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legno e fefion of parliament, although, He should not now pretend to anhad been fer a long discussion, deliberate ticipate the discussion of the House

redditions had been entered into of Lords; he hoped that their de

Hi the laft, and they had come to a cision would be agreeable to the 1. Testermination that the llave trade principles of justice and humanity; je nesto Africa to our colonies and in the mean time the House of Se plantations hould cease the ift of Commons should not flacken its

Intary in the year 1796. efforts upon that subject. If the

It was faid that the abolition course of the discussion in the other The car tould be with the concurrence of House should lead to such length, late beste legillative body of our colonies, or should take a turn that would

before it could be effectual. Upon render hopeless the thought of its e prestat principle it was that we were coming to a conclusion this feflion,

to axbcipate their refusing to con- then he should advise the bringing ar rith us, Mr. Fox faid, he forward of some other measure call not devise, and that if they that might give efficacy to the re

sze determined to thwart our in- solutions, which had for their ob1.00 ltativos, how far it might be ject the immediate regulations of nainais deemed prudent for us, under such the trade, independent of the total to the circumstances, to continue our abolition in the

year 1796. trazection with them, he would To return to the point more im. -, Winot now discuss; but of this he mediately before the House, Mr. lequat mas fure, that the House had Fox said, he complained of an evil

peter over the trade of this coun- and an abuse, which, he mained to do it, and could lay under what re- tained, it was practicable to remove; Hongbia frations it fhiould be carried on, and as he had before hinted, if the ods; el when it should cease, and how proceedings of another place should Heni to lng they would suffer by an ac be such as not to give fatisfaction,

knowledged evil. He then ob- that they would be removed, and that the fored, that if there were any ob- that the first resolution for abolichicaid in rations to the late resolutions in tion in 1796, thould pass this fef** Thisce

su particular part, such obje&ion fion, then that Houfe thould fubtheir Edmuld come regularly before the stitute fuch other remedies as

cmittee on Thursday, and should might meet their ideas upon the danger i ben be argued, for as to the dan- regulation of the trade between y continue read agitating it, he confefled, this time, and the period of final ini bistered entirely from those who abolition. Until these points thould

speded their apprehensions upon have been fairly canvated by ardocet , fed tant dubject ; or if there was any gument, he truited that the Honra.

danger in that respect, it mult arise would not purtue a ttep so difre

from its not being agitated while putable to its own honour and dig"Tupper was a difference of opinion; nity, fo dillatisfactory to the public

scitation was necessary to let that in general, as to relinquith their

kterence at rett. Indeed he once former opinion, or, in other words, oceed.

hoped that the House would not to tell the world at large, there www have had to debate the ques- was no fincerity in their declarabon at all, for that it should by tion on a former day, and that they his time have patted into a law, had completely givea up even the

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gradual

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ما اتو

He Te Dua 88 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1793. gradual abolition of the slave trade, tinue at least for another year to and that they never would resolve disgrace this country. upon that measure at this or any quested the honourable gentleman other period.

(Mr. Wilberforce) who had hithers Mr. Pitt expressed his hopes that to taken the lead in this important there would be no difficulty in' re- business, not to suffer his zeal to voting the propositions voted last abate, but, on the contrary, to year, and that however gentlemen pursue, with double vigour, an on either side of the question might object which, in all times to come, have objected to these propofitions, muft secure to his name the grati there would be no difference of tude and veneration of all true opinion on them now. But by re- friends to humanity. He wished newing the resolutions of last sef- the honourable gentleman would fion, and sending them up to the be so good as to itate to the House Lords, no member of the House what were his intentions on the was restricted from proposing such fubject; and assured him, that if other measures, as the delay in the he was still determined to press for other House might seem to de- the abolition during the present mand.

session, he should be supported by The original motion was now him and his friends to the utmost put, and loft by a majority of 61, of their power. against 53 ; when, after some con Mr. Wilberforce expreffed his versation among several of the concern that Mr. Dundas, who bad members, Sir William Young's taken so large a fare last amendment to the original motion the question of the Nave trade, had was proposed and carried.

