JB/109/237/001

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1822 April 19.
Collectanea Columbia

Morn. Chron. April 19, 1822
"Columbia

Extract of a Letter from Caraccas dated Jan. 16, 1822. –

"I returned here some time since from attending the Congress
of Colombia, at Cucuta, from whence I had a long &
fatiguing journey. The Congress broke up on the 13 or 14th of Octr
having terminated its Session. Having been at Cucuta the whole
period of the Session, I had an opportunity of witnessing all the
proceedings, which were extremely interesting. The assembly
was composed of by far the most intelligent & clever I have
met with in this country & several speeches were made during
the different discussions, that wold not have disgraced a
British House of Parliament. The Constitution underwent
a long discussion & was finally settled & concluded. I hope
soon to get a copy of it to send you. It is very much upon
the plan of the United States. The Executive Power is lodged
in the President, assisted by a Vice President, & the laws
proceed from the Senate, & House of Representatives or Congress.
Bolivar is elected President, & Genl. Santador, Vice President
of the Republic. You may form some idea of the spirit
in which the proceedings in the Congress have been conducted,
when I mention to you some of their principal Acts. They
have abolished slavery, by declaring the children of Slaves
born after the date of the Constitution free & they have provided
means for gradually emancipating the present generation, by
setting apart a fund for the gradual purchase of their freedom:
they have decreed the removal of every relic or vestige of the "Holy
"Inquisition" throughout the country, & the Constitution contains
no exclusions or restrictions on the score of religious belief
(this latter circumstances will be found a great advantage
to persons who may determine to come & settle in this country.)

"In the subject of the liberty of the press, they have decreed
that every man is at liberty to publish his own thoughts
but that he is at the same time to be held responsible for
the abuse of this privilege. They are very anxious to introduce
our British "Trial by Jury"; & by way of getting the people accustomed
to it, & at the same time ascertaining how far it may
suit

Identifier: | JB/109/237/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 109.
Date_1	1822-04-19	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	109	Main Headings
Folio number	237	Info in main headings field	Collectanea
Image	001	Titles	Morn. Chron. April 19 1822
Category	Collectanea	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	D1 / E1
Penner		Watermarks	[[watermarks::I&M [Prince of Wales feathers] 1818]]
Marginals		Paper Producer	Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1818
Notes public		ID Number	35892
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