CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN places that gave occasion to that censure, that, by SIR ISAAC NEWTON AND MR. LOCKE. NEWTON and Locke were equally eminent in their respective departments of science. They may properly be termed the fathers of our physical and mental philosophy. Their reputation has survived to the present day, and is founded on too permanent a basis to be materially affected by any of the changes to which human opinion is incident. Their private characters were as pure as their philosophy is profound. Living at the same period, and addressing themselves to men of the same country, they were free from the littleness of envy, and rejoiced in each other's Success. On one occasion, however, Newton, to use his own familiar but expressive language, entertained hard thoughts of Locke. Displeased with some of the opinions expressed in the Essay on the Human Understanding, he affirmed that they struck at the root of all morality, and that he regarded their author as a Hobbist. His upright and benevolent mind soon repented of these rash statements, when he addressed the following remarkable letter to Locke: "Sir: Being of opinion that you endeavoured to embroil me with women, and by other means, I was so much affected with it, as that when one told me you were sickly and would not live, I answered, 'twere better if you were dead. I desire you to forgive me this uncharitableness; for I am now satished that what you have done is just, and I beg your pardon for my having hard thoughts of you for it, and for representing that you struck at the root of morality, in a principle you laid in your book of ideas, and designed to pursue in another book, and that I took you for a Hobbist. I beg your pardon also for saying or thinking that there was a design to sell me an office, or to embroil me.-I am your most humble and unfortunate servant, "Is. NEWTON." "At the Bull, in Shoreditch, London, Sept. 16th, 1693." explaining myself better, I may avoid being mistaken by others, or unawares doing the least prejudice to truth or virtue. I am sure you are so much a friend to them both, that, were you none to me, I could expect this from you. But I cannot doubt but, you would do a great deal more than this for my sake, who, after all, have all the concern of a friend for you, wish you extremely well, and am, without compliment, &c." The draft of this letter is indorsed "J. L. to I. Newton;" and the following is the reply of the latter: Sir: The last winter, by sleeping too often by my fire, I got an ill habit of sleeping; and a distemper, which this summer has been epidemical, put me farther out of order, so that when I wrote to you, I had not slept an hour a night for a fortnight together, and for five days together not a wink. I remember I wrote to you, but what I said of your book I remember not. If you please to send me a transcript of that passage, I will give you an account of it if I can.-I am your must humble servant, "Is. NEWTON." "Cambridge, Oct. 5, 1693." It would be well for the happiness of society if the spirit of these estimable men generally prevailed. To acknowledge a fault is to evidence a virtuous and noble mind, to promote the harmony of social life, and to perpetuate our own best joys. TREATMENT OF SLAVES WHILE HOLEING IN THE SUGAR PLANTATIONS. WHEN employed in the labour of the field, To this letter Locke returned the following answer, so nobly distinguished by philo-his hand, or coiled round his neck, from sophical magnanimity and Christian charity: "Oates, Oct. 5th, 1693. "Sir: I have been, ever since I first knew you, so entirely and sincerely your friend, and thought you so much mine, that I could not have believed what you tell me of yourself, had I had it from anybody else. And, though I cannot but be mightily troubled that you should have had so many wrong and unjust thoughts of me, yet next to the return of good offices, such as from a sincere good will I have ever done you, I receive your acknowledment of the contrary as the kindest thing you have ever done me, since it gives me hopes I have not lost a friend I so much valued. After what your letter expresses, 1 shall not need to say anything to justify myself to you. I shall always think your own reflection on my carriage, both to you and all mankind will sufficiently do that. Instead of that, give me leave to assure you that I am more ready to forgive you than you can be to desire it; and I do it so freely and fully, that I wish for nothing more than the opportunity to convince you that I truly love and esteem you, and that I have the same good will for you as if nothing of this had happened. To conErm this to you more fully. I shall be glad to meet you anywhere, and the rather, because the conclusion of your letter makes me apprehend it would not be wholly useless to you. But whether you think it fit or not, I leave wholly to you. I shall always be ready to serve you to my utmost, in any way you shall like, and shall only need your commands or permission to do it. "My book is going to press for a second edition; nd, though I can answer for the design with which I write it, yet, since you have so opportunely given ine notice of what you have said of it, I should take it as a favour if you would point out to me