76 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



entering the court, but the trees 

 intercepted the shots. The sentinels 

 went in pursuit of the offenders, 

 but they escaped under the cover 

 of night. In the absence of the 

 guard, and just as the colonel's 

 son, accompanied by a soldier, was 

 turning the south-east corner of 

 the house, four or five men were 

 observed to collect in front, and 

 one of them discharged another 

 musket, but the shot passed with- 

 out doing any mischief. Soon after 

 the firing, the colonel, who had 

 been on military duties, drove into 

 the court, and having strength- 

 ened the guard, the night passed 

 without further molestation. 



At Huddersfield the Luddites 

 were very active in collecting arms 

 last week, and have been too suc- 

 cessful. They proceeded to peo- 

 ple's houses, in the townships of 

 Almonbury, Wooldale, Farnley, 

 Netherthong, Meltham, Honley, 

 and Marsden, and many other 

 places in the neighbourhood ; they 

 entered the houses by about 20 or 

 30 in a gang, and demanded all 

 the arms in the house, on pain of 

 instant death. By this means they 

 have obtained possession of up- 

 wards of 100 stand of arms, and not 

 one night has passed without some 

 arms having been so taken. To 

 check this alarming evil, major 

 Gordon has obtained possession of 

 200 stand of arms from the inha- 

 bitants in the neighbourhood ; the 

 military are in this manner daily 

 employed in collecting arms, but 

 they have not yet discovered the 

 depot of the Luddites. 



15. The friends of humanity will 

 be happy to learn from the supple- 

 ment to the Buenos Ayres Gazette 

 cf May 15th, that a representa- 



tion had been made by the Cabildo 

 to the governor, that although the 

 evil of slavery cannot be abolished 

 at once without infringing the 

 rights of property, and letting loose 

 on society a set of people debased 

 by their abject situation, yet that 

 it was time to attack the abuse at 

 the fountain head, and not only do 

 justice to the Africans, but remove 

 a source of corruption and a bar 

 to industry from the Americans ; 

 it therefore proposed to govern- 

 ment to abolish the slave trade. The 

 result was tiie following decree of 

 government : — 



" Conformably to the rights of hu- 

 manity, the representations of the re- 

 spectable authorities of this capital, 

 and the liberal principles proclaim- 

 ed, and defended withvalouranden- 

 ergy by the united provinces of the 

 Rio de la Plata, — thegovernment,on 

 the 9th of April last, made the fol- 

 lowing decree, which, by this, is 

 ordered to be published. 



" Article 1. The importation 

 of cargoes of slaves is absolutely 

 prohibited in the territory of the 

 united provinces. 



" Art. 2. The cargoes that may 

 arrive within one year, from the 

 25th of JVIay next, shall be order- 

 ed to leave our ports immediately. 



" Art. 3. At the expiration of 

 the year, the ships and cargoes 

 of that description that may ar- 

 rive on our coasts, shall be con- 

 fiscated ; the slaves on board are 

 declared to be free, and govern- 

 ment will take care of putting 

 them to useful occupations. 



" Art. 4. All the authorities of 

 the state are strictly charged with 

 the observance and executions of 

 the present decree, which shall be 

 published, circulated, and register- 

 ed 



