Star. — London, England, 1802-05-28 00:00:00

brought forward by a Member of the Body of Weft India Merchants, whore charafter was the beff pledge of the fincerity and benevolence ofl his intentions. That Addrefs had been carried, and now remained on the Journals. The anfwer of his Majelly was alto upon the Journals, in which his Majeßy promifed to do all in his power gradually to dimitith the neceffity of the Slave bade, and lead to its terminatiun. Initead of that atfurance being carried into cffea, we were • now to refort to an unlimited cultivation of land, and an unlimited importation of Slaves. It was to she fpirit of the Refolution of 1792 he appealed, and he therefore defired know how, if it was in contemplation to bring the whole of the iflaud of Trinidad into cultivation, the refolution of 1792 Rood other than as a mockery' in fuch cafe it would he better at once to move its repeal.— He thought the prefent queffion came forward on totally different grounds from any quellion of the fort which had ever been agitated, and as fuck, he afked for the fcrious attention of the Houfe.— He entreated Gentlemen o• Drip themfelves of all former confederations which had aauated them upon the fubjea of the Slave Trade—the motion he fltould fubmit referred to new times, and was connefted with new profpeas--Gon knew, with tremendous profpeas for the colonial world. He trolled they would come calmly to the difcuflion, without adverting to ancient differences of opi. nion. There were only two interefis from which he could apprehend any oppofition, thole who thought of the Slave Trade as Cicero did of truth, that if it could be teen, all men would be in love with it—thole who thought the Slave Trade ami akle, and that it ought to be tolerated for its own intrinfic merits. It there were fuch men in the Houfe, with them he could have no controverfy— their minds muR be different from his. The other daft would be thole who were of opinion that it was compromiling the quellion to admit of any thing Ilion of the entire abolition of the trades— The principle of rejcaing compromife was, in his opinion, a topic often employed to induce people to fupport evil rather than refort to any remedy, but the evil ought to be one which was experienced by thole who refitted the remedy. The Hon. Member then referred to the papers on the table , from which it appeared there were in the ifland of Trinidad two thoufand (even hundred and twenty allotments, 'of three hundred and twenty acres each, capable of cultivation. He then proceeded to a variety of calculations, founded upon the principles of Mr. Bryan Edwards, as applying to the population and cultivation of the ifland of Ja maica, and the refult was, that in his opinion, one hundred millions of lives mint be (wept from the face of the earth before Trinidad could be put in to a Date of general cultivation. He hoped the Houk would not fanaion fuch a facrifice of hu man blood to enrich a few individuals—not to add to our colonial ftrength, or the !table intereft of the country, bin to increafe the wealth of the (pe culators of the City of London. He defired to be underßood as limiting the whole of what be had raid to new profpe&ive meafures. He bad no defire of interfering with the veiled claims of any one. Having recommended to the Houk to leave the cultivation of the ifkutd to its natural courfe, without any new importation of Negroes—he ad verted to the impolicy of bringing the Ifland fud denly into a Date of general cultivation. He con tended that the gradual abolition • of the Slave Trade, and the real interefts of the colonies went hand in hand. He then referred to the Rate of St. Domingo, and maintained, that the iffue of that Druggle, be it what it might, would endanger' the fafety of the Welt Indies, and therefore re commended the policy of increafing the natural fit cngth of filch an ifland as Trinidad, by laying the foundation of a native population. He ob ferved, that the opportunity of doing fo was id - - forded by the circumftance that there reforted to Trinidad a hardy race of men from the Spanith Continent, who were inured to hard labour. They might be obtained to any amount,and (mall tracks of land might be afligned. There were alto on the Hand about tOOO native Indians—he did not mean to fay that fuch refources would eftabliffi the Colony, but they might certainly prevent the ne cetray of reforting to an immenfe Negro Impor tation. Such were the reafons which had induced him to urge the Houle not to recede from its re corded opinion of the Slave Trade. Having Dated an exception which he meant to propofe in favour of thole perflins who fleould be defirous of remov ing from Iflands ceded to the Dutch, and even with regard to them he meant to allow of their carrying the Negroes they poireffed with them, and not importing new ones from Africa, he conclud ed by