the which by extending the handle it can be disengaged in a moment, a long thick and strongly plaited whip, called a cart-whip; the report of which is as loud, and the lash as severe, as those of the whips in common use with our waggoners; and which he has authority to apply at the instant when his eye perceives an occasion, without any previous warning. Thus disposed, their work begins, and continues without interruption for a certain number of hours, during which at the peril of the drivers an adequate portion of land must be holed. As the trenches are generally rectilinear, and the whole line of holers advances together, it is necessary that every hole or section of the trench should be finished in equal time with the rest; and if any one or more negroes were allowed to throw the hoe with less rapidity or energy than their companions in other parts of the line, it is obvious that the work of the latter must be suspended, or else such part of the trench as is passed over by the former will be more imperfectly formed than the rest. It is, therefore, the business of the drivers not only to urge forward the whole gang with sufficient speed, but sedulously to watch that all in the line, whether male or female, old or young, strong or feeble, work as nearly as possible in equal time, and with equal effect. The tardy stroke must be quickened, and the languid invigorated, and the whole line made to dress, in the military phrase, as it advances: No breathing time, no resting on the hoe, no pause of langour, to be repaid by brisker exertion on return to work, can be allowed to individuals. All must work or pause together.-Stephen's Crisis. MEAT ROASTED BY COAL GAS.-A patent apparatus is in operation at the Gas Office in Old square, belonging to the Birmingham and Tipton Gas Company, for the purpose of applying gas to culinary and other uses in manufactories, instead of coal ore. This novel desideratum in science will supply us with combustion in the most convenient form, as the required temperature may be regulated by thermo metric admeasurement, and the consumption of gas limited to the duration of time the process is in action. (Nottingham Review.) ANSWER TO THE CHALLENGE OF A DUELLIST.-I have two objections to this matter; the one is, lest I should hurt you, and the other is, lest you should put a bullet through any part of your body. Icould hurt me. I do not see any good it would do me, to make no use of you when dead, for any culinary purpose, as I could a rabbit, or a turkey: I am no Cannibal, to feed on the flesh of man. Why, then, shoot a human creature, of which I could make no use? A buffalo would be better meat, for though your flesh might be delicate and tender, yet it wants that firmness and consistency which takes and retains salt. You might make a good barbecue, it is true, being of the nature of a racoon, or an opossum: but people are not in the habit of barbecuing any thing human now. As to your hide, it is not worth taking off, being little better than that of an old colt. As to myself, I don't like much to stand in the way of anything harmful. I am under apprehensions you might hit me: that being the case, I think it most advisable to stay at a distance. If you want to try your pistols, take some object, a tree, or a barn door, about my dimensions. If you hit that, send me word, and I shall acknowledge, that, if I had been in the same place, you might also have hit me. (American Paper.) THE following anecdote shews that Napo- EDITOR'S BOX. "Fiat justitia ruat cœlum." TO THE EDITOR OF THE TOURIST. Sir: You will oblige a Constant Reader, by informing your friends that Lectures on Colonial "There was a gentleness and even softness in Slavery will be delivered by the Rev. T. PRICE, at Devonshire-square, London, on Wednesday and his character. He was affected when he rodeover Friday evening next, the 24th and 26th. To comthe fields of battle, which his ambition had strew-mence at seven o'clock precisely. Yours, ed with the dying and the dead, and seemed not only desirous to relieve the victims-issuing for ALPHA. A HORSE WITH ONE FAULT.-Sergeant Bond related the following anecdote of himself with great good humour:-"I once bought a horse from a horse-dealer, warranted sound in all his points. thought I had got a treasure, but still wished to find out if he had any fault. I, therefore, when I had paid for him, said to the seller, Now, my friend, you have got your money, and 1 the horse, so that the bargain is closed; but do, like an honest fellow, tell me fairly of any fault which he has.' Why, sir,' says he, you have dealt with me like a gentle · man, and, as you ask me to be frank with you, I must tell you that the horse has one fault.' I pricked up my ears. 'What is it, my friend?' 'Why, sir,' says he, it is that he will not go into the yard of the Crown Inn at Uxbridge.' 