not thought proper this year to Though it may be considered as pursue even his own plan ; and he deviating from due order in the was equally concerned that the fucceflion of public measures, we Lords had put off the confideration fhall follow

up

the first propofition of it till after the Easter holidays. -10 made by Mr. Wilberforce relative These two circumstances, he said, " ! to the slave trade, in the course of were certainly unfavourable to the P this year, with such as were after idea of effecting the abolition this wards made, though at distant in- year; though he did not despair wory tervals, on the same faine subject. of seeing this important measure

On Thursday the 21st of March, carried into effect during the preMr. Whitbread, jun. rose to ex- fent session. At the same time, in press his fears from what had al- answer to a question put by Mr. 4 ready happened this year in the Lambton, he acknowledged that it Houle of Commons, on the sub- he should be glad even to regulate -* ject of the llave trade, and the late the flave trade, if he could not period which the other House had abolish it. fixed for proceeding to the confi Mr. Wilberforce, on Tuesday these deration of the subject, and the 14th of May, renewed the subject, examination of witnciles relpect- and after a thort 1peech on the subo de ing it, that nothing eitectual would ject of the flave trade, as fır as it is be done this teftion for abolithing regarded the supply of negroes to it, and that the trade would con. foreign powers by Englith thips;

and

year in

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him,

and also on the necessity of limit- these, and other points, he trusted ting the number of Naves to be the House would agree to the moEsported to the British colonies, tion; or that if they thought the gived, “That leaye be given to House too thin to decide upon a ring in a bill for abolithing the point so important, they would adnde, carried on by English mer. journ the debate for a day or two chants, for supplying foreign terri- and go into a committee, and dirmies with flaves."

cuss the subject fairly, if any farMr.Fox,after taking notice of what ther difcufiion was neceitary, be House had done last year, and Mr. Pitt went at length into the what the Lords were doing this year subject, and took notice of all the mon this subject, warned them not arguments urged against the mo

poruft too much to the good tem- tion, and niaintained Jiat the House to the jer of the people, by playing and ought, in juliice to its own charac

cing with their requests, pafling ter, and in support of its own horiations in one session in one nour, to adopt the motion now bereur

, by which the public were fore them.--- The House divided; ste prekught tą expect that this infamous for the motion 41 against it 34.

trafic hould in time be abolished, Mr, Wilberiorce then moved to the and then to abandon the whole in “ That leave be given to bring in

another feflion, by having recourse, a bill for limiting and regulating enew the thift of saying, that the fub- the importation of slaves to the edi, jet was before the other Houle; British colonies in the West-Indies e la bat it was a dangerous tiine tó for a time to be limited.” After aecorddle with our commerce; or by fome conversatica, the House die

tuch quibbles. This trade was vided on the motion, Do more like a real, fair commerce,

25 than it was like justice or huma Noes

35 conti nity: commerce was diigraced by lier h being compared to it. It was an Majority against the motion

1

Ayes

would not proceed further in the tory speech, which embraced variconfideration of the slave trade till ous political topics, he moved, after the recess. Accordingly the “ That the further confideration of order for proceeding in that buli- the question for the abolition of ness was enlarged from the suc- the slave trade be postponed to that ceeding day, to Thursday the 11th day five months." of April; when the earl of Abing Earl Stanhope said, he never was don rose to make a motion on the more surprised at any circumftance subject.

