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manners. I fear that few men undergo such a total change of character as this, under any circumstances, and that a prison is among the last places in which it is to be expected. Independently of this consideration, I apprehend that this clause may in some degree dero. gate from the power, which, under his majesty's instructions, you possess, of pardoning offenders, or remitting their punishments.

I have thus explained, at length, the considerations which have imposed on his majesty's government the necessity of submitting to his majesty their advice that this act should be disallowed. It cannot but be a subject of deep regret to them, that their sense of public duty has prevented their adopting a different course; but I trust that, upon a serious and deliberate review of the subject, the gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Assembly of Jamaica will themselves be disposed to admit, that the decision which has been adopted was inevitable. The preceding remarks will show that this act has not been disallowed upon any slight grounds. The many wise and beneficent provisions which it contains have been fully appreciated, although they have not been thought sufficient to compensate for the irrepa. rable injury which the best interests of the colony might sustain, from some of the enactments to which I have particularly referred. Even were the law unobjectionable on every other ground, it would be impossible to surmount the difficulty presented by the clauses for restraining religious liberty.-I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

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The following are the clauses contained in the law which refers to the sectarians:

83. And whereas it has been found that the practice of ignorant, superstitious, or designing slaves, of attempting to instruct others, has been attended with the most. pernicious consequences, and even with the loss of life: Be it enacted, That any slave or slaves found guilty of preaching and teaching as Anabaptists, or otherwise, with, out a permission from their owner, and the quarter sessions for the parish in which such preaching or teaching takes place, shall be punished in such manner as any three magistrates may deem proper, by whipping, or imprisonment in the workhouse to hard labour.

84. And whereas, the assembling of slaves and other persons, after dark, at places of meeting belong. ing to dissenters from the es tablished religion, and other persons professing to be teachers of religion, has been found extremely dangerous, and great facilities are thereby given to the formation of plots and conspiracies, and the health of the slaves and other per. sons has been injured in travelling to and from such places of meeting at late hours in the night: Be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that from and after the commencement of this act, all such meetings between sunset and sunrise shall be held and deemed unlawful; and any sectarian, dissenting minister, or other person professing to be a teacher of religion, who shall, contrary to this act, keep open any such places of meeting between sunset and sunrise, for the purpose aforesaid, or permit or suffer any such nightly assembly of slaves therein, or be present thereat, shall forfeit and

pay a sum, not less than £20, nor exceeding £50, for each offence, to be recovered in a summary manner, before any three justices, by warrant of distress and sale; one moiety thereof to be paid to the informer, who is hereby declared a competent witness, and the other moiety to the poor of the parish in which such offence shall be committed; and, in default of payment thereof, the said justices are hereby empowered and required to commit such offender or offenders to the common gaol, for any space of time not exceeding one calendar month. Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed or taken to prevent any minister of the Presbyterian Kirk, or licensed minister, from performing divine worship at any time before the hour of eight o'clock in the evening at any licensed place of worship, or to interfere with the celebration of divine worship according to the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish and Roman Catholic religions.

85. And whereas, under pretence of offerings and contributions, large sums of money and other chattels have been extorted by designing men, professing to be teachers of religion, practising on the ignorance and superstition of the negroes in this island, to their great loss and impoverishment; and

whereas, an ample provision is already made by the public, and by private persons, for the religious instruction of the slaves: Be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that from and after the commencement of this act, it shall not be law. ful for any dissenting minister, religious teacher, or other person whatsoever, to demand or receive any money or other chattel whatsoever from any slave or slaves within this island, for affording such slave or slaves religious instruction, by way of offering contributions, or under any other pretence whatsoever; and if any person or persons shall, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, offend herein, such person or persons shall, upon conviction before any three justices, forfeit and pay the sum of £20 for each offence, to be recovered in a summary manner, by warrant of distress and sale, under the hands and seals of the said justices, one moiety there. of to be paid to the informer, who is hereby declared a competent witness, and the other moiety to the poor of the parish in which such offence shall be committed; and, in default of payment, the said justices are hereby empowered and required to commit such offender or offenders to the common gaol, for any space of time not exceeding one calendar month.

FRANCE.

THE chambers commenced their session on the 5th February, 1828; nearly every member was present, and the speech of the king was delivered as follows:

Gentlemen,

It is always with equal satisfaction that I see you meet about my throne, and that I come to make

known to you the situation of France.

The relations with the European powers continue to be amicable and satisfactory. The affairs of the east alone present some difficulties; but the treaty that I have signed with the king of England and the emperor of Russia, has laid the foundation for the pacification of Greece, and I have reason to hope that the efforts of my allies, and my own efforts, will triumph over the resistance of the Ottoman Porte, without the necessity of our having recourse to arms.

The unexpected battle at Nava. rino was at the same time an occa. sion of glory for our arms, and a brillant pledge of the union of the three flags.

The peninsula has been for a long time a cause of sacrifice to us; this is near an end; secure on her frontiers, Spain is employing herself with perseverance in the task of crushing in her bosom, the deplorable seeds of civil discord. Every thing assures me, that I shall be able, very soon, with the consent of the king my nephew, to restore my soldiers to their country, and to relieve my people from a painful burden.

A vigor us blockade, to termi. nate only when I shall have received the satisfaction which is due to me, is kept up, and is punishing Algiers, and protecting French

commerce.