'Pooh, pooh,' said I, ‘if that's all, I am not likely to put him to the trial, as I have nothing to do with, or to lead me to Uxbridge.' It, however, so happened, that I had occasion to go to Uxbridge, and I determined to try if my borse retained his dislike to the yard of the Crown Inn. I accordingly rode up the street until I came opposite to the inn yard of the Crown. I faced about,' said the Sergeant, seated myself firmly in my stirrups, at the same time exhibiting the attitude in which the feat was to be performed. Expecting a plunge pushed him forward into the yard; but what was from my horse, I struck my spurs into his sides, and my surprise to find him enter the yard as quietly as a cow that had just gone in before him. But I was not long left in doubt of what appeared to be the cause of this change in his antipathies, by the landlord's coming up to him, and tapping him on the IN a state of nature no race of animals is unhappy; they are all adapted to the mode of life which God has ordained them to lead; and their chief enjoyment consists in pursuing their natural habits, whatever these may be. The woodpecker, while boring a tree, and clinging to it for hours by its scandent feet, is just as happy as the eagle is when perched upon the mountain cliff, or pouncing that directions which too often could Neither purpose on its quarry from the clouds. could lead the life of the other, but each is the influence of that more acute and imaginanot be obeyed-but shewed himself subject to happy in the state which has been assigned tive species of sympathy, which is termed sento it; and this is observable throughout all sibility. The following circumstance indicates nature. A rat, which burrows in a ditch, a deep sense of feeling. As he passed over a is as happy as it could desire, so long as it field of battle in Italy, with some of his generals, can find garbage sufficient to feed on; and a he saw a houseless dog lying on the body of his heron, immoveably fixed watching for the slain master. The creature came towards them, approach of small fishes and frogs, has, there then returned to the dead body, moaned over it pitifully, and seemed to ask them assistance. can be little doubt, as much pleasure as any Whether it were the feeling of the moment,' lover of the angle can enjoy while wearing continued Napoleon, "the scene, the hour, or out the summer day in marking his light the circumstance itself, I was never so affected float, and waiting, in mute expectation, the by any thing which I have seen upon a field of wished-for bite. We generally, I believe, battle. That man, I thought, has perhaps had connect rapidity or slowness of motion with a house, friends, comrades, and here he lies dethe ideas we form of an animal's happiness. If, serted by every one but his dog. How mysterious are the impressions to which we are sublike the tortoise, it move with slow and meaject! I was in the habit, without emotion, of sured steps, we pity or despise, as the mood may ordering battles, which must decide the fate of be, its melancholy, sluggish condition; and the a campaign; and could look with a dry eye on poor persecuted toad has, probably, incurred the execution of manoeuvres which must be atas much of the odium so unjustly attached to tended with much loss, and here I was moved it, by its inactivity, as by the supposed-nay, painfully affected, by the cries and grief loathsomeness of its appearance. On the of a dog. It is certain that at that moment, I other hand, enjoyment seems always to be should have been more accessible to a suppliant the concomitant of celerity of motion. A enemy, and could better understand the conduct of Achilles, in restoring the body of Hector to fly, dancing in the air, seems more happy the tears of Priam."-(Sir Walter Scott's Life of/ shoulder, 'Ha, Jack!' says he, I am glad to see than the spider lurking in his den; and the lark, singing at "heaven's gate," to possess a more joyous existence than the snail, which almost imperceptibly upon a leaf, or the mole, which passes the hours of brightness and sunshine in his dark caverns underground. But these and all other animals are happy, each in its own way; and the habits of one, constituted as the creatures are, could form no source of felicity to another, but the very reverse. Though activity may stimulate the appearance of superior enjoyment, we may conceive, that where it is excessive, the animal in which it is so demonstrated must suffer much from fatigue. This would be another mistake, in so far as relates to animals in a state of nature. The works of God are all perfect in their kind; but if an animal were formed to lead a life of almost perpetual motion, and that motion were accompanied or followed by fatigue, the work would be imperfect: take the swallow as an example; it is constantly on the wing except at night. From the early morning to the downgoing of the sun, it is for ever dashing through the air with the rapidity of an arrow, but neither morning nor evening does it ever show one symptom of weariness; it has a wing which never tires; and at night it betakes itself to repose, not worn out by the fatigues of the day, but prepared for sleep after what is to it a wholesome exercise. creeps Gibbon compares the diffusion of letters to the breaking up of a golden image, which ceasing to exist as a work of art, circulates in the more useful shape of coin, extending wealth and industry among all classes. Napoleon.) you again; I thought I had lost you!' 'What do you mean, Mr. Landlord?' 'Sir,' says he, this horse was stolen from me about six months ago, and I have never seen him since.' 