moving— .. That an humble .tddrefs Ihould be aerated to his Maki. ty, rcprefenting that, in confederation of the great importance of preventing the danger and milehief which might arifc from the endive Importation of Negroes from Africa, If permitted without reitrietion. Into the Ifland of Trinidad, and for avoid ing any colour or pretext, by new grants of land to obitrud what to Parliament famed expedient, that his Majeity's faith ful Commons humbly hoped his Majelly would not authorise any grant of land in the bland of Trinidad wldient se =pref. condition. under the penalty of forfeiture at fish bad, tint no Negro imported from Africa &mild be aiinpleysd ea the hid land, until Parliament Otould have made prevail, se dream !Lances might require, for the prohibition or Imitados et im porting Negroes from Africa ; and that his Mildly would be pkafed to give diredions to lay before the Hoer In the next Salon of Parliament, an account of any loch additions/ grants as Mould be made in the interval, and of the means or provided for enforcing the performance Mae raid and that his ANefty would be further pleafed to &red to be laid before the Hoofe as fools as the fame could be f.:elt plan of rrgidatlons as to Ms Majcity's Governmet r t e = • (rem molt datable for promoting the cultivation of the Wand of Trinidad, and the means leaft likely to interfere with the with of the Houk for the gradualtermination of the Sieve Trade, and for the (lability of the intereft of the colonies 1A the Weft . Indira, and the other colonies of the kingdom." The Cirescit2toa of the Excalkote raid, be could not help oblerving, that the motion now made by the Right Hon. Gentleman, fo far as re garded the fcope,tendency,and objea of it,did not accord with the expeaations that had been excited in his mind, at the time the Hon. Gentleman hid given notice of bringing it forward. At that time he th4.utht it was the Hon. Gentleman's intention to move, that no Elks of the Crown Lands in the Ifland of Trinidad Mould take place, unlefs on condition that they mould not be cultivated by Negroes imported frniatAtrka. But as the motion jut made did not come up to what he had exc ted from the notice, it was diverted of Conte of thofe objedions which he : was determined to urge againft it whenever it mould be brought forward.—Had fuch a motion been made, he mould have felt it his duty to give it a dire& negative ; but he muft alto object to the motion now made for various reafons. The Hon. Gentleman had adverted to the circum. !lances on which he conceived it neceffary to bring forward this motion : he Rated that rumours pre vailed relative to the tale of Lands in Trinidad, which had caufed confiderable fpeculations among monied men. For his own part, he had never heard any fuch rumours until they were mentioned by the Hon. Gentleman. It certainly had been the intention of his Majetty's Government to difpofe of fome of the Crown Lands in the Weft Indies, particularly thole in the Viand of St. Vincent, for the relief of the Civil Lift ; but when this plan was conceived, the Crown Lands of Trinidad never entered into the contemplation of Govern ment; for his mind was fully made up on this point, that both on the ground of policy as well as of jullice, every means Mould be adopted to pro mote a White population in the Wand of Trinidad, which fhould be ;Ailed by a Creole population ; and it mull be obvious to every body, from the experience of pail and prefent times, that the co lony thus encouraged, fhould derive as little aid as pot able from a Negro population. With refped to the lion. Gentleman's motion, he felt Come degree of regret that the fubjed had been agitated at this time. It was to him a matter of furprize that this propofition had not been brought forward five or fix years ago, during which time the Wand was in our poffeftion, as well as fome other Wands which were taken from the enemy ; and in the courfe of which time there was fuch an increafed and immenfe importation of Negroes. He was, however, happy to find the Hon. Gentleman's motion came nearer to what was fuppored to have been the declared policy of Parliament in the two refolutions alluded to by him. But it was not to be inferred that, becaufe the Slave Trade was not abolifhed, that Parliament had broken its faith with the public, at the time of its declaring, in tags, that the trade fhould be gradually abolifhed. A variety of circumftances had fine occurred, which would have rendered fuch a meafure extremely improper and dangerous. For his own part, he always thought the only way by which this gradual abolition fhould take place, was not by the ens& went of revere reftriEtions. but by the gradual operation of moral cattle:, and by the introduaion of new habits into the colonies. He could not find in the propofition now made, any thing ana logous to the principle profeffed toy