ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN

MEXICO.

The supreme executive power has published the foilowing decree:"The supreme executive power, named provisionally by the sovereign general constituent congress, to all those who shall see or hear these presents, declares"1. That there shall be for ever abolished in the territory of the United Mexican States the trade and traffic in slaves, coming from any power, and under any flag.

"2. The slaves who may be introduced against the tenour of the foregoing article, shall be free ipso facto by their treading the Mexican territory.

"3. Every ship, whether national or foreign, in which slaves are transported or introduced into the Mexican territory, shall be irrecoverably confiscated, with the remainder of its cargo; and the proprietor and the purchaser, the captain, the master, and the pilot, shall suffer ten years' imprisonment.

4. This law shall take effect from the day of its publication; but in as far as regards the penalties prescribed in the foregoing article, they shall not take effect till six months afterwards with respect to the colonists who, in virtue of the law of the 14th of October last respecting the colonization of the Isthmus of Huazacohualcos, land slaves with the object of introducing them into the Mexican territory.

"The supreme executive power shall consider this as understood, and shall arrange what is necessary to its execution, causing it to be printed, published, and circulated.

"IGNACIO SALDIVAR, President. "DEMETRIO DEL CASTELLO,

Sec.

In the Gazeta de Columbia, of the 11th of July, we find a copy of the treaty of friendship, union, and alliance, concluded between the Republic of Columbia and the Mexican nation, on the 23d of October, 1823, and ratified by the Colombian government June 30, 1824. The articles of this convention, the general purport of which has been long known to the public, stipulate—

Art. 1. For an alliance both in peace and war, to maintain the independence of both the contracting parties, and to promote mutual prosperity by establishing a correspondence of good offices and friendship.

Art. 2. For mutual assistance in case of attack or invasion.

Art. 3. To render the above article effective, that a particular treaty shall be made, settling the quantity of assistance to be granted in given circumstances.

Art. 4. That the marine of both powers shall be employed in this service of mutual defence.

Art. 5. That on sudden emergencies, all the disposable forces of each state shall act hostilely against the common enemy in the territory of the other. There are, of course, limiting

limiting and qualifying clauses to this article.

Art. 6. That both states shall yield all assistance in their power to the ships of the other that may have suffered at sea, or that may enter their ports for repairs, &c.

Art. 7. That both states shall use all their endeavours to put down corsairs equipped by individuals to the prejudice of national or neutral commerce, and that for this purpose, they grant each to the judges or admiralty courts of the other, the power of condemning such corsairs as sail under either of their respective flags.

Art. 8. That each guarantee the integrity of the territory of the other, as it existed before the present war, recognizing as integral parts of each, all the provinces which, however governed before, have legitimately entered into the formation of each republic.

Art. 9. That the demarcation of that territory shall be subsequently determined.

Art. 10. This article, which is so important as to deserve particular notice, is as follows:-If unfortunately internal tranquillity should be disturbed in any portion of the above mentioned states, by turbulent and seditious men, enemies of the governments legitimately constituted by the will of a free people, quietly and peaceably expressed through their laws, both parties engage formally and solemnly to make common cause against such disturbers, assisting each other as much as lies in their power, to establish order, and to restore the empire of the laws.

Art. 11. Every person exciting disturbance in one of the allied states, and flying to another, shall be given

up.

Art. 12. To draw faster the bonds of amity, and to remove difficulties which might occasion a breach of harmony, each state shall appoint two plenipotentiaries, with the powers of ambassadors, to meet and settle points of common interest under this treaty.

Art. 13. Both parties engage to interpose their good offices with the other governments of Spanish America, to induce them to join this league.

Art. 14. As soon as this great and important object shall have been obtained, a general assembly of the American states, composed of representatives from each, shall meet to cement in a more solid manner the relations of amity which ought to exist between them all and each, to serve as a kind of council in great conflicts, and to be a point of union in common dangers.

Art. 15. The isthmus of Panama being an integral part of Colombia, and the place best fitted for this august meeting, the republic of Colombia engages to lend to the American deputies, sent to this assembly, all the aid to which hospitality prompts, and which the sacred character of these deputies demands.