'I did not much relish this piece of information,' said the Sergeant, but I could not help laughing at the conceit of the horsedealer, to prevent me from going to a place where his theft would be discovered; I wished I had attended to his caution, as the sale was not regular, and I was left to make the best terms I could with the landlord." What they were he kept to himself. -(Fraser's Magazine.) A venerable American Judge relates the following the battle at York Town, I had the curiosity to atrevolutionary anecdote :-"The morning following tend the dressing of the wounded; and among others, whose limbs were so much injured as to require amputation, was a musician, who had received a mus ket ball in his knee. As was usual in such cases, preparations were made to lash him down to the table, to prevent the possibility of his moving. Says the sufferer, Now, Doctor, what would you be at ? My lad, I'm going to take off your leg; THE PREACHER.-Vol. 4, price 7s. 6d. and it is necessary you should be lashed down.' shall consent to no such thing; you may pluck my heart from my bosom, but you'll not confine me; is there a fiddle in the tent? if so, bring it to me. A violin was furnished, and after tuning it, he said, Now, Doctor, begin; and he continued to play until the operation, which took about forty minutes, was completed, without missing a note, or moving a muscle." cloth boards, is now ready, and contains SERMONS by the Bishop of Calcutta (7); H. Blunt; T. Dale; H. Melvill; H. Mc Neill; B. Noel; T. J. Judkín; T. Mortimer; Dr. Thorp; S. Robins, &c. &c. &c. PART 28, price Is VOL. 1, 2, and 3, canvas boards, 78 6d each T, Griffiths, Wellington-street, Strand, 0 N GS. Words by Composed by s. d. The Weather Glass......W. F. Collard...J. Clifton... 1 6 'Tis a sweet thing to HEAT. We know nothing of the nature or cause cause of heat, however, we know nothing.-(Brande's Samuel Cox, the counsel, walking by the sea-side, while away................................ The Nightingale ..................ditto............ditto...... 16 Printed and Published by J. CRISP, at No. 13, Wellington-street, Strand, where all Advertisements and Communications for the Editor are to be addressed. Here their delicious task the fervent bees, THOMSON. THERE appears to be an almost instinctive tendency in the human mind to attach itself to any class of being with whom any of its attributes are shared; and that in proportion to the importance of the faculties held in common, and to the degree of development in which they are observed. It is not, therefore, surprising, that the bee should always have been an object of curiosity and interest. Perhaps there is no animal in its vicinity in the scale of being, which exhibits so many of the better features of the human character, with so few of its defects; and hence it has in all ages been adopted by moralists and poets, as one of the most appropriate emblems they could select to point the proverbs and fables of the one, or to embellish the descriptions of the other. Indeed, the whole circle of animated nature affords but few more decisive evidences of the wisdom and benevolence of the Creator, than may be observed in the economy of the bee-hive. An observer will scarcely know which to admire most, the wonderful adaptation of these insects to the circumstances in which they are placed, or the unity, industry, loyalty, and domestic and political sagacity which distinguish their little commonwealths. It would be utterly impossible within such either of the structure or habits of bees; and limits as ours, to give any regular detail we will therefore content ourselves with extracting from the writings of the most ingenious and laborious entomologists some anecdotes respecting them. The following amusing instance of their sagacity in the ventilation of the hive is given by Messrs. Kirby and Spence, in their Introduction to Entomology. must not omit to mention one of the greatest im'In treating of the various employments of bees, I portance to them-the ventilation of their abode. confined a space, the high temperature to which its When you consider the numbers contained in so atmosphere is raised, and the small aperture at which the air principally enters, you will readily spiration, and be convinced that there must be some conceive how soon it must be rendered unfit for re means of constantly renewing it. If you think that the ventilation takes place, as in our apartments, by natural means, resulting from the rarefaction of the tablishment of an interior and exterior current-a air by the heat of the hive, and the consequent essimple experiment will satisfy you that this cannot be. Take a vessel of the size of a bee-hive, with a similar or even somewhat larger aperture, introduce a lighted taper, and if the temperature be raised to more than 140 degrees, it will go out in a short time. We must, therefore, admit, as Huber observes, that the bees possess the astonishing faculty of attracting the external air, and at the same time, of expelling that which has become corrupted by their respiration. "What would you say, should I tell you that the bees, upon this occasion, have recourse to the same the case. By means of their marginal hooks, they instrument which ladies use to cool themselves when an apartment is overheated? Yet it is strictly unite each pair of wings into