The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-30 00:00:00

but they have dragged me into it; I cannot help it. I should
not h,ve said a word. if they had not forced me-into a prema-
unseasonnble discussion ; hut, my Lo dc, I owe it to
that measure which I have so long advocated-1 owe it to my-
self—l owe it to the peace of the colonies, and to the

prosperity and safety of the planters themselves above all
other interests I owe it—not to withhold my ob-
servation. I have great confidence in the peaceful
disposition of the negroes. That confidence I feel
because it is founded upon long experience of their quiet
and patient demeanour. Show me anywhere all over the
world a race of men who could have borne as much as they
have for ages borne, with hardly a murmur and scarcely an
outbreak in their history ! Upon this history of the negro—
his hard fate—his long and cruel sufferings—his unex-
ampled demeanour under those sufferings—his patience, far
exceeding the patience of the sons of men ordinarily in
other countries—upon this character of the negro, so at-
tested by all his conduct in all ages, I build my hope that
he will continue peaceable to the end. But, my Lords, lam
not the man to say that even the negro will continue
peaceful
under all circumstances, and when the cup
of disappointment is filled to the overflowing. He has
now known that for the last six months an unexampled
fervour of public feeling has been excited in his favour.
He is as well acquainted as you are with all that has been
going on in England, Scotland, and even now in Ireland.--
( Hear, hear.) He knows that the feelings of the people of
England have been roused, their opinions formed, taken,
and loudly expressed, and his hopes are directed to one point,
that of his ceasing to be in chains at all on the Ist August,
1838. To that day his hopes are pointed, his feelings are
directed, his expectations are fixed. If on that day, after the
unanimous voice of the people of this kingdom has been ex-
pressed so loudly, so universally, so unremittingly •for his
emancipation on that day, and if he, knowing as he does the
universality and earnestness of that expression, shall still be
kept in chains, my belief is, that he will still continue patient,
that lie will still refuse to join in the breach of the peace,
but I have a confident expectation that the hoe will fall from
his hand, and that if he works then he will work by compul-
sion, and by compulsion alone. My opinion, therefore, is,
that you have not a choice—that it is no longer optional with
you ; and that now that the general voice has fixed that day
for the cessation of negro bondage, it is as much as the
prosperity—l do not say the peace—but as much as the pros-
perity of the West Indies is worth, to delay it eight-and-forty
hours longer.
The Earl of WINC HIL SE A said, it was his confident
opinion that some preparatory steps must be taken previous to
the expiration of the apprenticeship system ; and he should
say that some Act ought to pass for the purpose of giving the
negro population, when they became free, a legal claim for
support on the colonies in the shape of a Poor-rate. With
respect to the question of compact with the planters, he cer-
tainly could not but consider that there was a fair and honest
compact entered into by the Legislature of this country with
the planters ; and that if that compact were violated, he could
conceive what confidence could ever be placed in any Act of
the Legislature.
The Marquis of CL ANRICARDE said that if any alte-
rations were effected in the original provisions of that Bill, it
wits the result of the deliberation of Parliament, and not of
any compact with the Assembly or the planters of Jamaica.
That Act was passed by the wisdom of Parliament, and by the
wisdom of Parliament it might be altered.
Viscount MELBOURNE said that, considering the im-
portance of the question to which the petitions before the
House referred—considering the intimate acquaintance with
all the hearings of that subject possessed by his Noble Friend
behind him—it was not surprising that his Noble Friend ( Lord
Seaford) should have gone more at length into the question—
that he should have entered more fully into the argument, or
dervered his opinion with greater fullness, than was usual upon
occasions of that nature, and upon the presentation of petitions
to the House. And whilst he said this he by no means denied
that his Noble Friend having done so did impose upon the
Noble and Learned Lord who followed him the duty of meet-
ing the views that he had put forward, and addressing the
House, more at length than he might otherwise have done. The
only inference which he should at present draw from what had
that evening occurred, was the total impossibility of setting
aside Wednesday, as had been proposed, for the presentation of
petitions, for it was evident that as important discussions might
arise on the presentation of petitions as in any other form of dis-
cussion in which questions were presented to the House. The
Noble and Learned Lord had adverted to his ( Viscount Mel-
bourne's) absence from the House yesterday, but on that point he
could assure the Noble and Learned Lord that his absence had
not arisen from any disrespect to their Lordships, or to the
Noble and Learned Lord, or from any disrespect to the nume-
rous body of the petitioners ; but from finding that he had
made engagements and appointments for that day, and the
Noble and Learned Lord was himself sufficiently able to under-
stand the nature of those engagements, and the reason for his
( Lord Melbourne's) absence on that occasion. He did not
yield to any one in anxiety for the amelioration and improve-
ment of the condition of the negro, and for that advancement
in morals which would be so conducive to that improvement.
