The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-26 00:00:00

LAST INDIA SUGAR.

On the motion that the House go into a Committee on the
East India Sugar Bill,
Mr. FORBES moved that it' be an instruction to the Com-
mittee, that the clause relative to clayed sugar 'be struck out,
as there was no such thing as clayed sugar imported from the
East Indies. He proposed that in place of that word be sub-
stituted " equal in quality and value to clayed West India.
sugar.7'

LUSHINGTON did not think it necessary to enter
into any discussion on the subject of East and West India
sugars. Ile would merely observe, that he thought Legislation
had turned the scale in favour of .the East India sugar. The
subject, however, would engage the attention of the House
early in the ensuing Session. if the sugar from the East In-
dies were equal in quality to clayed sugar, it ought to pay the
duty imposed upon it, and as the words at present stood in the
13111, there was no danger of their being otherwise interpreted
than as signifying the value of the article. ".
Mr. MONEY could not conceive why the Hon. Gentleman
opposite (Mr. Lushington), should object to the introduction
of the word value into the Bill, when he admitted that that was
the meaning and spirit of the Clatise relative to the species of
sugar in question.

Mr. BItIGII'I' opposed the motion.
Mr." AMER YAW said, that although the sugar from the
East Indies was not in reality clayed, it went through a-process
precisely similar in effect. That sugar, therefore, ought to
pay the same amount of duty, without any regard to this tech-
nical distinction.

Mr. WYNN said that it was intended to take some steps
to give relief to the East India trade early in the next Session,
by reducing the transit export duties. He would not offer
any opposition to the principle, of the instruction to the Corn=
mittee moved by the Hon. Member; but he thought it would
be impolitic to pass it that moment, as the subject was under
the consideration of the Board of Trade. He would not enter
into the general state of India, but he felt with the Hon. Gen-
tleman the inconvenience which arose to the population of that
country from the discouragement shown to the article of its
produce.
Mr. FORBES said, that he had always opposed this Bill
from the beginning in every stage, and should continue to do
so. If, from the long, tiresome, and he would say, useless
speeches of some Hon. Members in that House, when this sub-
ject was under discussion, the usual sources of information to
the public had been sometimes put to sleep, it was not his fault.
—(A laugh, and " Hear, hear !")—lle appealed to the half
'dozen Members who were in the House when the Bill was
first read, and to the dozen who were present at its second
reading,. whether he had not strenuously opposed it.
The Motion was then negatived without a division, and the
House then went into a Committee on the Bill, in which the
clauses were agreed to. The House then resumed, and the
Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.

SINKING FUND.
Mr. lIUME rose to redeem a pledge which he had given on
the first night of the Session to call the attention of the House
to the operation of The Sinking Fund, and the present state
of the finances Of the country. -Ile thought, late as it was_ in
the Session, that the House, ought not to separate witliaut
taking some step to put a stop to the ruinous consequeuces

which had resulted from and which were still arising out of the
system which, unfortunately for the country, had so long been
acted upon. It was bold in him to impugn a system which
had met with the approbatiOn of some of the greatest men who
had sat in that Hooke but he thought he should be able to
prove that the principle of the Sinking Fund was such that it
never could produce those results which had originally been
expected from it. To prevent mistake he would state, that by
Sinking Fund he Understood a sum of money to be meant,
which sum was to be set apart to accumulate at compound in-
terest, in order to pay off a part of the National Debt, in such a
way as should appear most beneficial to the State. Mr. Pitt
had expected that by a Sinking Fund, a greater saving would be
made than could be effected in any other mode. So confident
was he on this subject, that, in 1786, he thus expressed himself
' respecting it : 4' This plan has long been the wish and the hope
of all men, and I- am proud to flatter myself with the hope that
my name will be inscribed on the firm monument now about to
be raised for the public safety and public. prosperity." He
