the 12th of July, 1832. At Martinique, up to the 21st of September, 1833, the following acts of emancipation were delivered:-1. To 2001 patronés (629 men and 1372 women) and to their children to the number of 1172. 2. To 298 slaves (103 men and 195 women), and to their children to the number of 125. At Guadaloupe, up to the 6th of August, the following were delivered:-1. To 582 patronés (201 men and 381 women), and to their children to the number of 322.-2. To 252 slaves (81 men and 171 women), and to their children to the number of 123. At French Guiana the Governor has, by a decree of the 20th of September, delivered acts of emancipation to 1. Sixty-seven patronés (33 men and 34 women), and to seventeen of their children.-2. To 26 slaves (7 men and 19 women), and to two children. In all the above cases it was in consequence of demands made by the masters. Independent of these emancipations, which passed without opposition, several local decrees had been issued agreeably to the instructions of the Minister of Marine, by the governors of the three colonies, between December, 1830, and July, 1832; declaring free, at Martinique, 5597 individuals, at Guadaloupe 1798, and at French Guiana 371.

In reply to an address, presented to Major-General Sir James Carmichael Smyth, Bart., from a deputation of the freecoloured inhabitants of Berbice, on his assuming the government of that colony, in which they complain of the exclusion from command in the militia of all coloured inhabitants, the Governor observes, "The law in British Guiana acknowledges no difference amongst his Majesty's subjects in the exercise of their civil and political rights founded upon so casual and trifling a distinction as the colour of a man's skin. In the discharge of my duty, and in appointing to such vacancies as may occur in either our civil or military establishments, you may depend upon. it that the eligibility of the candidate, and his fitness for the office, will be my only consideration, and that I shall know no distinctions but those caused by virtue and vice, loyalty and disloyalty."

The agitation of the question respecting negro emancipation in the British islands has had the effect of producing considerable excitement in the Dutch settlements. At Surinam a revolt has occurred which at one time threatened serious consequences. The immediate result was the destruction by fire of the produce of an estate and of the buildings attached to it. The old law can still be resorted to in the Dutch colonies, and the three ringleaders were sentenced to suffer under it,―

namely, to be burnt opposite the premises they had destroyed. The other conspirators were sentenced to be hanged or flogged, according to the share they had in the insurrection.

The following estimates of the value of our West India Colonies are taken from the report of the select committee of the House of Lords, recently published ::

So that the whole amount is less than £131,052,424

IONIAN ISLES.-Despatches received in the early part of this year, stated that Lord Nugent, First Lord Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, arrived at Corfu on the 29th of November, and on the following day published a proclamation, speaking of the reform of abuses, good laws, and an independent legislature. The noble lord was received by the inhabitants with unbounded marks of respect and admiration, to which the constant devotion of his talents to the liberty and prosperity of his country entitle him. Mutual congratulations were everywhere heard on the blessing which Providence had bestowed on these islands.

CANADA. The legislature of Upper Canada has voted

50,000l. for the purpose of making further improvements in the navigation of the St. Lawrence, and 25,000l. to the Wellend Canal for the same object.

Accounts received from Lower Canada stated, that the committee appointed by the legislature to form a new constitution had agreed upon one as follows:-An elective legislative council, chosen by landholders having a net income of 10%. in the country, and 20%. in the cities, to have been resident one year within the circle where the election takes place. The eligibility is to be restricted to subjects of his Majesty, having attained 30 years of age, and having resided in the province for a period of not less than fifteen years, and possessing property in the province of at least 100%. value for those elected for the country, and 2001. for those of Quebec and Montreal. The duration of the council is to be limited to six years, and removal is to be made of one-sixth part every year, it being to be determined by lot during the first five years which member shall retire. When a vacancy occurs, the new member is only to be elected for the remaining period left unfilled by his predecessor. The number of the members to be equal to that of the counties, cities, and divisions thereof, or other circles sending members to the House of Assembly, with the exception of boroughs whose population does not exceed 2000 souls, who would only have to vote in the counties of which they made a part, so that the number of councillors would be nearly half that of the House of Assembly. The speaker, or chairman, to be chosen by the members, subject to the approval of his Majesty. Judges to be ineligible, as well as the clergy. The members of the present legislative council are not to belong to the new one, except they are re-elected; or if his Majesty's government persist in retaining them, they are to be considered as supernumerary members. The Legislative Council is not to be subject to dissolution. The members are not to accept, otherwise than by bill, any place of profit or honor, during plea sure, excepting those of justice of the peace and of militia, nor become accountable for the public money, nor receive any place, directly or indirectly, from the executive government, without subjecting themselves to a re-election. Individuals offering themselves as candidates, must make oath to their qualification, and if not present, their electors must make affirmation of the same to the best of their knowledge and belief. The members, when elected, were to take the same

When members were

oath previous to taking their seats. elected both for the Legislative Council and the Assembly, they were to choose which they accepted of.