In distant regions, and under the uncertain dominion of infant governments, our flag has suffered some aggressions; but I have ordered that just reparation should be exacted, and I have prescribed measures which will for the future protect from all damage the for. tunes of my subjects.

If I can thus, gentlemen, look abroad with satisfaction, the domestic state of my kingdom does not offer me less security. You will see by the documents which will be laid before you, that if the products of the different contribu tions have suffered some diminution, the sources of the public wealth are not lessened for any length of time. Extraordinary cir cumstances have produced an excess of expenditure for which it will be necessary to provide. I have ordered my ministers to render you an account of them; and I have required of them, to press constantly towards a severe and ex. tensive economy.

I have called my son to act in the military promotions. The army will find in this new arrangement the most certain testimony of my regard towards it.

The progressive developements of commerce and industry, that glory of peaceful states, have increased their wants, and solicit more numerous outlets. It is my wish that a minister appointed in their interest, should have the special employment of proposing to me every thing which may be proper to assist their activity, which is ever increasing.

However intimate may be the connexion which. must exist be. tween religion and the education of men, public instruction and ecclesiastical affairs have appeared to me to require a separate direction, and I have ordered the divi sion to be made.

Wishing to strengthen more and more in my states the charter which was granted by my brother, and which I have sworn to maintain, I shall be watchful, that the labours are carried on with wisdom and

judgment, which shall place our legislation in harmony with it.

Some high questions of public administration have been pointed out for my attention. Convinced that the true strength of the throne is, next to the divine protection, in observing the laws, I have ordered that these questions should be examined, and that their discussion should bring out the truth, which is the first want of princes and people.

Gentlemen, the happiness of France is the object of all my af. fections, of all my thoughts. To secure this, I shall know how to maintain the power and watchful authority which belongs to my

crown.

I depend, gentlemen, and I depend very much, on the assistance of your information, and on the union with me of your feelings. The word of your king, calling for the union of good men, can here only find hearts disposed to listen and to respond to it.

Paris, Jan. 27 1829. * To-day his majesty opened the session of the chamber in the Louvre.

After the usual preliminary ceremonies had been through, and the peers and deputies had taken their seats, his majesty delivered the following speech :

Gentlemen,-I am happy in am happy in seeing you every year assembled around my throne, to promote, in concert with me, the great interests of my people.

This satisfaction is the more lively on the present occasion, as I have pleasing communications to make to you, and important labours to intrust to you.

My relations with foreign pow.

ers continue to be friendly. The assurances I receive from my allies offer me a pledge, that notwithstanding the events which have desolated the east, peace will not be disturbed in the rest of Europe. To hasten the pacification of Greece, I have, in concert with England and Russia, sent to the At Morea a division of my troops. the sight of some thousand French. men, determined to accomplish their noble task, that celebrated country, too long ravaged, has been restored to peace and securi. ty. There, as at Navarin, the union of the flags has proved to the world the respect of the three crowns for the faith of treaties, and my soldiers take pleasure in recounting the sincere support which they have found in the English

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the countries through which they have passed, testimonies of esteem and respect, due to their excellent discipline. Considerable sums have been advanced to the Spanish government; a convention has been signed to regulate the payment of them.

The hope which I still retain of obtaining from the dey of Algeirs a just reparation, has retarded the measures which I may be obliged to take in order to punish him; but I shall neglect nothing to pro. tect the French commerce from insult and piracy; and striking ex. amples have already taught the Algerines that it is neither easy nor prudent to brave the vigilance of my naval force.

Engagements contracted by an ancient French colony had ceased to be executed. After having convinced myself that this inexecution was the result of inability, I have consented to open with more efficacious negotiations for the in. terests of the colonies and of com

merce.

Many of my subjects have suf. fered by the measures taken by the emperor of Brazil in his war with the republic of Buenos Ayres. Some of their vessels have been captured. The convention which I have just ratified, while it confirms, with respect to the right of blockade, a conservatory principle always maintained by France, ensures to them the restitution of their loss. On this occasion, as on all others, I owe praises to the French marine, which shows itself worthy of its noble mission..

The successive shocks which have agitated some of the new states of South America have left the political situation of those states uncertain, and rendered it difficult to form regular relations with them.

The moment is doubtless not far distant when I shall be able to give to those relations a stability advantageous to my subjects; meantime I have appointed consuls to watch over their interests.

Such, gentlemen, is the happy state of our relations with foreign powers. Whatever may be the events that the future reserves for us, I shall certainly never forget that the glory of France is a sacred deposite, and that the honour of being the guardian of it is the fairest prerogative of my crown.

Order and peace prevail in the interior. French industry, already so justly celebrated, is daily dis tinguished by new improvements.

Some branches of our agriculture and commerce are suffering, but I hope that it will be possible for me to lessen the evil, if I should not be enabled to cure it.

The long inclemency of the sea. sons, and the unfavourable delay which the harvest experienced, awakened for some weeks the solicitude of my government. Dis. tressing doubts with respect to the state of our resources have been speedily dispelled by more positive information. The substance of all is assured, and if the price of corn, while it augments the prosperity of the landholders, increases for a moment the distress of the indigent, Providence has created beneficence to relieve those who suffer.

The press, freed from restraints, enjoys entire liberty. If licen. tiousness, its fatal enemy, still shows itself under the cover of a generous and confiding law, public good sense, which becomes more firm and enlightened, does justice to its aberrations, and the magistracy, faithful to its noble tra ditions, know its duties, and will always fulfil them.

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