(Mr. Hume), however, would contend that it was not within the
power of figures to make a Sinking Fund, taken from the gene-
ral revenue of the country, produce a beneficial effect, as the
sum so taken must necessarily diminish the general revenue, of
which it had for/heti a part. Instead ofgaining by such a course,
a loss must be sustained, for the .charges incurred on account
of management, redemption, and urifunding. This must be
the effect of a sinking fund, where a surplus revenue was pos- •
sesed, but far greater would be the loss sustained if such a sys-
tem were adhered to id a case where the income of the country
fell short of its expenditure. This had been the situation of
England from the year 1793 to 1817, and the amount of loss
sustained in consequence of our borrowing money to give to
'the Commissioners to redeem the debt, exceeded every thing
that could be surmised by any individual who had not ascer,
tained it as he had from those proofs which figures alone could
supply. In addition to other evils this resulted from it, that
we borrowed on more unfavouzable terms than we should
otherwise be compelled to accept, if we went into the market
for 600,009,0.001. instead of only taking loans to half
.the
amount. He strongly deprecated the practice which had. ob-
tained of not raising the Supplies within the year. It would
surprise Gentlemen to hear that in the twenty-nine years
which had elapsed since 1723, supposing the same sums to be
expended (exclusive of the charge for the debt and the sinking
fund),' the expenditure for the Civil Service, the Army,
Navy, and every other service, might have been covered With-
out • borrowing, by an additional 3 or 6,000,0001. per annum,
and with this sum the whole of our warfare might have been
carried on, and the whole of our establishments kept up as
they actually had been, without adding to the public debt.—
Ilad the course which he suggested been pursued, how differ-
ent:would our present situation' have been ! The interest of
the debt wouldat the present moment have been between 7 and
8,000,0001. instead of amounting, as it now did, to ins less than
from 32 to 33,000,01401. He divided the whole period of 29 years
from 1793 into two periods ; the first comprehendirig the years
from 1793 to 1817, in Which there was an excess of expenditure
over the income ; the second embracing the years which had
since elapsed, in which there had been excess of income over
the expenditure. In the former period there had been an increase
of the funded debt, to the amount of 618,000,0001. For the suns
of 684,074,5571. which had been funded, the public had re-
ceived but 579,791,388/. from the Contractors. Here, then,
as he- shelved in his third Resolution, was a total -loss of
5,083,1691., which was stopped by the Contractors. for
prompt payment, though the sum he had mentioned bore an in-
terest from the day ou which it was funded. He shewed that
by the manner in which the loans had, been negocieted, and .
the mannerin which the instalments had been arranged, not
less than 15,000,0001. had been lost to the public. This sum
lie regarded as a bonus given ,to the Contractors, by whom it
had generally been shared. The first dividends of all `wens
had been excused from the income tax. Considering this as so
much taken from the revenue, and addin,, the amount to what
he had already mentioned, lie conceived the country to have
suffered by the operations to which he referred, whet might be •
regarded as ee;ial to a loss of capital to the amount of
38,000,0001.-stock. These calculations he did not risk on his
own authority. He had been much assisted by a Gentleman
of the name of Marten, but though he had the fullest confi-
dence in the accuracy of his ealculationS, lie had had them
checked by others. He had done that in order to produce a
statement of the finances of the' country, which should be as
free from fault as possible. He next described his fourth and
fifth Resolutions, which run as follow :
" That for the sum of 579,791,3881. of money received and ac-
counted for; as stated in the preceding resolution, from the Ist
of February, 1793, to the sth of January, 1817, there has been
created capital iadocks of various denominations, to the
amount of 079,2,8T9 A 3/. at an annual charge for interest in per-
petuity to the arrifint -of 29,289,666/. ' - and of 230,0001. of an-
nuities from May, 1795,' to May, 1319 ; and of 654,6951, an-
nuities from various dates, all terminable in 1860, making a
total annual charge of interest and annuities of 30,174,363/.
