the bill was meant to extend to the spect to Portugal, it was not thought slave-trade in general, both in the expedient to make any communica. West Indies and on the coast of Afriction on the subject, during the neca, or if it was the African slave. gotiation with France...-These five trade only that was to be abolished. were the only powers materially Lord Grenville said that the bill ex. interested in the slave-trade. tended to the African tra le only.--- On the 4th of February, counsel Lord Eldon, however, thought that having been called in, pursuant to or. this mode of proceeding, for the der, before the house of lords, Mr. abolition of the slave-trade, was im- Plumer and Mr. Dallas attendedon practicable, and that, if their lord. behalf of the West India merchants ; ships consented to put an end to the Mr. Alexander for the merchants of trade on the coast of Africa, the ap- Liverpool; Mr. Scarlett for the plication of the same principle would merchants and planters of Janiai. necessarily compel them to extend ca and Trinidad; and Mr. Clarke the abolition to the West India is for the corporation of Liverpool, and lands. The bill was read a first time, the trustees of the dock of that port. and printed.

The counsels having concluded their January 12th, on the motion of pleadings, requested, according to lord Grenville, for appointing a day the prayer of the petitioners for for the second reading of the bill for whom they appeared, that witnesses the abolition of the slave-trade, lord might be called in ; which was not Hawkesbury moved an address to allowed, as it was not thought in any his majesty, praying, “ that he would respect necessary be graciously pleased to order to be The day appointed for the second laid before the house, copies of all reading of the bill for abolishing the communications which had passed slave.trade, was Wednesday the 5th between his majesty and foreign of February ; on which day, lord powers, respecting the abolition of Grenville having given a copious de: the slave-trade, in consequence of the tail of the principal arguments or address of that house.” Lord Gren. which the principle or spirit of the ville said, that with respect to France bill was founded, concluded with the fact was, that during the late ne- moving, “ that the bill be now read gotiation with the government of that a second time.” The abolition of country, communications on this the slave-trade has been so repeatedly subject did take place, to the pro. submitted to the consideration of par. duction of which he saw no objec. liament, and the proceedings and detion. As to Spain and Holland, no bates on this subject so often noticed communications had or could have in the Annual Register for the pre. taken place with those powers. ceding twenty years, that it is alto: Communications respecting the slave. gether unnecessary, and might ap. trade had passed between the plenia pear even irksome to our readers, to potentiaries of this country, and the follow the reiterated discussion united states of America ; and an 'through the speeches in both houses, agreement on this subject actually in 1807. We shall therefore just formed one of the articles of the trea. state the progress of the bill till it was ty which had been signed by one of passed into a law, and then take a those plenipotentiaries. With re. brief view of the question, not only as it was debated in the present session Grenville stated, that it had been of parliament, but in former sessions, thought adviseable to fix the same and by reasoners on the opposite period in all the clauses of the bill sides, in general.

for the abolition of the slave-trade, Lord Grenville's motion for the namely the 1st of May next; and to gecond reading of the Slave-trade introduce a proviso, allowing vessels Abolition bill was supported by the employed in the trade, which had duke of Gloucester, the earl of Sel. cleared out from the ports of this kirk, lord King, earl of Rosslyn, country for Africa previously to that lord Northesk, the bishop of Duré day, to complete their cargoes, in ham, lord Holland, and the earl of Africa, and trade with them to the Suffolk. It was opposed by the duke West Indies, and other parts of of Clarence, the earl of Morton, the America, until the 1st of January, earl of Westmoreland, lord Sid. 1808, at which period the trade mouth, lord Eldon, and lord should be finally abolished. The Hawkesbury. It was suggested, on amendments proposed by his lord. the present subject, by lord Sid. ship were agreed to. mouth, that churches should be built Lord Redesdale suggested, that, for the negroes in the West-India as the loss of a vessel, or other un. islands, agreeably to the advice of avoidable accident, might prevent Mr. Burke, and that they should be the arrival of a cargo from Africa, instructed in the morality, and also in the West Indies, within the time the peculiar doctrines of the Chris. limited, it might be adviseable to tian Religion. To Mr. Burke's ad. make an exception for such a case.--vice, lord Sidmouth made an addi. After a short conversation between tion that merits the most attentive the lords Redesdale, Grenville, and consideration. He recommended Stanhope, it was agreed to introduce that the negroes should be also uni. into the bill, words excepting from ted by the ties of matrimony, as the its operation those cases, where the first step towards civilization, and voyage to the West Indies could the future improvement of their con. not be completed within the time dition. With these advantages, and limited, on account of capture, the the blessing of being protected by loss of the vessel, or other unavoid. our laws, he thought that the time able accident: the proof of which would arrive for emancipating to lie on the party.-On the questhem.*_ The second reading of the tion being put for engrossing the bill was carried by a hundred voices bill, the bishop of London rose, and against thirty-six.