The population of Upper Canada, for the year ending June last, was 296,544 persons, being an increase of 35,652 over the preceding year.

A little empire, says an American journal, is rising in the midst of the lakes. The village of York, with about 7,000 inhabitants, and Kingston between 5,000 and 6,000, are surpassed by few, if any, villages within the States, of a comparative population, in all the means essential to the vigour, duration, and prosperity of social communities. The animated and flourishing villages of St. Catharine's, Queenston, and Niagara, in the Niagara district; of Hamilton, at the head of Lake Ontario; of Coburg, Brockville, and the beautiful settlements up the Bay of Quinte, are indications of the destinies of Upper Canada, which can lead to no erroneous inference. The policy of the British government has, within the last two years, occasioned the settlement in the Canadas of a great number of individuals, who have added largely to the wealth and strength of the provinces. The emigration has increased from about 16,000 in 1829, to 52,000 in 1832. Of the last year's emigration, a part settled in the lower vince, and a part in the United States, but near 40,000 in Upper Canada. The deposits made by the emigrants of 1832, at the bank of Upper Canada, in York, exceeded 60,000 sovereigns. There are now in active operation on Lake Ontario, the Bay of Quinte, and the St. Lawrence, belonging to Upper Canada, twenty-five steam-boats, several of which are of the first power and capacity.

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Parliamentary evidence on the condition of Nova Scotia gives some curious details of the way in which emigrants get on and acquire property, although they may begin the world without a penny. "In the first place, they go to a farmer and hire a cow for twenty shillings; that cow they get in the spring of the year in calf; they keep that cow through the summer, and they keep it the next winter, for the sake of the produce the cow will have; and then they pay the owner of the cow twenty shillings, and return him his cow in the ensuing spring in calf, as they got it. They begin with that calf which is in the cow for their stock; that (calf, in time, becomes a cow; and they hire a sheep and an ox in the same way: the produce of the ox is the use that he is of in harrowing in the corn. But now they have got a stock of their own;

they have now got sheep, and cows, and oxen, and they have got horses, and they are living in a great degree of comfort; the original twenty shillings, although agreed to be paid in money, being generally taken by the farmer in labour. In the same manner, the colony is enabled to provide for all the children of emigrants when they reach the age of five and upwards. Any farmer will take them as apprentices, according to the terms detailed in the evidence. As the army and navy resort to Halifax, we have generally a very large portion of orphan children thrown upon the poor-list; and our mode of disposing of these children is, that at four to five years of age we put them out apprentices to farmers, unless they choose a trade; if they choose a trade, of course they are bound to a trade. The stipulation that is made for those children with the person to whom each child is bound is, that the first year he is to give that child a sheep; the second year a heifer calf; and as long as that child is under indentures to him, he is bound to preserve and keep that sheep and heifer calf, and all the produce of it, till the child comes of age, and then it becomes a portion for that child to settle with, if a female, in marriage; or, if a male, as farming stock. He will generally have a stock of five or ten head of grown-up cattle, and eight or ten sheep, by that means. In fact, we never can supply half the number of children that there is a demand for."

AFRICA. According to the accounts received relative to the expedition up the Niger, Mr. R. Lander arrived at Fernando Po on the 1st of May, from the Quorra steam-boat, which he left a-float in deep water near the river Tchadda. From her he descended the Niger in a native canoe, and arrived on board the brig Columbine, which was lying in the Nun river, having been thirteen days on his passage. During this period our gallant traveller stopped to sleep every night at a native village on the banks of the Niger. At Fernando Po Mr. Lander was evidently very ill, though he was rapidly recovering from an attack of dysentery, with which he had been afflicted for some months. His object in returning alone to this place was to procure medicines, as well as tea and other condiments, for the use of the invalids on board the steam-boats. We lament to have to confirm the reports of the grievous mortality which had prevailed; the number of deaths on board the vessels of which the expedition is composed, had been indeed frightfully great. No fewer than