thofe who bad originally propofed the gradual abolition of the trade. And if that propofition was adopted, to the extent of prohibiting or regulating the trade, it would not lead to that gradual abolition which had been intended. There was no one truth he was more fully impreffed with than this—that the effea of fuch a prohibition as the prefent motion propofed to adopt,would be to enfure the carrying on of the nave trade in other places, in a clandef tine manner, and under circumftances of much greater enormity than any that had ever before taken place. Betides, there were other reafons which rendered it highly impolitic to comply with the motion jolt made. It was well known, that for the laft nine years there 'was a great demand for Weft India fettlements, and the Britith trade and plantations in thofe colonies were carried on to a greater extent than ever had been known be. fore. The effeEt of this was, an encreafed fupply, without the demand having been furpended, or without any glut having been in the market. All this was done by Bntifh capital alone. France and Holland had been long waiting for fupplies from their own Wands after they mould be reftored to them by the peace. They were in the habit of being fupplied with Brit& (agars through Hamburgh. They mutt Qill depend on us tor fupplies until they begin to produce them in their own Wands. Would it therefore be wife to pre. vent that capital which had already made our Weft Indian commerce Co flourifhing, from being applied to the improvement and cultivation of Th nidad? Would it be wife to adopt partial reftriaions which fhould &flea that Ifiand in particular, and not apply to any of the other Wands ? There wet no certainty that fetters would come into that Viand in fuch abundance as to obviate the necef fity of importing Negroes into it. It was not his with that there fhould be any unlimited number of Negroes imported into Trinidad. On the con trary, every fentiment of his mind led him to make this declaration, that there ought not to be an unlimited importation either into that or anyotber !Rand. Whatever reftriaions, however, were to be made, they fhould be applicable to all the Elands in general, and not to Trinidad in parti. cular. It was his earnell hope and his anxious with, That, when his Majefty fhould be pleated to call the Parliament together again, meafures might be adopted for the purpofe of carrying into effea that gradual abolition of the 'lave trade, which was wifhed for by all parties, as far as the fame could be done confiftently with principles of found policy, the fecurity of our colonies, and the interefts of commerce. The Right Hon. Gentle. man obferved, that the effea of an unlimited ins portatiotiof Negroes into Trinidad would be to introduce two hundred and fifty thoufand of them. From the belt information he had received con cerning Trinidad. he had every reafon to believe that no fuch effea would be produced, mould the importation be ever fo unlimited ; fuch was the .excellent quality of the foil in that Ifland, and fo *sty to be cultivated, that forty Negroes could do as much work upon it as an hundre d iany of the other glands; the fugal., when produced, was more abundant and fuperior in quality to that in any of the other If ; and there was this fingular phenomenon belonging to Trinidad, that the very firft canes yielded (agar of the Snell quality. This information he had from Go vernor Pickton ' as well as various other perfons, who all agreed in the flies be kilt Rated, and wbofe opinion it was b that the proportion of No. groes required there was a; one to three, com pared to other places. The quantity of human labour being therefore: fo finalloto fuels con. fequences as thofe Rated by the'Hon. Gentleman could follow from importing Negroes into the Wand. All thefe circumftances did induce the nii nifters of the Executive Government to recommend it to his Majefty:to caufe a furvey to be made of the whole Wand : not a geographical furvey taken by common futveyors, but an accurate examina tion of the Rate of the country, and the condition and quality of the foil, to be made by intelligent perfons, on whofe report his Majelly's Govern ment would decide what Reps were to be taken in regard to the illand in future. He could af- Cure the Houfe, until all this was done, there were pofitive orders iffued that no Pale or grant of lands Would take place there. Minifters were de firous to give Parliament every pofEble inform**. tion on this fubjeft ; and as Pion as the reports of the Commitfioners fent out to take the furvey thould be made known, it would be laid on the table of that Houfe. It was impoffible it could be done before Parliament met again. He would con cur in any plan that went to regulate the whole Ifyfiem of the Slave Trade ; but he felt the danger of dircuffing the fubjeft at this time.