expatiated on the moral and religious The report of the bill being consequences that might be expected brought up, on February 9th, lord to accrue from that salutary and

The building of churches would have little effect, if they were not attended by the masters and mistresses as well as the slaves: nay, they might have a bad effect; they might appear to be thought fit places of meeting for negroes. But if it were possible to procure clergymen as zealous in making converts, as catho. lics are, or have been, the good effect would be certain. By instruction in the doctrines and precepts of Christianity, and by encouraging marriage and domestic habits and virtues, slavery was abolished in the Danish colonies, with safetyand advantage.

conse.

humane act of legislative justice.. then agreed to, and the bill en. But he lamented that the number of grossed. clergymen was so small when com- Next day, February 9, the order pared with the great population of of the day for the third reading of the blacks. In the island of Ja. the Slave.trade Abolition bill being maica where there were from 2 to read ; lord Redesdale rose,--not, he

; 300,000 negroes, there were only said, to detain their lordships with a 20 clergymen, whose time was al. speech, but to declare his conviction most entirely taken up in religious that the present measure would be instruction, and exhortation, adminis. the means of producing all the hor. tering the sacraments, and performa rors of a revolution that could pos. ing other duties of their function to sibly be imagined. The abolition of the whites.---The earl of St. Vincent, the African trade should have gone who had, on former occasions, set hand in hand with the abolition of his face in the most decided manner, that in the West-Indies. Had the against the bill, embraced this last object of the bill been a gradual and opportunity of entering his protest general abolition of the slave-trade, against its adoption : the

it would have had his hearty con. quences of which, he was fully per- currence...but he would not enter suaded, would prove fatal to the into any debate. Any attempt to best interests of this country. As withstand the present enthusiasm soon as France should make peace on the subject would be in vain. with this country, (and she would But he could not help remarking, hasten a pacification in consequence that when a legislature acted enthuof this measure), her first object siastically, they did not always act would be to get complete possession wisely, and he did not think, that in of the slave-trade, and, if she suc- the faithful and conscientious disceeded in that object, it would soon charge of their duty, the opposers appear that she had got possession of of this bill had much to answer an engine that would work the down. for... The earl of Buckinghamshire fall of the uaval superiority of this said, that mere enthusiasm was not country. Such was his conviction, calculated to last for twenty years, and he uttered it now for the last during which period this measure time. His lordship then immedi. had been under discussion. When ately withdrew from the house. * a member of the house of commons The different clauses of the bill were in the year 1792, he had voted for a

* Another naval commander of still greater celebrity was as decided an antiabolitionist as lord St. Vincent, as appears from the following passage, wirich is part of a letter from lord Nelson, to Mr. Simon Taylor; Jamaica, dated Victory, off Martinico, June 10, “ I have ever been, and shall die a firm friend to our colonial system. I was bred, you know, in the good old school, and taught to apprea ciate the value of our West-India possessions, and neither in the field, nor in the senate, shall their interest be infringed, while I have an arm to fight in their defence, or a tongue to launch my voice against the dampable and cursed doctrine of

and his hypocritical allies, and I hope my birth in Heaven will be as exalted, as his who would certainly cause the murder of all our friends in the Colonies. I did not intend to go so far, but the sentiments are full in my heart, and the pen would write them." Pol. XLIX.

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gradual

gradual abolition, conceiving that was opposed, is what is called a persons concerned in the trade ought maiden, or first speech in parliament, to havesuficient notice. Now how by erer, he liad no doubt that the trade Mr. George Hibbert.--He was ought immediately to be abolished, particularly anxious to impress on not only because that trade was con. the minds of all the members, that trary to justice and humanity, but they were not a mere comitium, or also because the abolition was the popular assembly, nor yet a mere only means of preventing those evils organ of the voice of the multitude, but which must otherwise necessarily a deliberative body, limited in their result from the multiplication of number, that they might deliberate slaves in the west. The duke of calmly, without any mixture of po. Norfolk approved of the bill, and pular prejudice, enthusiasm or pas. expressed a confidence that the sion ; bound to maintain the rights, planters, by a moderate treatment of and to consult the interests and the their slaves, would contribute to bring wishes of the people, but bound about that state of the colonies which also to decide, according to their was so much to be desired. The consciences, for the good of the earl of Westmoreland was at a loss whole, after full and free discusto understand on what principle of sion...He was determined to oppose logic it was to be proved, that if the at every step, a measure which he slave-trade was contrary to justice believed to be grounded on a deluand humanity, it was not also con. sive promise of good which it would trary to justice and bumanity to never accomplish, and to be preg. keep the negroes who had been pro. nant with inevitable, immediate, and cured by means of the trade, in a extensive mischief. state of perpetual slavery.

