510 Notes fur the Month. [Nov. 



No. 3. " Miss Richards and Miss Mills solicit the favour of Miss 

 Trittand, Miss John, Miss Harvey, and Miss Bennett's company, on 

 Saturday, 17th of March, to take tea with them at Williams's Farm," 

 &c. &c. 



f. Now, these "exhibit?," which our readers will perceive are "invita- 

 tions" to negro balls, and petit soupers, are not very comical ; and they 

 prove nothing in the world. To shew the most boisterous merriment 

 existing among any race of people, is not at all to negative their general 

 misery or degradation. The wretched pick-pockets and trulls that come 

 up every day to be sent to the tread -mill, from the police office in Bow- 

 street, sing and laugh, and "Sir" and " Ma'am" each other ten times 

 more than the substantial tradesmen in Holborn or the Strand. But it is 

 strange that John, and his fellow defenders of the colonial system, should 

 always elect to take up that part of the case which does not give them a 

 leg to stand upon. There may possibly be a doubt raised particularly 

 while the " licensing system" in England continues to be upheld, to 

 protect the monopoly of the brewers how far we are justified, even for 

 the relief of the slaves in the West Indies, in taking any course (without 

 compensation) which damnifies the property of their owners ; but, for the 

 condition of the slaves, it seems almost a pleasantry, how any human 

 creature can affect to have a doubt about it ! All the facts in the world 

 -if it were shewn, even upon affidavit, that every negro in Jamaica ate 

 plum-cake twice a day cannot deserve the consideration of a moment. 

 We will not ask what is the case, but what, according to all existing ana- 

 logy and experience must it be! What does any body think, even in this 

 country where a sharp control over human action exists in the freedom 

 of the press, and the responsibility consequently induced to public opinion, 

 and where long habit has not yet deadened or corrupted the general 

 feeling what does any sane man believe would be the condition of those 

 plagues of human life, the domestic servants of England, to-morrow if 

 their masters and mistresses were invested with the same powers over them 

 that the colonists of the West Indies hold over their negroes ? How many 

 footmen does John think we will take his own now for an example, as 

 no doubt he esteems himself the most merciful man in existence at the 

 end of the first three years of such a regime would have escaped whip- 

 ping? Not to speak of what Mrs. Bull might consider from time to time 

 to be for the benefit of the housemaids? And is it not a work of super- 

 erogation to go as far even as this ? Can any man doubt, who is in his 

 senses, that every creature, subjected to the absolute domination of another, 

 must become the victim constantly of the most horrible cruelty and injus- 

 tice ? What shall we say of one little illustration of this fact if any 

 argument upon it can be necessary which we can't pass through the 

 streets of the metropolis without having before us every day of our Jives ? 

 The temptation to maltreat brute animals fear of the Jaw, and of reta- 

 liation apart is not a tenth part so strong, or so frequent, as that which 

 we feel to chastise and coerce our fellow-creatures ; and yet, for the 

 protection of brute animals, a specific law is found necessary, the opera- 

 tion of which, every one only regrets cannot be made far more extensive 

 and more efficient. 



The daily papers contain an account of a meeting of the *' Steam Navi- 

 gation Company," in the course of the last week; the proceedings at 

 which seem to have been marked by the same urbanity and pleasantness 

 of mutual feeling which so eminently distinguishes the discussions of most 



