted the anti-sinvery agitation, and proved him self the most zealous and efficient of those who outside the walls of Parliament lub ured for its
The subject of this memoir was, it is understood, iginally intended for the church, and even took deacon & orders; but he certainly abandoned all thoughts of entering upon any profession when le devoted imself to the task of cresting the anti- slavery movement. In forming the which gave him the great business of his life, he came much into communication will persons be longing to the Society of Friends, and this inter- course.probably led him to proiluce & work entitled, Portraiture of Quakerism His next publica- tion was a Life of William Penn But, notwith standing his literary engagements, he still had time to spare for the further advancement of African interesis. He went to the Congress of Aix-la-Cha- pelle, and there had an interview with the Emperor of Russin, who promised not only to oppose the slave trade by the exercise of his own authority,
the purpose
of inducing them to go and do likewise. but to use his influence with other Sovereigns for tive country, and the measures taken for printing
Although in the course of this notice it has been and issuing that celebrated tract led to his becoming
Accessary to mention the combined labours of the acquainted with some members of an Anti-Slavery
friends of abolition, outside the walls of Parlia Association, which had already been formed in Ame- rica Nothing could surpass the delight which this
ment, as those of an nuti-slavery society, yet that introduction seemed to have afforded him; he was
precise designation was, we believe, for the first time assumed in 1823, when men began seriously enthusiastic and single-minded, ne almost all men
and earnestly to devote themselves to the task of are who effect great objects his one idea was to ac complish measures for suppressing the slave trade, following up the suppression of the slave-trade, by and that result he had the good fortune to witness procuring an abolition of West India slavery. In full 40 years ago. Its natural consequence, an abo conducting the affairs of that association Mr Clark- son embarked with characteristic energy, and in litionof negro slavery, he had likewise the happi ness to see effected in the year 1983. But, many
his 74th year enjoyed the unalloyed happiness of years before the communication of the work in witnessing its greatest triumph, in the enactment of which he had engaged, he formed an alliance with that bill which awarded 20,000,000l. as compousa- ↑ the celebrated Wm. Wilberforce, which proved
tion to the slave-owners. For some few years pre į greatly conductive to their joint success. With vious to that event, however, his health had becom respect to those eminent persons it may be stated uncertain, and he was in a great degree precluded that two years before Clarkson broached the sub- from taking an active share in working on the ject to Wilberforce he had been actively labouring emancipation ofthe Negro, Cataract formed in bol for the suppression of the slave trade; and that the his eyes, and for a short time he was totally blind attention of the latter was first called te its enor
He endured this affliction with Christian resignt mities by the representations of the former. Intion; but eventually he underwent an operation the year 1787 Mr Wilberforce agreed to bring the and was restored to the complete use of his sigin subject under the notice of Purliament, at the ear- In 1830 ho published a work called Researche liest convenient opporunity: a commitee was for Antediluvian, Patriarchal, and Historical. Du med for the purpose of organising an association, ing the course of his long Life Mr Clarkson h and the work of controversy began in right earnest. received many gratifying proofs of the estimatio Somewhat in the manner of the modern agitators, in which he was held by large masses of his cour the subject of this memoir went ahoat from towe trymen. The inhabitants of Wisbeach, his nati to town-from Liverpool to Bristol, and from place, subscribed for his portrait, to be preserv Bridgewater to Manchester, labouring to make their town as a memorial of their esteer converts, and to overcome the prejudices, which Wordsworth devoted to the praise of Clark indifferent, as well as interested parties, naturally few of his best lines, and more than once Le indulged. Years were spent in this process, books Brougham, and other leaders of the anti-slaver were published, meetings were held, evidence was movement, have borne testimony,
Nave borne testimony, not only to collected, petitions were forwarded to Parliament, value of his services, but the purity of his motive successive motions were mrda by Mr Wilberforce, and he now descends into the prave efter the and lengthened discussions in the House of Com-joyment of extreme longevity mone took place; but neither Pitt nor Fox was yet success. London Mail: October prepared to pledge himself irrevocably to a conflict with those fomidable opponents of suppression who had embarked vast capital in the African slave trade. At length the obje
objections of the party leaders were mitigated. Mr. Pett became instrumenlal in
Edited, Printed and Published by At The Friend of China?
Gazette, Printing Office, Gotor HERE
VICTORIA, HONOLONGS 1846