planters were obliged to give half their net proceeds for Jabour; and on the fouthern part, they were totally driven from their plantations. Could the Honourable Gentleman with a coalefcence under fuch circumftances as these?

Mr. Wilberforce contended, that from the document before him an intention was expreffed of continuing the African Slave Trade, for the purpofe of cultivating much more than the portion of land comprised in the Royal Grants.

Mr. Secretary Dundas faid, that it had been his misfortune fince the first agitation of this question never to be able to agree with any of thofe perfons to the full extent of their opinion, who fupported the moft oppofite extremes of argument on the fubject. He had more than once given his decided opinion on this queftion; and every thing that occurred fince, had convinced him more and more of the fundamental truth of that opinion. He was convinced that the trade ought to be abolithed for the fake of the colonies themselves; for he was fure that Great Britain would hold her Weft Indian poffeffions by a very flender and precarious tenure if they fhould continue to be maintained by a ficti tious, and not by a natural population. If therefore the Weft India planters were fo unwife and fo blind to their real intereft, as to look only to great prefent gain, they might have great profits derived immediately from the continuance of the trade; but they might be affured that they and their pofterity would have caufe deeply to repent fuch fhort-fighted wifdom. He wifhed them to turn their minds from that artificial population, and to remedy it by other He was alfo equally mortified to differ from those upon this question whom he loved, and whofe opinion he in general refpected more than his own; but he was most abfolutely confirmed in his original opinion, that the Slave Trade could never be effectually abolished but by the concurrence and affiftance of the colonial affemblies.

The ground of this opinion he wished to ftate fhortly.If great bodies of men, whether actuated by prejudice, by feeling, by refentment, by views of intereft, were pertinacious in any fentiment, it was in vain to attempt to carry any measure in direct oppofition to that fentiment. For instance, if actuated by any, or all of thefe motives in a certain degree, the colonial inhabitants were decidedly against an immediate abolition, how was that object to be effected by the fimple vote of this House? We did not poffefs the phyfical means of rendering the resolution effectual. We could not prevent the islands from receiving a supply of negroes.

negroes. Of this fact, we had fatisfactory experience. It had been found that with all the vigilance of naval and military commanders, with the co-operation of the civil and military authorities, and the clear and active intereft of the inhabitants, twenty-eight fhips of war had been infufficient to prevent any communication between the islands of St. Lucie and Guadaloupe, and our islands in their neighbourhood. How then could we expect that any vigilance would be fufficient to cut off that communication, when the inte reft and the difpofitions of the inhabitants of the iflands would lead them to favour fuch communication for the purpofe of a supply of negroes. He thought, therefore, that there would be a phyfical impoffibility in preventing the importation of negroes from Euftatia and the Danish Islands. But it might be faid that, though the fupply was obtained, did not we wipe away the ftain which this traffic fixed on the national character? This might be true, but what was the argument for the abolition? Would the interest of hu manity, would the advantage of the coast of Africa be confulted by fuch a mode of proceeding? Certainly they would not. The trade would ftill be carried on; the fupply would be obtained with this difference, that now the trade is conducted under the controul and regulation of this House, whereas then it would be carried on by other nations, free from all the falutary and humane regulations enforced by the Parliament of this country. In touching upon this point he was ready to admit that he was convinced by a perufal of the papers on the table that the regulating act refpecting the middle paffage did not go far enough in its provifions. He did not think that fufficient tonnage was allowed for the number of men. With us even to Jersey one ton and a half was allowed for each foldier on board the tranfports, and two tons for the West Indies, and he was of opinion that a tonnage fhould be required for the number of flaves carried on board of the fhips in the African trade. A precipitate measure, however, would take out of the hands of this Houfe the means of alleviating, by proper regulation and controul, the miferies with which the trade was attended. Difregarding any idea of popularity in any quarter which he might forfeit by declaring his fentiments, he must disclaim any confideration of the profit of the African trade, or the lofs which particular places might be fuppofed to incur by its abolition. That the abolition of it might be injurious to a particular place, was no argument in favour of it, because he well knew though British capital might be driven No. 26.