(exclusive of about 160,0001. per annum for management),
which sum of 30,174,3631. equal to 30,040,4457. in perpetuity
converted into a 3 per cent. capital, is equal to 1,001,343,1661.,
bearing at the rate of 1721. 14s. of 3 per cent.' capital for every
1001. of the 579;791,3881; money received, or 1001. 3 Per cent.
capital, forevery 571. 18s. in money.
• That if the conversion of the 4 and a per cent. capitals is
made at the average relative prices they bore to 3 per cents.
at the time they were funded, the total amount in 3 per cent.
capital will be 975,784,592/. instead of 1,001,343,1661. as stated
in the preceding resolution."
The 40,982,119/. of 4 per cents: were funded at an average of
1001. capital for 821. money, the relative current value of the 3
per cents. being 671. which gives of 3 per cents. 61,172,133
The 120,557,4711. of 5 per cents. were funded at
an average of 1001. capital for 90/. nioney; the re-
lative current value ot' the 3 per cents. being 601.
which gives of 3 per cents. - - - . - - 180,836,206
The amount of 3 per cents. funded - - 703,750,353
The 884,695/. of terminable annuities, reduced
into a perpetgal annuity of 750,777/. equal to 3 per
cent. capital - 25 Irs 900

Total 3 per cent. capital - 975,784,02

making a difference of - - £25,563,574
of 3 per cent. capital, which is an equivalent for paying a
higher rate of interest on the 4 and 4 per cents. than in the
3 per cents.: and there has been paid on the total amount of
the 4 and 5 per cents. funded, an annual sum increasing to
766,9071. per annum' on the sth of January, 1818, which in 14
years, at 5 percent. it equivalent to the difference of capital
created in funding in the 4 and .5 per cents. instead of in the
3 per cents. By this he meant to shew, that it he got for 901.
11101. in 5 per cent., Stock, for his 001. he should receive an an-
nuity of 5/. If for the same sum he purchased MO/. in 3 per
cent. stock, he should receive annually but 4/. 10s. The dif-
ference between 41. 10s. and 51. was 10s. This 10s. if suffered
to accumulate with compound interest, would, in thirty-Seven
years, amount to a sum which would pay the expence incurred
by the difference between the rates of interest' on the FiVes
and Threes. 'The sixth Resolution set fort!), that there had
been paid to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, in the
24 years from 1793 to 1817, the sum of 188,522,340/. The ex-
pence • of the office of the said Commissioners, during that
period, was 82,8911/., making the amount paid to the said Com-
missioners 188,585,0381. 'With this sum, as he spewed in the
seventh Resolution, the Conimissioners bad purchased stock,
the annual dividends on which amounted to -0,163,233/. ster-
ling. The money borrowed to enable the Commissioners was
obtained at an interest Of Si. 3s. 7d. per cent. Had they gained
the same interest for the money when 1/4;xpended, there would
have been no loss but that incurred on account oftounagement ;
but, in point of fact, the operation thus effected had produeed
for the public but an interest of 41. 17s. 2d. per cent. The
eighth Resolution shelved that the amount of annual charge
created in perpetuity, by raising the 108,585,031. money,
was 9,771,0631., whilst the annual charge redeemed by the
Commissioners of the Sinking Fund with that amount was
only 9,168,2331., being 602,8301. of annual charge in perpetuity
less redeemed than created, equal to 20,t)94,333/. of 3 per
cent. capital : showing that the debt was created between 1793
and 1817, at the rate of 1721. 14s. of 3 per cent. capital for every
NO/. in cash ; and that the amount redeemed in the same time
was at the rate of 162/. Is. of 3 per cent. capital for every 1001.
cash, being a loss of 101. 13s. of 3 per cent. capital on every
100/. of money expended by the Commissioners. The ninth
resolution sheaved that had there been no Sinking Fund, there
would have been an immediate diminution of expence to the
amount of 1,313,111/. The. tenth set forth that the total reve-
nue of Great Britain in the twenty4our years between the sth
January, 1793, and the sth January, 1817, from taxes alone,
including the small branches of hereditary revenue, and inci-
dental resources, amounted to the sum of 1,114,318,5634'4er.
