"Whereas I-having taken into consideration the happy increase of the means of religious instruction, and the opportunities for religious worship, which have been established in this settlement, and, the benefit which is resulting therefrom to the community at large; and, being confident that there exists but one feeling in the breasts of the inhabitants, that it is the bounden duty of every true Christian to civilize the lower classes, and to ameliorate their condition, as far as may be consistent with the security of the state, and with a due consideration to the rights and privileges of all; and whereas, it must be evident to every well-disposed and religious person, that the propagation of Christianity among Slaves will tend, beyond any other measure, to promote morality among them, and to improve their condition and conduct-do, under a sanguine hope that the following régulations may conduce to those desirable objects and to the removing of any existing evils, hereby proclaim and order, That,

"Sunday being commanded, in all Christian states, to be a day of rest, it is hereby forbidden, and declared illegal, to compel a Slave to perform field-labour on the Sabbath-day, or any other work but such as is ordinarily considered work of necessity.

Slave-proprietors, who have caused their Slave children to be baptized in the Christian religion, shall, as far as relates to such Slaves, be exempt from any tax which has been imposed on Slaves in this colony.

"The manumission of a Slave who has embraced the Christian religion, shall not be subject to the customary payment of 50 rds. to the Reformed Church; but such Slave shall nevertheless be entitled, the same as other members of the church, to support from the vestry under the usual regulations and conditions.

"Christian Slave-proprietors, residing in Cape Town, and other towns and villages, and their immediate vicinity, where Free Schools are or may be established, are, after the first day of June next, to send their Slave children, above three years

and under ten years of age, at least three days in each week to the established Free School nearest to their dwelling.

"Slaves who have been baptized, and who are not within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity, may intermarry, with their proprietor's consent; and the children of such marriages shall be the property of the proprietor of the mother. The same shall hold good with regard to slaves of either sex, intermarrying with free persons; in which case also, when the wife is a slave, the children of such marriage belong to her proprietor.

"The respective local authorities shall be responsible, that all marriages between Slaves are without delay enregistered, as all other marriages are. Slave marriages shall be ce'ebrated in the church on Sundays, where the locality will permit; and, in other cases, the clergymen will once in twelve months appoint the most convenient places in their respective districts, for the purpose of marrying Slaves and baptizing children, so as to remove the inconvenience arising from remote habitations. The marriages of Slaves, and the baptism of their children, shall be performed without fee or reward.

"After the celebration of marriages, it is forbidden for the parties to be sold separately; or the children of such marriages, without the parents, or the survivor of them, until such children shall have attained the age of ten years, except under decree of the Court of Justice.

"Children not born in wedlock of a slave woman, who has embraced the Christian religion, and has been ba tized, shall not be sold from their mother unless they shall have fully attained their ninth year; neither shall such Christian femaleslaves, so baptized, be sold, without selling to the same person any child she may have under the age of nine years, except under a decree of the Court of Justice.

"The regulations prescribed in the preceding clause, respect ing children born of mothers who have embraced the Christian religion and have been baptized, shall also be observed with regard to children born of slaves not of the Christian religion,

and not having attained their eighth year, to whom the special care and attention of the mother must be considered indispensable; and all sales, not in conformity to the restrictions comprehended in this and the foregoing clauses, are declared void.

Separate books shall be kept in the respective offices for the enregisterment of slaves, slave marriages, and slave children born in lawful wedlock; for which purpose owners shall report to that office, in their respective districts, the date and proof of baptism. Those who neglect causing the children of their Christian slaves, born in wedlock, to be baptized within twelve months after the birth of such children, shall incur a penalty of not less than 25 rds. and not exceeding 100 rds. for each offence, and shall be compelled to have such child or children baptized at their own expense.

"Slaves, who have embraced the Christian religion, and have been incorporated in the church, by baptism, (although transferred, or become the property of heathens,) are not to be deprived of the right of attending at church, or place of Christian worship, on Sundays, under a penalty of 10 rds. to be paid by the proprietor; unless justifiable cause can be shewn for such prevention.

"The evidence of a slave, upon oath, after baptism, may be received by the constitute: authorities, or competent courts, the same as that of any other Christian.

The property possessed by a slave, whether acquired by work in extra hours, (with the permission of the proprietors,) by donation, legacy, inheritance, or by any other honest means, is inherent in the slave; and in no event belongs to the proprietor, except in cases of suicide.-Every slave is entitled to dispose of his or her property, or other rights legally acquired, as well during life as by will. In cases where intestate slaves have no relations, and make no declaration, or last will and testament, to the disposal of their property, the property shall be paid, by the Orphan Chamber, into a fund formed for the purchase of such female slave children as shall have been at

one of the established schools during a period of four years; and who shall be particularly recommended by the Committee, for their moral and exemplary conduct during that period. Such purchases shall be exempt from all taxes and charges, ordinarily imposed upon the manumission of slaves. Donations and legacies may be made, in aid of the Redemption Fund.

Every slave is to be daily supplied with proper food and clothing and, in case of dissatisfaction, appeal may be made, by either party to the local authority.

"Slaves employed in garden or field labour, are not to be compelled to work more than ten hours, in each twenty-four, to the 30th September; nor more than twelve hours in twentyfour hours, from the 1st October to the 31st March inclusive: except during the ploughing or harvest seasons, or on extraordinary occasions; when a remuneration shall be made to them in money, or by an additional proportion of food, according to the discretion of the local magistrate.

"Proprietors, or persons employed by them, are not at liberty to inflict any punishment on a slave, beyond what may be considered a mild domestic correction. This correction is only to be given with rods, or other implements of domestic punishment : it is not to exceed twenty-five stripes; and is, in no case, to be repeated within twenty-four hours, nor until the delinquent shall have recovered from the effects of any former correction.

"Should it be necessary for the security or safety of a family or individual, to put a slave in irons, the same shall be reported within twenty-four hours, to the local authority; stating the cause and circumstances under which such measure could be justified.

"Maltreatment of a slave by the proprietor, not attended with death, may be punished by fine, imprisonment, banishment, or other sentence of the law, according to the nature of the case, and the degree of cruelty exercised; and the slave may be publicly sold, for the account of the proprietor, but un

der special condition of never again coming into his power, or into that of his parents, children, brothers, or sisters: but, when the maltreatment of a slave has been attended with death, it must be recollected that the court, in giving judgment, will be guided by the law applicable to homicide.

"Maltreatment of a slave, by the overseer or representative of the proprietor, or other individual, shall be punished as if the same had been inflicted on a free person, placed under the superintendence or direction of such overseer or other representative of the proprietor. Domestic punishment is forbidden to be inflicted on a slave, by any other hand than that of the proprietor, employer, or overseer, (not being a slave,) except in cases where the proprietors or employers, having no free person in their employ, are females, or infirm, or suffering under disease, or are upward of sixty years of age."

Pecuniary penalties are attached to the breach of these respective provisions.

IRELAND.

A circumstance scarcely credible has transpired before the Commissioners of Government respecting Ireland, which casts great light on the state of that unhappy country, and proves at least that education and literature are not among the causes of its maladies ;-it is, that in eleven counties there is not a single bookseller's shop! Those who argue that education tends to excite a spirit of discontent and insubordination among the poor, will find it somewhat difficult to apply their theory to the actual state of Ireland. The friends of education, on the contrary, will feel themselves encouraged to renewed zeal and exertion in diffusing this invaluable boon, from every new proof either of the evils which result from its absence, or of the blessings which, when rightly directed, it invariably coufers.-Christ. Obs.