one plane, slightly con.. cave, thus acting upon the air, by a surface nearly as large as possible, and forming for them a pair of an arch of 90 degrees. These vibrations are so most ample fans, which in their vibrations describe rapid as to render the wings almost invisible. When they are engaged in ventilation, the bees, by means possible to the place they stand on. The first pair of their feet and claws, fix themselves as firmly as of legs is stretched out before the second, extended to the right and left; whilst the third, placed very near each other, are perpendicular to the abdomen, so as to give to that part considerable elevation. The time that they devote to this function, is longer or shorter according to circumstances: some have been observed to continue their vibrations for nearly half an hour without resting; suspending the action for not more than instant, as it should seem, to take breath. When one retires, another occupies its place; so that in a hive well peopled there is never any interruption of the humming sound occasioned by this action." The following circumstance, proving the mathematical correctness and beauty with which the cells of the honey-comb are coustructed, if it does not evince the intellectual and philosophising character of these animals, exhibits at least an instinct as THE SLAVE TRADE AND THE | British Parliament had declared such imporpowerful and accurate as any to be found in the whole range of animated nature. "Reaumer suspected that, as the bottom of the cells had a uniform inclination, this particular direction was the one which caused the least expenditure of wax. He therefore asked Koenig, an able analyst, to solve the following question:-Among all the hexagonal tubes with pyramidal bases, composed of three similar and equal rhombs, to determine that which can be constructed with the least possible quantity of matter? Koenig, not at all aware of the object which Reaumur had in view when he proposed this problem, worked it out, and found,-that if three rhombs or lozenges were so inclined to each other, that the great angles measured 109 26', and the little angles 70° 34', this construction would require the least quantity of matter. Maraldi measured the angles formed at the bottom of a cell, and found that the great angles gave 109 28', the little one 70 32/1-Such an agreemert between the solution and the actual measurement is, it must be acknowledged, sufficiently surprising. It is impossible to look at a cell without fancying that some profound geometrician had not only furnished the general plan, but also assisted in its execution. The bees appear, says Reaumur, to have had a problem to solve, which would puzzle many a mathematician. 'A quantity of matter being given, it is required to form out of it cells which shall be equal and similar, and of a determinate size, but the largest possible with relation to the quantity of matter employed, while they shall occupy the least possible space. By making the form of the cell hexagonal, the bee has fullyanswered all the conditions of the problem: this form occupies the least possible space, while its construction consumes the least possible quantity of material." We have mentioned harmony as one of the distinguishing features of this interesting society. This, however, is occasionally interrupted; and then the fiercest contests ensue. The following account of a "setto" will doubtless be read with interest by "the fancy," if we should happen to number any of that fraternity among our readers. "On those fine spring days, in which the sun is beautiful and warm, duels may often be seen to take place between two inhabitants of the same hive. In some cases, the quarrel appears to have begun within, and the combatants may be seen coming out of the gates eager for blows. Sometimes a bee peaceably settled on the outside of the hive, or walking about, is rudely jostled by another, and then the attack commences, each endeavouring to obtain the most advantageous position. They turn, pirouette, throttle each other; and such is their bitter earnestness, that Reaumur has been enabled to come near enough to observe them with a lens without causing a separation. After rolling about in the dust, the victor, watching the time when its enemy uncovers his body, by elongating it, in the attempt to sting, thrusts its weapon between the scales, and the next instant its antagonist stretches out its quivering wings, and expires. A bee cannot be killed so suddenly, except by crushing, as by the sting of another bee. Sometimes the stronger insect produces the death of the vanquished by squeezing its chest. After this feat has been done, the victorious bee constantly remains, says Reaumur, near his victim, standing on his four front legs, and rubbing the two posterior ones together. Sometimes the enemy is killed in the hive; then the victor always carries the corpse out of the city, and leaves it. These combats are strictly duels, not more than two being concerned in them; and this is even the case when armies of bees meet in combat." We can only afford room for one more anecdote an instance in which their military prowess was more advantageously employed, "Lesser tells us, that in 1525, during the confusion occasioned by a time of war, a