Art. 16. Mexico makes the same engagement, should the general American assembly choose to meet on the Mexican territory.

Art. 17. Provides that this treaty shall in no way interfere with the separate sovereignty of each state.

Art. 18. Fixes the law for the ratification of the treaty.

CHINESE NEWSPAPERS.

In the 126th number of the Peking Gazette, the emperor's ministers report that they have divided the list of criminals whose death-warrants require his sanction, into seven parts, and have taken the opinion of the astronomical board as to the proper days for his majesty to affix his mark. This is done by drawing a curved line in red ink under the name of the person to be executed. The number of criminals included in this report was four hundred and seventy-nine. His majesty gave orders on the first day, that seventy-six were to be executed within forty days; on the second, that sixty-five should suffer within the same period; on the third, eighty-four within eighteen

days; on the fourth, seventy-four within thirty-five days; on the fifth, seventy-three within twelve days; on the sixth, eighty-two from four to nine days; and on the seventh twenty-five, condemned at court, within the same period. In this list are included only the lighter degree of capital offences, and, as in very atrocious crimes, unless doubt arises respecting the criminal, punishment is inflicted in a very summary manner, no criterion is afforded of the whole number of capital punishments within the year. Even in cases referred to the emperor for his decision, the criminal is sometimes put to death before his order can be obtained.

Torture in criminal proceedings appears

appears to be freely applied. In the latter end of 1822, his majesty issued an official mandate, addressed to the whole empire, in which he declares, that within the space of a few months it has come to his knowledge that no less than seven witnesses have either been tortured to death, or committed suicide in consequence of the pain of torture. Two of these were females. His majesty, however, does not prohibit the question by torture, but desires it may not be carried so far as to occasion death, and that prisoners may be guarded more carefully, to prevent suicides. This mandate must not be so construed as to introduce undue lenity in the examination of witnesses.

In cases of doubt, the emperor sometimes orders the criminal to be re-tried. In an imperial mandate, in the 125th number of the Peking Gazette, his majesty declares, that "in viewing the list of capital offences, requiring his signature for the autumnal death-warrant, there is a case of murder in the province of Szechun, the evidence for which does not appear credible, and the governor is therefore ordered to subject the parties to torture, and to try the criminal anew." The case is this-A villager had stolen some raiment from the landlord of whom he rented his cottage, and after wearing it a considerable time, it was observed by the owner hanging out to dry, and claimed as his property; but on account of its having become the worse for wear, he demanded the value in money. Thus originated ill-will between the parties. The villager, as the case is stated to the emperor, formed the diabolical resolution of killing his own wife, and charging his landlord with the murder. In pursuance of this design, he caused her to accompany him to the borders [1824.

of the landlord's grounds, to collect fuel, when, watching his opportunity, he clave her skull with his chopping-knife, and killed her on the spot. Now, the emperor argues, that since it does not appear that he was previously on bad terms with his wife, nor that she disclosed the theft, it is not credible that he killed his own wife to involve another man in the charge of murder.

His imperial majesty is anxious to repress litigation. In the Canton Gazette of the 11th of October, 1822, it is officially announced, that " appeals from the provinces have become so frequent of late, that the emperor commands strict search to be made to discover all law-suit exciting blackguards,' who fatten on feuds themselves have enkindled, and, when found, to punish them severely." A few miscellaneous extracts follow:

CANTON, Dec. 22, 1822. Ching, the foo-yuen, has issued a very long proclamation, exhorting the people under his government to industry and the practice of all the social virtues: he states his object in eight words-it is, he says, " Encourage industry-establish education— praise virtue-repress vice."

The effect of which, he hopes, will be tranquillity amongst the poor, and the prevalence of good manners and customs. "Ancient rulers," says the foo-yuen, " thought, that if one man was unreclaimed, it must be some fault in the ruler." I commenced life (says he) as a chee-tiein, magistrate; and in Canton province, I served twenty years. I was removed to Shan-tung, and to Ho-nan; and now I am placed here in the situation of foo-yuen, bearing also the office of censor-general (general adviser to his imperial majesty, and a captain empowered to call for the army of Canton). Music and wo