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from one courfe, it would foon fall into another channel, where it would be equally productive; but his grand reafon was this, that it had better remain under this country, with checks and controuls, than be carried by Foreigners without any. He now came to the papers on the table.He referred then to the addrefs adopted in April 1797, as the laft pofitive interference of the Houfe on this fubject. -The queftion then was whether the Houfe was to depart from the courfe it then refolved to purfue; or, whether there was any juftification of fuch a departure in the prefent inftance, because the colonial affemblies had fhewn themselves unworthy to be trufted with the execution of what was then the wifh and the fyftem of the Houfe.But, had the colonial affemblies fhewn any reluctance to carry into effect the principle of that Addrefs? Those who, from repeated experience even on this very fubject, know the difficulty of diverting men from any opinion to which by prejudice, by feeling, by views of intereft, they may be attached, fhould not be furprised that their fentiments on any point are not all at once embraced. Might not there be fome degree of irritation in the minds of the colonial legiflatures, for which allowance fhould be made in the outfet of the fyftem recommended by the Houfe? He doubted whether the Honourable mover of this queftion, with all his fincerity and integrity of intention, poffeffed the fame coolness on this fubject which he might have upon any other. It certainly ought not to be matter of wonder, that men labouring under fo many motives to agitation or irritation of a different kind, fhould likewife be actuated by fome feelings of warmth. To begin then with the proceedings of the affembly of Jamaica, he thought that more pains than was altogether neceffary had been fhewn to justify the affembly of Jamaica; they appeared from their language to be irritated. It was natural, however, that they thould think neceffary to affert the right, which by entering on the confideration of the fubject they wifhed it to be understood they did not abandon; notwithstanding this, however, by the regulations they had adopted, they were taking the best mode for abolishing the trade. What were the great objections to the Slave Trade? Was it not that it created devaftation in Africa, and that it introduced profligate and licentious perfons into the islands. The aflembly of Jamaica, however, had adopted a regulation, by which no flaves above twenty-five were to be introduced, because they were defirous to have fuch as would fecure the internal popula

tion, and prevent the neceffity of conftant fupplies by importation. They had likewife adopted fome humane and politic regulations refpecting the education, the morals, and the religion of the negroes, Clergymen were employed for this purpose, and if they did their duty, the improvement of the negroes in religion and morality would, without any other regulations, tend to the final abolition of the traffic. Even whether the affembly mean it or not, the regulations they have introduced would effect that object. Formerly, when the regulation refpecting age was paffed by the colonial affembly, it was negatived here on a hearing in council, in which the regulation was oppofed by the late Mr. Burke and Sir W. Meredith, as contrary to the interefts of Bristol and Liverpool, and defended by Mr. Fuller and Mr. Brian Edwards. With refpect to the Leeward Islands, their proceedings went moft diftinctly to accomplish the object of the addrefs. The question was then, whether the Islands were bona fide beginning the work, a queftion which their regulations actually adopted anfwered in the affirmative.It was not a neceflity for him to fhew, that they had gone all the lengths which were expected from them; for it was fufficient to fhew that they had began to put their profeffions into execution. By taking the feveral acts together, they formed fuch a code as was quite fufficient for every purpose. There was one material regulation which had not been adopted by the colonies, but which was at prefent in agitation; it was to prevent the felling of flaves from their families, or from the estates to which they had been long attached. This, however, there was reafon to hope, would be adopted, from the letter of the Governor on the fubject. He had forget one regulation of great importance, which fhewed they were in earnest. It was enacted that the number of females brought in should exceed that of the males, which was evidently intended for internal population, and not for mere temporary ufe. He thought then that the regulations went great lengths-befides, too, different regulations had been adopted in different iflands, and no doubt when their refpective experience proved their advantages, the islands would reciprocally adopt the regulations of one another. Such were the general points of argument on which he oppofed the motion. The principle of the addrefs in 1797 was the only one by which an abolition could effectually be obtained, and if any ifland appeared pertinacious in refifting that principle, it then might be confidered how the power of this House fhould be exerted. 6 N 2

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At prefent that was not the cafe. Seeing then the progrefs already made, he thought it dangerous to push an immediate abolition, which would now be ineffectual, but which would finally be attained in the course of regulation by introducing a real population, by improving the morals and the religion of the negroes.

Colonel Gafcoigne obferved, that if an odium was attempted to be caft upon the Slave Trade, it must attach upon the colonial affemblies who countenanced it. In Africa, the coaft, for the space of a thoufand miles, was filled with Lagoons, and in a great measure uninhabited; and, therefore, it could not be faid to be uninhabited on account of the Slave Trade carried on there. By the papers on the table, it appeared, that a very inconfiderable number of the flaves in the islands had died in proportion to the number imported. The inhumanity of the trade had been dwelt upon, but he would afk, was this the only inftance in which it was politically difregarded? Was not the impreffing of feamen, by the countenance and contrivance of Government, equally contrary to the principles of justice and humanity? Some refpect, in his opinion, ought to be paid to the policy and neceffity of the trade. He denied that war was carried on in Africa purpofely for making flaves, and he would even enquire whether fome good might not arrive from the petty warfares on the coaft, and whether the lives of the African prifoners taken in war might not be faved from motives of felf-intereft, which could not be reasonably expected from the humanity of the favage. He faw but little difference between the cafe of convicts in this country and flaves in Africa, both of whom may have forfeited their lives: the only difference was, that criminals here were sent to perpetual flavery without being fold. He admitted that fome inftances of cruelty had been proved; but it was strange that in this queftion only, the matter of policy should be laid afide as of no account. Upon the fuppofition that this motion was carried, what reafon could be given for continuing the flaves and their offspring who were now in the Weft Indies in a state of flavery, if the Houfe fhould pronounce the trade to be unjuft and cruel? The motion would lead to a dangerous innovation, and should have his decided oppofition.

Mr. Canning faid, that the fubject of debate had been confidered as worn out; but there was one peculiarity in the debate of the evening, that it had introduced more novelty of argument than had been wual on a fimilar occafion.

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