Not

Captain Herbert too thought that that he was so mad as to think that the abolition of the slave-trade would freedom ought to be given to the become the ruin of the British colo, slapes in the West-Indies, but that nies in the West Indies, and conse. on the principles on which the abo. quently of our finances in that part lition bill was now founded, eman- of the world, General Gascoyne also cipation ought also to follow. Lord entreated the house to give the mea. Grenville said that in abolishing the sure before them, the fullest and -slave-trade, justice would be done most serious consideration. Every to the inhabitants of Africa, who measure he said, that invention or were the parties aggrieved, but that artifice could devise, had been re, liberty to the slaves on the Islands, sorted to on the present occasion. would be to them, in their state of ig- The church, the theatre, and the Rorance and barbarism, a baleful press, had laboured to create a prepoison.---The bill was then read a judice against the slave-trade. It third time, passed, and ordered to was not his intention, however, to be sent to the commons, for obtain. speak at present on the general subing the concurrence of that house.

ject, as he should consider it as disHouse of commons, February 3.--- respectful to the lords, if any bill The bill being laid on the table, a that came down from their house, motion was made by lord Howick, should not at least be read a first for reading it a Arst time. This time.---Lord Howiek, and Mr. W.

Pirmor,

Plumer, declared that if any arti- thing the counsel had stated was fices had been pracised for raising a new to the house, except one popular clamour against the slave- point, the relative situation of St. trade, they were wholly unknown Domingo and Jamaica, and this was

, to them. Lord Howick knew, he a matter of mere opinion. If, after said, that there had been a most so many years of inquiry, the house laudable and persevering attention should still go on to investigate this on the part of the honourable gen. suhject, they would never come to tleman (Mr. W.) with whom the a decision... Mr. Wilberforce, too, measure originated. This atten. was convinced, that the house would tion, however, had never been used not see any reason for further evi. to mislead any one, but merely to dence, when they considered that make the matter generally under- for the last three years, both down stood.

stairs, and in committees, every spe. After a short conversation be. cies of evidence had been brought tween Mr. Plumer, lord Howick, and considered, that could possibly Mr. Hibbert, lord H. Petty, Mr. elucidate the question. H. Addington, Mr. I. H. Browne, Mr. Scarlett was then heard for lord Temple, Mr. Tierney, and Mr. the Island of Trinidad. He also Babington, a motion for the second concluded with a request that evi. reading of the bill on Friday se'n. dence should be adduced. After night was put and carried. On that having retired, he was again called day, February 20, lord Howick in on the motion of lord Howick, having moved the order of the day, to state the points on which he counsel were heard against the bill, wished that evidence should be exin the following order ; Mr. Dallas amined. They were, in substance, for the merchants and planters of the loss that would be sustained by Jamaica ; Mr. Alexander for the certain persons who had been in. merchants of London, trading to duced by the British government to Africa; Mr. Clarke for the mayor,

become settlers. After Mr. S. had corporation, and merchants, of Li. again withdrawn, Mr. Wilberforce verpool; and Mr. Scarlett for the remarked, that the present was not merchants and planters of Trinidad. the

proper time for hearing such The learned counsel for Jamaica, evidence. If the question of com: London, and Liverpool, at the pensation should be brought before close of their respective speeches, the house at a subsequent period, request-d that evidence might be that would be the opportunity for called in, and general Gascoyne receiving it. made successive motions to that A motion by Mr. Howarth that effect, which were negatived with the counsel should be called in, and out a division. The propriety of directed to proceed with his eria hearing evidence was urged by Mr. dence, was opposed by lord Howick. Faller, Mr. Hibbert, sir c. Pole, The learned counsel, he observed,

, , and Mr. Howarth. On the motion had stated two points, which he wished for calling in evidence being made to establish by evidence. The first for the first time, that is, after the was, that no more ground could be :conclusion of Mr. Dallas's, plead. cleared in the Island of Trinidad ings, lord Howick said, that not any without a fresh importation of

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slaves;