cause they have at this time no fettlements in the Weft Indies. That is a fpecious but a weak pofition. I have every reason to believe, that the motive for the removal of Victor Hugues from the ifland of Guadaloupe, by the French Directory, was for the express purpose of re-establishing the flave trade in that ifland, which, fince the paffing of the abolition, had been found very beneficial in a state point of view. The new opinions adopted in France, engendered in the madness of the moment, and productive of the anarchy and confufion obfervable by every wife man, were certainly confonant to the fudden impulfe for the abolition. By the circumstances stated, refpecting the island of Guadaloupe, it is evident, that there is a confiderable change of opinion on this fubject in France; and that opinion, report mentions, has been ftrongly corroborated by a reference to the policy of the Portuguese, who carry on that trade with great advantage and profit. Much ftrefs has been laid upon the abolition of the trade by the Danes. But, my Lords, I beg leave to ftate that I now hold in my hand a bill received this day, drawn upon the Danish Conful in this country, in payment for flaves bought fo late as the 12th of February 1799; and it is equally well afccrtained, that the Danish factors have, within thefe laft twelve months, returned to the coaft of Africa. In thefe inftances, my Lords, which I have as great a right to imprefs upon your Lordships' minds as the fupporters of the abolition have to statements of a contrary nature, I am warranted by the evident acknowledgment of error on the part of the two countries mentioned. Some enthufiafts for abolition have endeavoured to maintain, that America has abandoned the flave trade; but it is a fact upon record, that the Americans are now carrying it on for the Spaniards; and it is a truth as well known, that notwithstanding an act of abolition has paffed the Congrefs, the government of that country is not fufficiently strong to enforce its own laws on this particular fubject. This fpirit of refiftance to the American Legislature is not a little. heightened and inflamed by the many advantages obtained under the fanction of the Spanish Government. So far back as the 24th of January 1793, the Court of Madrid iffued the following declaration in favour of foreigners who may chufe to fupply the Spanish fettlements with negroes: An EDICT tranflated from the Spanish. "His Excellency Don Diego de Guardoli has communicated to this Confulate, under date of the 24th of January last past, the following royal order: "The Spanish nation, being one of those which most frequented the coast of Africa to obtain negroes, before the first contract was made with the English, and His Majefty knowing the advantages that may arise to the state from our merchants recommencing this traffic direct, has been pleased to grant, in order to promote so important an object, the following indulgences: "That all Spaniards may undertake these expeditions from any of the Ports of Spain or America: "That the crews of the negro veffels may be half foreigners, provided the other half-and the Captain in particular-are Spaniards: "That every thing fhipped for this trade, direct, fhall be free of duties : "That the veffels of foreign build, that shall be purchased exprefsly for the African commerce, fhall be exempted from paying the foreign and every other duty :-All which I communicate to you for your information, and that of the commercial world." Thefe are the fentiments of the Court of Spain in favour of the flave trade; and by another edict of a more recent date, from the fame high authority, ftill greater encouragement is given to adventurers in that trade. It has been proved at the bar of this House, that even the Spanish frigates carry on this trade; and that at prefent there are cargoes of flaves now waiting on the coaft of Africa to be conveyed to the Spanish part of America. Having faid thus much upon the West Indies, and upon the subject of abolition, I beg leave to conclude this part with the words of an abler writer : You have invited and perfuaded us to purchase and occupy Crown lands in the iflands; you have undertaken and promised to furnish us with labourers fufficient for the cultivation of those lands; you have encouraged us to inveft our fortunes in these plantations; you have encouraged not only your merchants, but foreigners, to advance their money in loans, to a vast amount, for the improvement and extenfion of this culture. If you now put a stop to the cultivation, we and our creditors have a right, upon every principle of juftice, to demand from you a full indemnification.' I come, now, my Lords, to the laft, though not the least, part of the fubject, namely, the importance of the Weft Indies. However much I may regret the difference of opinion with any noble Lord upon this great and important queftion, I am confident that the documents which I fhall have the honour of fubmitting to the House respecting the prefent flourishing state of our West-India fettlements, must be a picture highly gratifying to every well-wisher of this country. It is highly gratifying, indeed, that I can attract your Lordships' attention with this agreeable object, after we have for seven years experienced all the difficulties and dangers of a widely extended and expenfive war-a war, my Lords, in which our naval and military prowess has rivalled, if not surpassed, the most brilliant periods of antiquity. I fhall proceed, my Lords, to the statement which I promised, with affurances that they all are extracted from the best and most incontrovertible authorities : 45,000,000 Utenfils, mules, and crop on the ground, double