mob of peasants, as sembling in Hoherstein, attempted to pillage the house of the minister of Elende, who having in vain employed all his eloquence to dissuade them from their design, ordered his domestics to fetch his beerives, and throw them into the middle of the enfu riated multitude. The effect answered his expecta tions: they were immediately put to flight, and happy were those who escaped unstung." MAURITIUS. A VALUABLE article on this subject has lately appeared in the Christian Advocate, the substance of which we shall transcribe into our columns. We are sorry that our space prevents our giving the whole paper to our readers. The case of the Mauritius must not be lightly passed over. It is one of those dark episodes in the Colonial tragedy that have been curiously kept back from the eye of the public, but which speak volumes upon the question of Slavery. The ostensible reason of hostility to Mr. Jeremie was, his publica. tion of certain Essays on Colonial Slavery; but the real motive lies much deeper; and, to explain it, we must recur a little to facts, which, as we have already observed, but a scanty portion of the public ever knew, and that portion seems to have forgotten. The Mauritius was captured in 1810; and, from that period to 1823, was principally under the government of Sir Robert Farquhar. Generals Hall, Dalrymple, and Darling, were successively appointed; and each held the government for a few months. During this long period of nearly thirteen years, the Slave-trade was carried on at the Mauritius to an unexampled extent. Gen. Hall exerted himself most strenuously to suppress it, and thereby made himself in the highest degree odious to the inhabitants. Farquhar, on the other hand, was idolized by them; and for what reason, we do not pretend to say. The horrible extent to which the trade had been carried on, was almost wholly unknown in this country, even to the Government, until General Hall succeeded Farquhar, in November, 1817; but the public generally received no information on the subject till a much more recent period. About the year 1825, Mr. Byam, who had filled a high situation in the Mauritius police, arrived in this country, and put the Anti-Slavery party in possession of the real facts of the case. Mr. Buxton moved for a committee of inquiry, which was appointed, and, in the commencement of 1826, this committee commenced its duties, The political changes of that period combined with other circumstances to terminate abruptly the labours of this committee, before many witnesses had been examined; but the inquiry went on out of doors, and a mass of important evidence was obtained. It also happened that certain Commissioners of inquiry arrived at the Mauritius at the latter end of 1827, or the beginning of 1828; and they fully corroborated, by their Report of the 12th of March, 1828, all the information that had been previously given. And what was this information? To guard against misconception, we will premise that, as far as we are aware, the supposed amount of slave importations into the Mauritius has never been officially stated; but, from data officially given, we advisedly declare it to be our conviction that, out of a population of 64,709 slaves in the year 1823, not less than 50,000 had been illegally imported, since the tation to be felonious! When the Commissioners of inquiry had made their Report to his Majesty's Government, and Mr. Buxton was admitted to have established his complaint, it would have been preposterous to revive the Parliamentary committee. Sir George Murray, with that noble frankness that marks his character, at once acquiesced in Mr. Buxton's position, that all these Slaves were entitled to freedom, or, rather, that they were de jure free, and that their freedom must be asserted for them. But here arose great difficulty. Large as the proportion of new slaves was understood to be, it was almost impossible to distinguish them from those Slaves who had been legally imported into the island under the French Government before 1810. Sir George Murray felt the difficulty, but expressed himself with the same honesty as to the proper means of surmounting it: "The Slaveowners had themselves created the confusion, to receive the fruits of their criminality. They must take the consequences-all the slaves in the Mauritius shall be free, whether legally or illegally imported, rather than the free men shall remain in bondage. If the owner can identify his slave, as one legally acquired, let him retain his property; but the onus probandi shall lie upon him.' Such was the just determination of Sir George Murray; and Mr. Buxton and his friends were satisfied with it. But, alas! for the unfortunate Slaves, Sir George quitted office ere he could redeem his promise: an anti-slavery Administration has succeeded, and, though with Lord Goderich at the head of the Colonial department, a man not a whit less honest or less able than Sir George, the Mauritius Slaves remain in bondage still. At the commencement of the present year, Mr. Jeremie was sent to the Mauritius, invested with large powers for the emancipation of these unfortunate men; but upon a different and far less equitable principle. The onus probandi was shifted from the owner to the slave: the latter was to