—lt' did not tend to quiet the public mind, and he was Rill snore averfe to difcuffing it by piece-meal.—There was one fad which he believed would be fatisfac• tory to the Houfe, that whatever grants were to tske place, they lhould be made on fuch exprefs conditions as thould prevent the adoption of any meafures likely to difcourage Creole population. He tru Red the Houfe would do the Executive Go.' vernment the juftice to believe that it was aauated by a fincere with to do every thing that could pro.' mote the happinefs and fecurity of the colonies. For his own part, he now felt that he difcharged his duty to the public ; he felt that he was taking fuch Reps as would tend to carry into effelt thole principles by which the Houfe bad been stewed when they adopted the Refolution in 1792. He, trutied the Houfe would not agitate the queftion in a hopelefs way, but would confider with him the prefent motion as premature. Impreffed with there fentiments, he would move the previous quell ion. Mr. CANNING faid, he was not convinced that his motion was premature. But in reliance that the Right Hon. Gentleman would take the &Nett of it fpeedily into eonfidemtion—a fabjett which involved in it the greateit moral qtribon ever yet agitated, he would forbear to prefs his motion. Whiting, however, to have it recorded on the Jour• nals of the Houle, he would not withdraw it, but let it Rand as it was. General Gascotana arraigned the laft fpeaker for having profefed to confine himfeif to a praaical point, when he afterwards entered on the general queftien of the Slave Thule. He affeeted, that nothing was fo likely to advance the profperity of our Well-India colonies as the Have trade. Mr. Wit.ssitroacz accorded fully in the fenti menu of his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Addington) as far as they went, and was fully perfuaded that what he had promifed as a Mininer he would per form. Neverthelefs, he could not be very fangnine when he confidered what had formerly taken place in the Houfe, and even the entwine% of the Right Hon. Gentlemanhimfelf. The fairer! profpeas had been held out, and they had ended in nothing. The evil ezilled now in a greater degree than ever, and daily gained ground. He thought that &me meafore ought to be inflantly taken to prevent the increafed importation of negroes into the illands. The effea of threatening to abridge the traffic ne ceffarily quickened it. He sand it to be known that the Bridal importation of Slaves had been much greater during the left three years, than at any former period. He conceived that what had formerly been a principal oblation againft the abolition of the Slave Trade on our part, viz. that this trade would be carried on with increafed ac tivity by other powers, and even with aBivity derived from the Britiffi capital, may be obviat ed by Treaties with thofe powers.—lt had been faid, “ What good would be produced by us aban doning it, if it were carried on by others," and this argument was now Rronger than ever. The only hope of this barbarous, inhuman,nnchriftian— Getwral GAscolona here !poke to order, con tending that thefe.ohfervations were irrelevant to the quation before the Houfe. Mr. WI LIERPORCII maintained that what he had been (eying was aridly in point. The object of this motion was to prevent, as far as poffible, the ravages, defolation, and barbarian of a third part of the habitable globe, and by the cooperation of foreign powers-- General Gascotous again !poke to order. He Paid that any interference of foreign powers whit the illand of Trinidad was quite unneceffary. Mr. Wisasaroaca affirmed, that he had never fpoken of any fuch interference. He then refumed the ruble., and after a few obfervations 'on the ne ceffity of the trade being inftantly reftriEted, be concluded by faying, that he fhould confider it to be his duty to bring the fubjea bcfore the Houfe during the precut feffion. Mr. Pottle laid in precife census—"" If there be a vanity more idle than another, it is the vanity of public (peaking—lt is foolillt to fay much when there is nothing to be raid, I hope that when this queftion comes to be decided, it will not reft on popularity on one fide, *T./kook& on the other, but that it will be decided in the principle of true phi lofoph y." The motion was then put, and negatived with out a divilion. Mr. WlLsstvoacs gave notice, that on Thurf day next, he would bring forward a motion for the immediate reßriaion of the importation of Negroes into Britilh Plantations. He did not (peak with certainty, but he might likeolfg move for an Addrefs to his Majeßy, praying that he would be gratioufly pleafed to enter into a Negociatiott with the powers of the Continent for the immedi ate Abolition ofthe African Sim Trade. General gescolowe gave notice, that on Friday fe'nnight he IhouM make a motion, not to limit and relirain'the Slave Trade, but to abolith exiting reilriltions, in confequenceof the meafuree the French were about to adopt on at rubjegt. AdjOIMO 4 . VIAF o'er' LONDON. FRIDAY, MAY 28. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOt K 3pa Celli'. Cattalo 73f. 74i, #.l4 Ditto, for Jul) , tif, 1, I. 74. I. co id 5 per Can. Hal, 10 3 f, I—New ditto to; 104 Osmium if 'After our Paper was at Pres yellerday, Mr. New" Lama, of the Bank of England, informed the holders of the Loan that the Bank will make go o d all the payments yet to come, excepting the L 1 one. Before this welcome news was announced, the Loan was at a difeount, but loon after it role to ti per cent. premium, and a good deal of buff. nets was done, though it was a holiday. On the Debate in the Houk of Commons upon Mr. CANNING'S motion, the CHMICILLOR of the Eximarty sit informed the Houfe, that perfons properly qualified had been fait opt to make a Purvey of Trinidad, and that on their report Par. liament would have an opportunity of confidering what was proper to be done in the way of.regu. lating the IYilem of cultivatio n in that Mind; be. caufe, as it was intended to make no Grants before the Report was received, NrAr g ent its . 2tobstv_ bility would have again met.' Theatints for the prefent are to be made only to perfons leaving the ceded Ifiands, and thefe Grants are on the condi. tion that no claim should be Pet up by the Gomtees. inconfiftent with any regulations adopted .by Par. liament. • The quetlion of the Slave Trade is likely (goo to come into difcuffion, in a great variety of ways. The COUNCILLOR of the Excnsgy le took notice of the (inane, and, we think, culpable filence of the enemies of the Slave Trade, while fuck vatl gun tities of Britilh capital was mifemployed in frufti. Prins and improving the Dutch and French Colo nies by the importation of Negroes. We have not yet heard a fatisfaftory anfwsr to this charge. I. it only when the guilt becomes beneficial to Enr land that it is to be expofed ? Or, week that the matter is not to be agitated when there is a thaw of fucceeding f What anfwer could have been given had it been propofed fir or (even years ago, to prohibit the importation of Negroes into Dutch and French Automats t We amain no fatisfac• Wry one. Various reports were yefttrday circulated u from Paris. The life of EmuArs had been again attempted on the , parade 0n Monday lak : his life had been faved by one Of his,Aideskie: Camp, who fell a viaim tokis faithfUl.attaehmesi General Burnt's. was Alb killed in'A'Auel by General Lacouess. • - On thefe, and ftmilar misters, it le Only sieiCf fary to fay, 'that the •Parii- jounusls of Toefciak lafi, which welsifive this day retched, are . entirelt client refpelting thein. • ... . . There journals contain accounts . from-St. Do , mingo, which come down ,e few days. lair. than'' the difpatches WI pnblithed : they are nos; bowe ver, of a more decifive nature. Souk' kind el correfpondence has beat entered into bttween TOUSSAMT and the Conimander in Chief, but no thing-is expelled to refult from it.. TotistliaT• it' is probable, counts upon the havock the Fre* army will experience from the difeafes liccafioned by the rainy feafon. Tree details alluded to, mut revere!' other articles . worthy of notice in there journals, are here tub. joined. Tier, Calsfirsdi 56 f. c. MINISTRY OF THE MARINE. TIN rXIIINIANDAR Isi CHIBA TO Till MIIIIATAL Of TN' MARINI AND COLONIAL • Ileadiumescrs. Per! itepoblicala, Germinal:4 year ze (Aprils.) CITIaaN Mimisval—lmmediately aher the taking of Crete.a-Pierrot, Dassault's being pur. feed Bed into the woods; but I had caufed the roads to be intercepted by a detachment who oc cupied Mirebalais: DISIALIWES attempted to force the pillage, ITtnd was repaired; he then threw hint klf back on Cahoas t and wanders from pofition to potation, attended by a few followers, bus hirhly lavefitiee, o f sakb as idea cam /way be I have canted the fort of Crete.a.Pierrot to be mounted with cannon, and have eitablithed a garrifon in it. When the fquadron arrived at Part Repnblicain, General Bomar fent Citizen Bast, his Aide-de.camp, with a fiag of truce. He was arrelted by the Blacks, who always carried hint with them from morne to morne,-and from wool to wood: twenty times he was on the point of being put to death. The details of the malfacres, of which he was witnefs, make one (hudder. On the Sth Germinal, (March 29), TOUSSAINT fens for him, complained of the difagreeable Rate of things, and fent him back with letters. Thus it appears chat TOUSSAINT Rill hopes to find, in the duplicity (ibis charater, a remedy for the painful equation is which he is.—He at length begins to form an idea of the power of France. I have taken eve: y mediate for following up the commencement ..f this kind of conference, though little can be from a mist fo profoundly wicked.—Health and relpeEt. (Signed) tscatr.c.