Meetings against the new Slave Circular are being held all
over the country, but the speakers all make the mistake into which Mr. George Dixon has fallen at Birmingham. He says the Government, instead of reminding Naval officers that Her Majesty's ships were not meant for the reception of persons other than their crews, ought to have told them, "You will bear in mind that it will be your duty to receive such fugitive onboard your ship, and to give him the protection of the British flag, until he can be landed in some country or transferred to some ship where his liberty will be recognised and respected." That might be a noble policy to pursue, and one we could heartily approve, but then that is a new policy, not to be settled by an Admiralty -Circular, but by Parliament. The point to be decided is whether the Admiralty have transgressed the law, and on that the experts have still to be heard. We suspect they have not, but have given it the interpretation of two possible interpretations which most favours slavery,—or rather, which produces least inconvenience to -officials.
Previous page