ling. The four following resolutions shewed the. exciss. of ex-.
readiture over revenue at different periods. The fifteenth and

That it appears by the preceding resolutions, thatOn con-
sequence of not raising the supplies within the year,'hy taxes,
to the amount of 138,349,040/. in the 24 years, being an ave-
rage of 5.764,543/. per annum, a debt of. 609,703,7021: of aa-
pital has been incurred, at an increased annual charge of
22,737,3711., thereby occasioning !taxation to the extent of up-
wards of 58 millions per annum, whilst from the sth of Ja-
nuary, 1817, about 33. millions only would have sufficed.
" That, by the union of the Eichequer.of Ireland with that
of Great Britain, on the 3th of January,- 1817, a farther annual
charge of 1,323,775/. 15s. 4d. was added to the annual charge
of Great Britain, then amounting to 30,628,2341. (as stated in
the 14th resolution), by the incorporation of 28,739,8691 of ca-
pital, funded' and unfunded, created in Ireland, making the
I total amount of debt, funded and unfunded, of the United
Kingdom, on the 6th of Jan. 1817, to amount to 846,155,1061.,
-and the annual charge. to 31,952,0091."
lie now came to the second period in which the revenue had
exceeded the .expenditure of the country ; and here a most
extraordinary- circumstance demanded their attention. 'Be-
tween 1817 and 1822 we had a. surplus revenue of 7,500,000/.
yet we had borrowed no less than 90,000,000/. in consequence
of which a loss had been sustained of 79,961/. of perpetual
annuity, equal to 2,665,376/. of three per cent. capital. The
succeeding resolutions which he described, represented the
country to have lost vast sums by the operation of the Sinking
Fund. Taking the average of the whole period, he calculated
that six shillings and fourpence had been lost on every . hun-
dred pounds borrowed during the last twenty-nine years on
account of the Sinking Fund. The 29th Resolution chewed that
the system of borrowing during twenty-four years created a
necessity for borrowing nioreeto cover the interest of money pre-
viously raised. In this way an additional permanent charge of
602,8304 had been created. In this system he saw the cause of
the distress felt at the present moment.- It was not generally
known that up to 1817 the people of England had never paid
one shilling of the National Debt. The interest had always
been paid with money borrowed for that purpose. It was in
consequence of the burthen thrown upon them, by their having
at last to pay the interest of the debt; and with diminished means,
that had been reduced to the present situation. Ile contended
that money might have been borrowed cheaper than it had
been, had we not gone into the market to borrow, in order to
enable the Sinking Fund Commissioners to continue their
operations. • lie mentioned several instances in which a great
impression had been produced on the funds by the amount
of the loan called for by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. On,
one occasion, when a loan of 24,000,000/. was intended to be
taken, it wasTeduced to 12,000,000/., the other 12,000,0001. be-
ing borrowed from the Sinking Fund. The consequence of
this was, the smaller sum had been borrowed in the market on
terms so much more favourable than could otherwise have.been
obtained, that considering, as he lead a right to do, the saving
not to be confined to tU 12,000,000/n but extending to the
whole 24,00.0,0001. wanted for the public service, the country
gained by the course which had been taken what was equal to
3,313,000/. of stock. Since that period the Sinking Fund had
again and again been resorted- to under similar circumstances,
and 36,000,000/. had been taken from it, by which, be was con-
fident, not less than 10,000,0001., of three per cent. capital had
been saved to the nation. The 33d and :14th ecsolutions de-
clared, that if there had been no Sinking Fund the surplus re-
venue must have been greater ; end had that excess been ap-
plied to the purchase of Stock, at the prices which haVe prevail-
ed during these. five years, the total excess of revenue would
have amounted to about 33,000;0001., redeeming 42,000,0001.