prove his freedom, instead of the former establishing his title. Certain facilities, it is true, were given to the admission of evidence on the part of the Slave; but we, who have vowed to speak the truth on this question, hesitate not to declare, that this was a gross dereliction of those principles which ought to have distinguished our anti-slavery Government, and an act of cruel injustice to the Slave himself. : We go further let not our readers be startled at the boldness of the assertion, when we add that, on this occasion, his Majesty's Government have sanctioned the enjoyment of the fruits of felony-of that very felony which the Lord Chancellor had himself created, as a member of the lower House; for, to compensate the poor slave for thus shifting upon him the burthen of proof, the celebrated Order in Council of last November declared it to be sufficient, to sustain a presumption in favour of slavery, that 20 years' undisputed possession of the slave should be established. Thus, inasmuch as Mr. Jeremie's functions would not commence | while his singular comments, upon the pro till July, 1832, all the possessors of slaves vidence of God, on some casual discussions illegally imported prior to the same month in in the last Session, have made it very appa1812, would, under the Order in Council, rent what his religious principles are not! have their felonious title to them converted Most heartily do we wish his Lordship sucinto a legal one. We shall be truly glad cess; but he must not hang back: he must to find that we are in error here: we shall come to the point on this as on all other rejoice to learn, either that our construction matters: and so he will, we doubt not. He of the Order in Council is erroneous, or that spoke plainly at Exeter hall, the other day; Mr. Jeremie's instructions are essentially his words are not forgotten. The Dissenters different from that which we believe. At received, with no common satisfaction, the present, however, so stand the facts, accord-assurances of his deep sympathy in the ing to the best information which we have been able to obtain. However, even in the exercise of these qualified powers, Mr. Jeremie has been successfully defied: he returns to England, the bearer, in his own person, of contempt and insult from the colony. We hope that he will go back to the Mauritius to chastise its inhabitants as they deserve. We trust that Sir William Nicolay is, at this moment, receiving specific instructions for removing every colonial functionary from his office, and vindicating the rights of the oppressed. Can it be doubted that these Slaves are entitled to freedom? This is not mixed up with the grand question of Abolition. It stands quite alone: its merits are peculiar. Even the most staunch colonial advocate, however wedded to the system by bigoted prejudice or inveterate habit, can have nothing to say in favour of the Mauritius. The voice of all England has declared slavetrading to be felony. Never was there an Act of the Legislature that carried popular feeling more strongly with it. Lord Brougham received his mural crown in his Yorkshire election, for having branded it with the opprobious term. The West Indians themselves-ay, even the West Indians-blush at the suspicion of being slave-traders, and resent the imputation as an insult! as if to hold a slave were an inferior crime! And it is to his Majesty's Government, in the first instance, and ultimately to the British people, that these appeals must be made. Let, then, the friends of the Negro act for themselves; and, abjuring political influence on this subject once and for ever, throw themselves upon the country. We do most cordially rejoice to see how much this has been already done: we have already enumerated many places where the elections have assumed a decided Anti-Slavery character. It is with pleasure we can add others to our list at Hythe, this is the turning point between Frazer and Majoribanks; Frazer will pledge himself, and Majoribanks will not. It is not difficult to see who will go to the wall; and this, again, is likely to become the gist of the controversy, on a far more important arena. Middlesex will be contested upon this ground. Lord Henley, in every respect a most desirable man, has avowed himself a candidate, and carries with him the good wishes of a vast body of the electors-who, perhaps, would prefer the supposed principles of Mr. Hume, but that his gross inconsistency, upon this very question, has made it a matter of curious inquiry what his political principles really are; wrongs of their persecuted brethren; and GENERAL PUTNAM. head of fifteen hundred men, his only method of FILIAL AFFECTION. After DURING the French Revolution, Mademoiselle Sombruil had been eight days with her father in prison, when the unhappy massacres of September commenced. many prisoners had been murdered, and the sight of blood, continually flowing, seemed only to increase the rage of the assassins, while the wretched inmates of the prison endeavoured to hide themselves from the death that hovered over them, Mademoiselle Sombruil rushed into the presence of the murderers who had seized her father."Barbarians!" she cried, "hold your hands, he is my father!" She threw herself at their feet. In one moment she seized