the value of the negroes Value of houses in towns, trading and coafting veffels, and their crews 2,500,000 Employing 689 veffels, 148,176 tons, equal to the whole trade of the country at the end of the last eentury, navigated by 14,000 feamen, exclufive of African, American, and Newfoundland Colonies, and the American States. The grofs duties to the British Empire 1,800,000 Permit me, my Lords, to make fome few additional remarks. Since the year 1788, at which period I truft I have proved that the British Weft-India capital amounted to 70,000,000l. fterling, great political events have happened. Early in the year 1793, war took place between this country and France; and by the characteristic bravery and active exertions of our army and navy, the iflands of Martinique, St. Lucia, and Tobago, have been conquered from the French; the island of Trinidad from the Spaniards; and the fettlements of Demarara and Effequibo from the Dutch. Hence our additional wealth and fplendour in the Weft Indies; and hence that unbounded influence which commands the peace of our fettlements, and protects them from the introduction of that political phrenzy that has outraged and convulfed the civilized fociety of Europe. I cannot give your Lordships a more clear or demonstrative proof, than that the trade in 1796 required 350,230 tons, navigated by 24,000 feamen. ε 1798. Grofs duties to Great Britain Value of imports to the ports of Great Britain Of which Weft-India duty After defcribing our national happiness and profperity in the Weft Indies, refulting from the united efforts of our commercial and military enterprize, it may not be amifs, by way of contraft, to demonstrate to your Lordships what the French, during the same period, have loft and facrificed at the shrine of folly and infamy. This is no digreffion, my Lords, for every circumftance connected with the existence of our Weft-India fettlements is alfo effentially connected with the exiftence of the flave trade. The French commerce, at the moment of the Revolution, ftood thus: Tons. The French, excluding the foreign tonnage, employed - 350,000 Seamen (French) 50,000 About fourteen feamen to every 100 tons. Their Weft-India commerce alone, 600 fhips at 350 From these estimates I have clearly proved, that in the year 1788 the British property in the Weft Indies amounted to 70,000,000l. fterling. Admitting that the price of negroes, fince the commencement of the war, has risen from 50l. to between 8ol. and 90l. fterling per head, the improvement of property in the fame period much more than counterbalances the advance; and hence I am perfectly well warranted in saying, that the whole capital of the old British Weft-India property amounts to at least 80,000,000l. fterling. If allowed to add the value of the new Weft-India property, namely, the conquefts from the French,. Spaniards, and Dutch, amounting to at leaft 20,000,000l., I may fafely affert, that the prefent British capital in the Weft Indies is equal, upon a fair calculation, to one hundred millions fterling! A fum, my Lords, which demands your most serious confideration, before you confent to the abolition of that trade, without which it could not exist. When I fay, that, on the proof of this interesting fact, I repose the whole ftrength of my argument, I am confident that your Lordships will pause, and fully weigh the confequences of your vote this evening. I am confident that, as the hereditary guardians of British fubjects, you will ftretch out your hands to protect, not to deftroy- I am confident that, as hereditary Counfellors of the Crown, you will give life and fpirit, instead of dejection and death, to a most numerous and most loyal defcription of His Majesty's fubjects. I now, my Lords, beg leave to return my warmest thanks for the great indulgence which I have experienced this evening. The fentiments which I have delivered against the bill are the pure dictates of my confcience; and I am highly flattered by the patient hearing which your Lordships have given me in the discharge of the duty which I owe to my King and Country. THE REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE OF SECRESY APPOINTED BY THE HOUSE OF LORDS To infpect the Papers delivered by His Majefty's Command, (fealed up in a Bag,) containing Secret Information received by His Majesty's Government, relative to the Proceedings of different Perfons and Societies in Great Britain and Ireland engaged in a treasonable Confpiracy, and to the Defign carried on by our Enemies, in concert with fuch Perfons and Societies, for effecting the Separation of Ireland from this Kingdom. (Ordered to be printed 27th May 1799.) THAT the faid papers, and the other informations which have been laid before them, contain the most decifive evidence of an extensive confpiracy carried on with unremitted industry, both in Great Britain and in Ireland, for the deftruction of the Laws and Government; for the overthrow of every exifting establishment, both in Church and State; and for impofing, by force, on the people of thefe realms, under the influence and by the aid of France, a fyftem fubverfive of public order, morality, and religion. In the formation and progrefs of this confpiracy, your Committee have feen a conftant and systematic adherence to that course which, having opened the way to all the calamities and crimes of France, has fince been uniformly purfued by all those who, in various parts of Europe, have engaged in fimilar defigns: and your Committee are therefore decidedly of opinion, that the criminal proceedings which have been established in evidence before them, are not to be confidered merely as the acts of unconnected and obfcure indi |