of 3 per cent. capital, thereby diminishing the charge by
about. 1,260,000/a per annum, and leaving the total charge
for 1822 at 23,266,3201., instead of 30,015,786/., as stated,
in the 25th resolution, making an excess of annual charge in
1822 to the amount of 6,749,4061., equal to 224,982,300/. of 3
per cent. capital. In the 35th resolution he came to the follow-
ing general conclusion, that notwithstanding 270,543,895/. is
stated to have been applied towards the reduction of the na-
tional debt, between the sth of January, 1793, and the sth of
January, 1832, not only has no reduction been effected therein,
but, on the contrary, it has actually been increased to the
amount of 603,449,859/., at an annual charge of 22,312,370/. ;
hereby demonstrating that the Sinking Fund system was found-
ed in fallacy, and hasbeen maintained by delusion. He therefore
felt warranted in assuming, in his thirty-sixth resolution, that
whether the financial system of the country be regarded, in
reference to the increased burden of 1,144,387/ per annum,
occasioned by the Commissioners of the .Sinking Fund, in
merely purchasing stock on worse terms that at which it was
created, as stated in the 24th Resolution ; or in reference to
that of 6,749,466/. occasioned by the extension and complica-
don of the accounts, in consequence of the existence of the
Sinking Fund System, as stated in the 34th Resolution ; or in
reference to the increased burden of 22,312,3701. per annum,
which has been inflicted on the public since 1793, and to con-
tinue in perpetuity by not having raised about 138 million, of
additional taxes in the 24 years, from the sth ofJanuary, 1793,
' to the sth of January, 1817, and which occasioned! taxation
in 1321 to upwards of sixty millions, whilst about. 33 millions
only would have sufficed, as previously shewn in the fifteenth
Resolution e either case sufficiently chews that the financial
systenf of the country is founded on erroneous Inin cipl es,
portending consequences as ruinous and fatal as the Sinking
Fund system is demonstrated to be fallacious and delusive.
The two resolutions which followed were intended to prove
that the plan of the Noble Lord, for tying up 5,000,000/. as a
Sinking F'ttnd for ten years, in the manner proposed, would be
most ruinous to the country. They took a prospective view
of the result of a Sinking applied for ten years to the pur-
chase of stock, and drew this inference, that under the one..
ration of a Sinking Fund to that amount, set apart to accu-
mulate at compound interest, no relief whatever from taxation
will be afforded to the country for ten years ; and without
-any guarantee that the exaction of so great an amount of taxes
may not, under the present difficulties of the country, occa-
alcin an increase of distress and tiattperism more than equiva-
lent to any advantages that can arise from the remission of
2,193,043/. of taxes per annum, at the expiration sit' that pea
riod ; whilst the immediate remission of taxes, to the amount.
of 5,000,000/. per annum, will atibrd a most important and
essential relief from those burdens which at present press so
heavily on the industry of the country. He contended, that
• 'if the plan of the Noble Marquis were attempted to be carried
into effect, no security would be given that the Sinking Fund
would not be seized hereafter by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer. In 1786,. Mr. Pitt calculated that a Sinking Fund
of 1,000,000/. would, in 28 years, amount to 4,000,0001., care
being, taken that it should not be broken in upon, which prac-
tice he remarked had hitherto been the bane of the country.—
But for this, Mr. Pitt had said the public debt would not have
been so burdensome as it then was. But it was in vain that.
attempts had been made to prevent Ministers from seizing oa.