He did not yield in anxiety to any one in a sincere desire to see
the negro prepared for that great change in his condition which
the termination of the apprenticeship would produce. But
whilst he entertained those feelings with respect to the amelio-
ration of the condition of the negro, he could not help enter-
taiiiing very great apprehension at the consequences that
might arise from precipitating and hastily entering upon
any measure, with a view to the immediate termina-
tion of apprenticeship. He was not surprised at the vehe-
mence and strength of feeling that appeared to exist on
this subject, but whilst he admitted that he entertained no
surprise that such a feeling should generally exist, he cer-
tainly admitted that he was surprised at the quarters from
wliich such hasty and precipitate proceedings were recom-
mended. The Noble Lord ( Lord Brougham) had read a
letter from a Noble, and Learned, and respected Friend of his
( Lord Melbourne), whose name had been mentioned in terms
of by no means exaggerated praise, and in which letter the
opinions of the Noble and Learned writer, to whose authority
he gave all due weight, was stated to be that no compact had
been entered into between the Legislature of this country and
the planters. He thought it quite possible that if the question
hid been presented to that eminent individual as a lawyer that,
not finding any person who could be legally a party in such
contract, or to whom a warrant of attorney could be executed
(as we understood the Noble Lord), his Noble Friend might
have come to such an opinion. But if the question had
been presented to his Noble and Learned Friend as a casuist
he might find argument to bring him to a different conclusion.
However, his (Lord Melbourne's) opinion was that a fair and
clear understanding had been entered into that a particular
advantage should be guaranteed to the West India planter to
compensate him for the risk to which he was to be exposed by
the great experiment about to be carried forward. He had
no doubt that such had been entered into, and the whole
language of Parliament, from that time to this contributed to
confirm that interpretation. On this point he would call their
Lordships attention to the report of a Committee of the
'
House of Commons in 1836, which stated that though great
abuses had been sheen to exist yet that the Committee saw
no reason for abridging the term of apprenticeship as set-
tled by law The Noble and Learned Lord had asked
what preparations had been made for the approaching emanci-
pation of the negroes? On this point the Committee to
which he had alluded had said in their report that no prepara-
tions should be made with respect to the termination of the
apprenticeship in 1840 because the measures taken would
he more effectual and founded upon more experience if
they were deferred until the time of the final emancipation of
the negroes, and if the measures preparatory to the final enian-
cioation of the negroes had been delayed they had only been
delayed in conformity to the recommendation of the Committee
and some of the members of which Committee were men who
entertained the utmost anxiety respecting the interests of the
negro, and were ranked amongst the sincerest friends to his
emancipation. He thought it would not only be hard on the
planters, but dangerous to the Colonies and injurious to the
negroes themselves, to do that without preparation which
the House of Commons itself in the Report of its Committee
had distinctly declared ought not to be done. It would be un-
just to visit the, whole body of the population of the island for
the default of the House of Assembly, and for that which the
House of Assembly, alone had power to remedy and supply.
This was a question of injustice. The breach of contract,
though it might be unjust partially and locally, was nothing
compared with the danger of the success of the ultimate mea-
sure, and the injury which they would do to the negroes
themselves if they hurried on a measure for which the negroee
were unprepared. He did not think it would be wise to inter-
rupt the present proceedings. They were not unmixed with
evil, but on the whole they were going on prosperously, and he
had every reason to hope would lead to a happy and auspicious
termination. It was one of the greatest experiments that
ever was tried by a nation.--( Hear.) If they achieved suc-
cess he did not hesitate to say that it would be the greatest ex-
ploit that ever was achieved by any nation, and, therefore, ho
besought them, fur God's sake, to he continuous in their
exertions and not to mar their own object by haste or pre-
cipitation._( Hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM said that the Report of the Com-
mittee to which the Noble Viscount had referred had given
anything rather than satisfaction. It said " Don't begin your
preparations too soon ; wait till you come within six months
of the year 1840." Well, but they were now within six
months of August, 1838, when the non-predials would be
emancipated.
Earl ST. VINCENT said that the House of Assembly in
Antigua took twelve months for preparing their apprentices to
become free ; and as a proof that the negroes both there and
in other islands had be refitted by the preparations already
'marl', he had himself found that they were now disposed to
accept wages for their labour during that portion of the time
whici the Emancipation Act gave them ; whereas they would
.not work for wages during those hours at the commencement
of their apprenticeship. This was a proof that the time of
'aPnrenticeship had been valuably employed. As to the ex-
citement that prevailed on this subject, if the Government of
this country did its duty to the colonial authorities, he had no
fear on earth of any bad effects resulting from what was called
"ei!ereent. It had been given out (he meant not to insinuate
anything against any one) that this excitement had been pro-
moted, in order that it might be made use of as an argument
in favour of this premature kind of emancipation.
Lord BROUGHAM said that if time Noble Earl was cor-
rect in the fact he had stated, namely, that the House of As-
sembly had taken twelve months for preparation, he would
suggest to him the propriety of moving for a return of all the
Acts passed in Antigua from the year 1834 up to last year.
This would have a very important bearing on the 13111 which
he ( Lord Brougham) had introduced.
The petitions were then laid on the table.
The Marquis of L NSD 0 WNE presented a petition from
the Dissenters of Hackney, bearing among others the name of
a most eminent person ; he meant Dr. Pye Smiths. The
prayer of the petition was, that their Lordships would adopt
such measures as should be effectual for guarding the negroes