the hand which was lifted against her father, and in the next, she offered her own person to the sword, so placing herself that the parent could not be struck but through the body of his child. So much courage and filial affection in so young a girl, for a moment diverted the attention of the assassins. She perceived that they hesitated; and seized on the favourable opportunity. While she entreated for her father's life, one of the monsters proposed the following condition :- Drink," said he, "a glass of blood, and save your father." She shuddered, and retreated some paces: but filial affection gained the ascenral Putnam for the acts of successful rashness to tion." Innocent or guilty," said one of those FEW men have been more remarkable than Gene-dancy, and she yielded to the horrible condiwhich a bold and intrepid spirit frequently prompted who performed the office of judge, "it is him. in the blood of the old man, since they must unworthy of the people to bathe their hands first destroy this virtuous girl." A cry of "Pardon!" was heard. The daughter, revived by this signal of safety, threw herself But an act of still more daring intrepidity was his into her father's trembling arms, which venturing to clear in a boat, the tremendous waterwhen Putnam fought against the French and their being overcome by such powerful affection, falls of Hudson's river. This was in the year 1756, scarcely had power to press her to his bosom, allies, the Indians. He was accidentally with a boat and so providential a deliverance. Even the and five men, on the castern side of the river, contigious to these falls. His men, who were on the most outrageous assassins were unable to opposite side, informed him by signal, that a consi- restrain their tears: and the father and derable body of savages were advancing to surround him, and there was not a moment to lose. Three daughter were triumphantly conducted to a modes of conduct were at his option-to remain, place of comfort and safety. fight, and be sacrificed; to attempt to pass to the other side exposed to the full shot of the enemy; or to sail down the waterfalls, with almost a certainty of DEAN SWIFT.-Dean Swift was a great enemy to tives. Putnam did not hesitate, and jumped into tructive ostentation in the middling classes, which being overwhelmed. These were the only alterna- extravagance in dress, and particularly to that desthe boat at the fortunate instant, for one of his com- led them to make an appearance above their condipanions, who was at a little distance, was a victim tion in life. Of his mode of reproving this folly in charged their muskets at the boat before he could lowing instance has been recorded. to the Indians. His enemies soon arrived, and dis- those persons for whom he had an esteem, the fol· When George get out of their reach. No sooner had he escaped Faulkner, the printer, returned from London, where this danger through the rapidity of the current, but he had been soliciting subscriptions for his edition death presented itself under a more terrific form. of the Dean's works, he went to pay his respects to Rocks, whose points projected above the surface of him, dressed in a laced waistcoat, a bag wig, and the water; large masses of timber that nearly closed other fopperies. Swift received him with the same "And pray, the passage; absorbing gulfs, and rapid descents, for ceremony as if he had been a stranger. of escape but by a miracle. Putnam however placed the distance of a quarter of a mile, left him no hope sir," said he, "what are your commands with me?” "I thought it was my duty, sir," replied George, himself at the helm, and directed it with the utmost "to wait upon you immediately on my arrival from tranquillity. His companions saw him with admira- London." "Pray, sir, who are you?" "George tion, terror, and astonishment, avoid with the utmost Faulkner, the printer, sir." "You George Faulkner, address the rocks and threatening gulfs, which they the printer! why, you are the most impudent bareevery instant expected to devour him. He disap-faced scoundrel of an imposter I ever met with! peared, rose again, and directing his course across George Faulkner is a plain, sober citizen, and would never trick himself out in lace and other fopperies. the only passage which he could possibly make, he at length gained the even surface of the river that Get you gone, you rascal, or I wiil immediately send flowed at the bottom of this dreadful cascade. The you to the House of Correction." Away went Indians were no less surprised. This miracle asto- George as fast as he could, and having changed his nished them almost as much as the sight of the first dress, returned to the Deanery, where he was reEuropeans that approached the banks of this river.ceived with the greatest cordiality. "My friend, They considered Putnam as invulnerable; and they George," says the Dean, "I am glad to see you rethought that they should offend the Great Spirit, if turned safe from London. Why, here has been an they attempted the life of a man that was so visibly impudent fellow with me just now, dressed in a laced under his immediate protection.-(Percy Anec-waistcoat, and he would fain pass himself off for dotes.) you, but I soon sent him away with a flea in his ear.". escaped. |