that which ought to have been held sacred. Not only had the
present Chancellor of the Exchequer done so, but others had
ventured to do what Mr. Pitt had considered human impru-
dence would not dare to attempt, as he had declared it to be
his intention so to bind his successors, that to violate the prin-
ciple of the Sinking Fund should be impossible. If the Sinking
Fund were kept up, they ought to know in what way it was
• proposed to secure it from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but
he contended that for the present it would be better to have no
Sinking Fund. There were some few, he believed, who, by some
strange infatuation, thought that the Sinking Fund had some
operation in upholding the public Credit; but he maintained
that the public credit would have been more substantially kept
up by confining the system of loans, and abandoning the Sinking
Fund altogether. Every man who knew any thing knew that
the Sinking Fund was now nothing. He feared that he should
not make such an impression upon the House as this inquiry
had made upon his mind. If he could, he was sure that they
would see the necessity of entering into the subject at once,
although it might lengthen the Session for six weeks or two
months. As he feared that he should not convey that impres-
sion to the House, he at least hoped that he should succeed in
persuading it, early in the next Session, to inquire into the
operation of the Sinking Fund, and the whole system of our
inance. lie concluded by moving the first resolution, which
, was as follows:

"That the national debt of Great Britain unredeemed, on
the sth of January, 1793, was. 239,350,143/. ; consilting of
.227,989,1481. of funded, and of 11,361,0001. of Exchequer Bills,
at an annual charge of 9,203,9741."
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that as
the House had not had an opportunity of examining the calm*
lations and statements of the Hon. 3lember, in the few obser-
vations he was about to submit, he wished to be considered as
neither admitting nor denying the accuracy of the figures. It
appeared that these resolutions were to form a basis for some
further measures which the Hon. Member proposed to intro-
duce in a future Session of Parliament ; he thought, therefore,
that-until they knew to-what the resolutions were intended to
lead, it would be better to adjourn any consideration of their

merits. He should, however, wish to-make a few observations
upon some general principles which pervaded the Honourable
Member's statement; and in doing so, he should class the sub-
ject tinder three distinct heads. The first would embrace the
:declaration of the Hon. Member, that a great saving would
- • have been effected, if, during the war, the expences of the coun-
try had been raised by war taxes from year to year. This propo-
sition was not new to •Paeliament. By a resolution entered on
their Journals in the year JBl2, it appeared that the principle
was r rcognised. But-snch a system must have its limits ; and it
' Was doubtful whether it would have been applicable to the ex-
- irnied expenditure which was afterwards mated by the pro-
, • tracted war. It aas adopoxl after the peace of Amiens ; and
he recurred to that with the more pleasure, on account of the
Minister of that day—those.exertions were made by Mr. Ad-
' -ditigton. To thiS part of the Hon. Member's propositions, lie
?Multi not in principle object. With regard to his opinions as
-to tete use of-the 'Sinking Fund in time of war, which formed
. ei'i'';'eecond head of the dbservations he intended to submit, the
Member had adopted the conclusions of Dr. Hamilton.—
But the general opinion of those most conversant with. the sub.
ject by practice was, that upon the whole very material advan-
' • twee was derived from the system which had been adopted.
-With respect to the third part of the subject, that which related
to the general conduct of the finances, he thought they should
Jae better able to enter upon .that discussion when the Honour-
, • able Member was prepared to state the plan upon which he
considered they ought to he conducted. In the meantime, there
were a few observations which he was desirous of making upon
this- head. The Honourable Gentle Man, in comparing the
•charge of the debt since the end of the war, appeared to have
lost sight of the saving which had been effected upon..the in-
terest of the unfunded debt. The interest at that time was
three millions, whereas it now only amounted to one. (Mr.
Hume intimated to the Right Hon.- Gentleman, that this re-
duction was accounted for in his 28th Resolution.)—The dimi-
, • mitibn in the unfunded debt was acknowledged, but not the
diminution of the charge to the amount of two millions. The
charge upon the funded debt was not materially diminished, but
As he-had before stated, there was a reduction upon the charge
of the unfunded, amounting to two millions. It must be ob-
vibus that this was the effect of the operation of the Sinking
Fund for it was that which had raised the f unds to a state at
which great financial measures had been accomplished with so
much advantage. Dr. Hamilton, from. whom the lion. Cen-
tlereanhadtaftert some of his opinionsa'and who said that the
operation of the Sinking Fund in time of war-was disadvantaa
geous, said also that a surplus beyond expenditure could not
be so beneficially 'applied- as to the reduction of debt. To the
acquirement of such a surplus, all their efforts had been three-
, ted; and the five millions which had'. been So acquired, was
• that which theflon. Gentleman now wished to take from them.