than the present motion; it was After some animated observa-. unprecedented in practice-unvintions on the principles and charac- dicated by reason. What! ftop a ter of the French nation, and a va- judicial inquiry, when only one riety of arguments to support the side of the question had been heard, opinion, that the idea of abolishing and refuse to receive the arguments the slave trade is connected with that were to be opposed to the evithe levelling fystem and the rights dence? This would be the height of man; his ldrdfhip atked who of injustice. The abolition of the could controvert such a position ? Nave trade was a gloricus, a most For in the very definition of the glorious work; it was the work of terms themselves, as descriptive of humanity, of freedom, and of jufthe thing, what does the aboli- tice! and as such it thould, in every tion of the slave trade mean more stage of its progress, have all the or less in effect, than liberty and support he was able to give it. He equality? What more or less than faw not how the conduct of the ad the rights of man? And what is French interfered in this bufiness: liberty and equality, and what the our llave trade had nothing to do i rights of man, but the foolish fun- with the revolution in France, and damental principles of this new therefore he thould give the motion philosophy. If proofs are wanting, his most decided negative. look at the colony of St. Domingo, The duke of Clarence, after state and see what the rights of man ing his reasons for deferring the have done there. There you will farther confideration of the flave see rivers of commerce dried up, trade to this day, informed their while fountains of huinan blood lordships that he certainly meant to are made to issue in their stead. - have made fome motion on the Hear also what Robespierre has subject fimilar to that which was

this

very Occasion: “ Pe- offered by the noble earl; for he rith the colonies, rather than that did truly conceive, from the most we thould lose one of our princi- incontrovertible proofs in his own ples. But let us remember that mind, that it would be impolitic, we have colouies of our own, and and greatly unjust, to destroy it in that by making the famc cxperi- the manner proposed by the friends ment, we shall produce the lanie of its abolition. His highness then consequences."

went pretty much at large into the His lordfhip then proceeded to merits of the trade, the immense arraign the disenters as the abxt- capital that was employed, the stake tors of the proposed abolition of the that was held in that part of the flave trade, and after a very deful-world, and the confequences that

mutt

faid upon

draw it.

must ensue from putting a stop to upon the effect of such inquiry at that which ages had confirmed as pretent; his object was to know in highly beneficial to this country.

what situation this country really Lord Grenville, the earl of Lau- was, and also to know whether the derdale, the earl of Mansfield, and language made use of by his matie bithop of St. David's, having jetty's ministers upon the fubject of Spoken againit the motion, the earl fedition, conspiracy, and treaton, of Abingdon was induced to with was not at least premature at the

time it was uttered, and conseOn Wednesday the 17th of April, quently that nothing had happened before evidence was examined at in this country that could justify the bar of the Houle of Lords, on government in the fteps they had the subjeđ of the ilave trade, the taken, and the proceedings they bishop of St. David's rore, and made inftituted ; at present, however, izze remarks on the subject, which he had the satisfaction, as he really ii not long occupy the attention believed the House had, of thinkof the House, as the consideration ing that these reports were illof it was foon obliged to give place founded: to remove all doubt, to the order of the day, and was however, upon that subject, and therefore adjourned to a future op- to obtain complete information, portunity.

were the objects of his motion. On Wednesday the 27th of Fe With respect to the late supposed bruary, the House of Commons, in fedition in this kingdom, and of a committee of supply, voted five that suppored temper for insurrecmilions and an half to his majesty tion, as well as the lurking treason

upon exchequer bills; and the of which we heard to much by hints Face House being resumed, it was or- and conjectures, there were three

dered that the report be received circumftances to be considered, and it. co the following day.

three points of view in which the e, after

On Monday the 4th of March, subject might be placed. The first The Mi, Sheridan brought forward his was that the danger in this country

prunited motion, the object of had been real; iccondly, that the which was to appoint a committee danger was not real, but that the to enquire into the truth of the re- whole was a fulie aiarın, rcally enports of fedition in this country.

tertained by government, the efect He thould not, he faid, attempt to of a delusion successfully practised

that there never exified any upon them; in which cale the pro, I there buticicnt reason for apprehending pagation, on their part, although

the danger of fedition, or that there unfortunate, " as yet bonett. The had not been an act of infurre&ion third was, that the whole was

in any part of the kingdom to war- founded on a tificmatic plan, laid hemos

tant the propagation of such re- by government for deliding the hrrksten perts; but he contended that no- tente, and finally subdaing the spi

thing whatever had happened to rit, of the people. It was, in his justify the alarm that had followed. opinion, the duty of parliament to When he should move for a com- regard the fubje&i in either of these mittee to enquire into those things, three points of view; but he could he did not with to lay any thing not perceive any other in which it

could

prove

in bis om