er a
residence of twenty-seven years in the West Indies.

"I remain, &c.
"JOSEPH PHILLIPS."

_To T. Pringle, Esq._

"P.S. As Mr. Wood refers to the evidence of Dr. T. Coull in
opposition to Mary's assertions, it may be proper to enable
you justly to estimate the worth of that person's evidence
in cases connected with the condition and treatment of
slaves. You are aware that in 1829, Mr. M'Queen of Glasgow,
in noticing a Report of the "Ladies' Society of Birmingham
for the relief of British Negro Slaves," asserted with his
characteristic audacity, that the statement which it
contained respecting distressed and deserted slaves in
Antigua was "an abominable falsehood." Not contented with
this, and with insinuating that I, as agent of the society
in the distribution of their charity in Antigua, had
fraudulently duped them out of their money by a fabricated
tale of distress, Mr. M'Queen proceeded to libel me in the
most opprobrious terms, as "a man of the most worthless and
abandoned character."[20] Now I know from good authority that
it was _upon Dr. Coull's information_ that Mr. M'Queen
founded this impudent contradiction of notorious facts, and
this audacious libel of my personal character. From this
single circumstance you may judge of the value of his
evidence in the case of Mary Prince. I can furnish further
information respecting Dr. Coull's colonial proceedings,
both private and judicial, should circumstances require it."
"J. P."

[Footnote 20: In elucidation of the circumstances above
referred to, I subjoin the following extracts from the Report
of the Birmingham Ladies' Society for 1830:--

"As a portion of the funds of this association has been
appropriated to assist the benevolent efforts of a society
which has for fifteen years afforded relief to distressed
and deserted slaves in Antigua, it may not be uninteresting
to our friends to learn the manner in which the agent of
this society has been treated for simply obeying the command
of our Saviour, by ministering, like the good Samaritan, to
the distresses of the helpless and the desolate. The
society's proceedings being adverted to by a friend of
Africa, at one of the public meetings held in this country,
a West Indian planter, who was present, w