The lion. Gentleman seemed to imply, that he had some means
. of reducing debt withouta Sinking Fund. - But it appeared to
him to be one of those inventions which were more easily
airmnised than realized. The present system was sanctioned
and supported by • tire best. practical authorities, and by the
.common sense of the country. The Right lion. Gent. con-
eluded by moving ". That the further consideration of the Re-
• solutiOrt be adjourned to this day three months." •
Mr. Glt ENFELIa complimented his Hon. Friend upon the
able manner in which be had brought forward the subject ; but
he differed with him as to the-propriety of taking away the
inking Fund. With every respect for his opinion, he h..-
.lieved the present system for the -reduction of debt was the
.lest that could he adopted. But there was no part of his !lon.
•• • Friend's statement in which lie-more entirely agreed, than that
.- which related to the injurious operation of. the Sinking Fund in
time of war. He held in his.hand a set of Resolutions, which
,he had the luinour to•submit to the House in 1819, shewingthe
lass which had been sustained-upon the loans of the last four
years. As he considered that this subject would be fully dis-
cussed at a fiiture opportunity, and as he considered that his
Hon. Friend had brought it - forward merely to attract the no-
. lice of Parliament towards it, he should say nothing further
upon the present occasion, •excepting.to repeat his thanks for
the able manner in which it had heen brought forward.
, Mr. HUME replied, and. the postponement to that day three
months was carried without a division. ,
. `:IJA VERY. AT THE CAPE OF
.000 D HOPE.
Mr. WILBERFORCE rose to submit his motion for pre-
veeting the extension of the -Slave Trade in our Colonies in
. Southern Africa. His last motion was on a similar subject a
it was for an Address to his Majesty, to use his influence to ieta
duce foreigners,. to prevent the continuance of this traffic: The
. present mutton might be regarded as supplementary to that ;
for while we 'called • upon other Powers tosuppress the trade in
slaves, at was especially necessary that we should take mea-
sures for the prevention of it in our owniColonies. The_weight
.of taxation, And other causes, would no doubt occasion a good
.deal of emigration to -the wide territory which we had at the
Cape of Good Hope ; and from all the information that he was
in possession of, there was reason to -fear, that if Parliament
(lid not interfere, there• would be a great slave colony in that
searter. Now; ;whatever -might be the difference of opinion
with regard to slavery already established, no man would 'wish
to see it established anew in thoSe extensive dominions. Ori-
. ginally there were a.few settlers who had slaves ; and his oh-
,Je,ct was.-not-so itittolf:to: put an .end to these,- as to ward the
.settler:4 that they Were not to 'entertain any idea of using slaves.:
,It was, in short to pre-Vent The slave tradc--frool extending ,1
eft was trueathatad all the recent grants of land it had been a
specific-, partition- that ,they sboild. not be worked by slaves ;
,but such conditiona were apt to be lost sight of;. and this was.
;"'t,i)cciaily apt toba 'thtelise in a Colonyso remote,-so
peopled, an 4 in which civilization was,so little advanced.--
1.1 nere_waslidSoa•difficalty in applying- the- Bill of Registry,.
which had been: found so efficient in the West Indies. Ile.
wished it to, be understood in thit'Coloof that liberty was
tot:re the lean loci, and that slavery was to. be prevented 4, every
possible Means. With regard to the original settlers he'thOug.ht
it would be worth while for Government to.treat ithAlieni tor
.
the freed:nth bf" their -slaves. .With• 'regard-to t the -settlers, it
would be objerved that the .clause of settlement affected only.
