1820.] Notes for the Month. 69 



chief judge of the court of cassation is a black : he is a small shopkeeper ; and 

 in that way more respectable than in his judicial capacity." * * " Monsieur 

 Dieu Donney, chief judge of the lower courts, is a man of colour, and would, 

 in all probability, do justice, if he were permitted to do so: but he is often 

 controlled by the majority of his brother judges, who are as corrupt as they are 

 ignorant ; whenever a good bribe is offered, they never consult about the 

 justice of the case, but give a verdict as a quid pro quo for the douceur:' * * 

 " With regard to that respectable officer, a justice of the peace, in Hayti, he is 

 almost indescribable !" Franklins Present State of Hayti. 



Mr. Franklin's book is intelligently written, and contains a great deal 

 of curious information. 



The Haytians, like most other savages, very soon, when they began 

 business on their own account, acquired an accurate perception of all the 

 principles connected with profitable buying and selling. Christophe did 

 some things in this way, which were really chef-cTceuvrcs. In one case- 

 it was shortly after he became " emperor" a London coachmaker, 

 whose name, we rather think, was Oowther, had heard that the Palace 

 of " Sans Souci" was to be floored with silver, and Availed with gold, and 

 imagined the speculation of carrying out a cargo of " state carriages," 

 built upon the model of that used by the Lord Mayor of London, with 

 harness a horse-load in itself, every housing for the use of the " imperial 

 court." The arrival of these vehicles, as might be supposed, gave prodi- 

 gious satisfaction. The empress, the moment she saw them, got into one ; 

 and ccnld not be persuaded to get out all day : and the coachmaker 

 expecteu a return of at least four hundred per cent, on his adventure. 

 When, to his surprise and horror, after the price was fixed, and the goods 

 landed, so that there was no retreat for merchant or merchandize, 

 Christophe declared it to have been part of his understanding, that the 

 payment was to be made "not in money but in the produce of the 

 Haitian dominions namely, in sugar and tobacco." This fraud was 

 only the premier pas. Sugar and tobacco were at that time so low in price 

 in England, that the unhappy speculator saw at once a tremendous 

 abatement of his gains ; but he was relieved from part of his apprehen- 

 sions as to adding very seriously to the glut in the home market, by the 

 discovery that " the emperor," (who seemed to wish to read a lesson to 

 hasty adventurers), meant not only to pay his bill in produce, but in 

 produce valued at his own price ! What followed, but for the monstrous 

 villany of the proceeding, was really ludicrous. The amount to be 

 given for the carriages, by the scheme of paying in produce, being 

 already abated nearly half, it was then announced to the enraged and 

 unfortunate dealer, that (( an import duty" of twenty per cent, would 

 be payable to " government" upon the carriages that he had brought ; and 

 an ' ' export duty " of ten (if we recollect right) upon the sugar, &c. that 

 he was to take away ! thus literally leaving nothing or a fraction next 

 to nothing (after the " expenses" were deducted) to be disbursed 

 by the Court authorities of St. Domingo ! The result, we believe was, 

 that M. Crowther lost every thing, and was ruined by the speculation. 

 He died either on his passage to England, or soon after his return ; and 

 it was upon some legal proceedings instituted relative to his property 

 that the facts of the case came before the public. 



Mr. Franklin states that the " established religion" of Hayti, is " the 

 Roman Catholic." But ' ' the church," at present is " in a very disorga- 

 nized state/' in consequence of the expulsion, by Boyer, of " the Catholic 

 bishop of Port-au-Prince," and " Pere Jerome,". " Jeremiah O'Flinn, 



