1828.] Notes for the Month. 61 



litigation as to the proof of that freedom. The presumption is, that the 

 man who has been a slave, is still a slave : the onus of proving the con- 

 trary must lie upon him. When he landed at Dover he became free ; 

 but he must shew that he did land there : which might not always be 

 easy in many cases, would not be possible. The very act, by which he 

 claims to be free, is an act of offence against the law of the colony to 

 which he belonged ; and an abstraction of the property of his master. 

 He states that he deserted which is perfectly admitted, and is part of 

 the case against him ; he states that he is free, because he has been to 

 England but England has given him no certificate either of his visit, or- 

 of his liberty ; and he at least remains in the hands of his master until 

 that evidence can be made out a condition least of all others likely to be 

 for his comfort or advantage. 



The whole perplexity arises out of the anomalous condition of our 

 law, which recognizes slavery in one portion of the British dominions, 

 and refuses to recognize it in another : and, perhaps, while that anoma- 

 lous state of affairs continues, so that the question be adjusted, it is not 

 very highly material in which way. If the negro (not manumitted) who 

 enjoys freedom in this country, is advised of the fact that, if he returns to' 

 his colony, he returns to slavery, then he either avoids so returning, or, 

 returning, he goes into slavery knowingly, and of his own will. And it 

 is not a very oppressive provision to tack to the estate of a slave, who 

 has gained his liberty by the simple process of running away from his 

 master's estate in Jamaica to say " Your liberty, remember, is subject' 

 to the condition, that you shall not return to Jamaica again/' Under any 

 decision of the point, subject to the existing state of our slave law, diffi- 

 culties and abuses may arise. If we adopt Lord Stowell's law, the master 

 of a ship, having a negro on board, bound for New York (where he would 

 be free), may with impunity run that man into St. Kitts (from whence he 

 came ten years before), and make a slave of him. On the other hand, by 

 the law existing already and which (in spite of Lord Stowell's decision) 

 remains in force the same captain of a vessel, allowing a negro to con- 

 ceal himself on board his ship in port, and work his passage to England ; 

 by that act deprives that man's owner of a property, the saleable value of 

 which may be perhaps 200/. 



The Morning Chronicle observes to-day, discussing the unjustifiable r 

 ness of a plan of emigration " That the poor families have just as great 

 a right to send the rich away, (if there are too many people in the 

 country,) as the rich, the poor." There is no doubt, we apprehend, that 

 they have exactly the same right ; but they have not altogether the same 

 power. 



Kew Palace, which thirty years ago cost half a million of money, has 

 been for some time past in so ruinous a state, that it is being pulled down. 

 (More by token, that part of it has fallen in during the operations, and four 

 of the unfortunate labourers employed lost their lives by the accident.) 

 The peculiar style of modern building we dont mean to speak of Cf archi- 

 tecture," but of the vulgar work of putting stones and mortar permanently 

 together is becoming really worthy of public attention. Kew Palace, 

 finished about five and twenty years is selling now, for the waste 

 materials. Carlton House a building of yesterday, compared with the' 

 average duration of houses built in our less " enlightened " days was in- 

 such a state for some years before it was taken down, that it was almost 

 dangerous to inhabit it. Mr. Beckford's splendid Fonthill," was on the 