'.slaves engaged. in the•cultivation of the soil, and. did not apply
todomestic slairciy, which, both. with regard to the' slave and
the ronster, waif. the most degrading and. demoralizing. It
might liappea that the, proprietor of an estate, worked by slaves,
was a:humane and liberal man, but this ..coulde not so well
lie the case where the master and slave lived under the same
roof.. The House ought to take measures, not only to prevent
the spreading of slavery at the Cape, but gradually to approxi-
mate its total abolition. The circumstances of • that country,
both with reapect to the countries on the land frontier, and
the proxirnify of Madagascar, gave facilities for the introduc-
tion of slave •, both by land and sea ; and though humane and
enlightened:Governors might do much to prevent the evil, yet
it was necessary that some legislative measures- should take
place. The lion. Member praised this coutitry as diffusing over
the world light and Christianity ; and called the attention of
the Moose to. the failing off that would be the result, if we were
to allow our Colonists to establish anew the 'traffic in human
' flesh,- and he eulogised the efforts which had been made by the
Governors of the 'Wands on the Indian Ocean, by those at the
Cape, and by Sir 11. Lowe, at St. Helena, for -promoting the
• liberty of mankind. He was happy to be enabled to state, that
he had been given to understand by the Hon. • .Gentleman op-
., locs4i.!, the Linder Secretary of the •Colonics, that it was in-
:coded to appoint Commissioners to go out to the Cape of Good
. Hone, and to inquire into the state of civilization there, as well
as into thestibiect of the importation of slaves anti the condi-
tion of the Colonies, and certainly never was inquiry more fle-
ecaaery. After a few observations more, relative to the situa-
tion of the Hottentots, and the propriety of relieving them from
their present state, by the advantages of freedom .and the ope-
rati:in of moral and
,religious instruction, the Hun. Member
concluded by moving the following Resolutions :
" That this 'House has leas ned with great satisfaction that his
Majesty's Government, with a just abhorrence of slavery and a
,poowideut dread of the evils which world result from its eaten-
eion, has made it a condition in the grants of land which it has
restontly allotted within the new Settlements of the-Colony of
tile Cape of Good Hope, that no slave labour should be em-
itloyed in their cultivation.
" Alao,,,:tbat his Majesty has established a Registry of the
awe Popalation.
" That,: nevertheless, from the great extent of the.. Colony,
f.pm its contiguity to countries whence slaves may, at
no dis-
tact periOd'abe easily procured ; from the remoteness of many
of the farOs that are scattered over its surface, and • from the
.ttainness oflhe population, the due execution of all laws enacted
for the goVernment of those countries, particularly those for
preventingahe illicit extension of Slavery, must rendered
arazeniely illfiicatit, more especially when self-interest shall
(aotpt powerfully to the violation of them.
'• That.the regulation, so justly introduced into the Colonial
aerants, aPplies only to•predial slavery, whereas -domestic sla-
very, while it is in itself at lealtatiegreat an evil; -wotild prove
a strong wmptation to the needy and indolent to procure
dmiges ftor their own use, and would operate with .a atillmore
pernicitioi influence on the feelings and habits dfatlib new
settler 4
!,t" That, as to the expediency of a Registry, the Troitsexan-
not but -fear that a Slave Registration fors° extensive a Colony,
compplaing thousands of square miles, where the plantatiops
as very thinly scattered, anti divided from each other by wiA.e
tracts of a desert and unpeopled country, cannot be so conati-
tilted and regulated, as -materially to check, much less effe6:
-wally to prevent, the fraudulent introduction of slaves, where
facilities 'exist for such introduction. •
" That it .cannot be necessary:for a British House .of Coin.
mons, in addressing a Briti.shetiovereign4. 'to enlarge on the
evils ofalayery. It is.universaay acknowledged to be an insti-
tution essentiallyodioni in its nature, baneful in; its moral and •
-political effects, and more especially repugnant to the spirit
-awl principles of our happy Constitution.. ••
•" That the continuance of -the state where it already existi
is sreconcilable.with those principles only-on the ground of