The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-23 00:00:00

'INLAND REVENUE BILL.

Earl GRANVILLE moved the second reading of this
Bill.

After a few worth from Lord BROUGHAM, the
motion was agreed to.
SLAVERY.

The Bishop of OXFORD rose to move the appoint-
ment of a Select Committee to consider what mea-
sures should be adopted for the suppression of the
African slave trade. lie believed the motion would not
be opposed, but he felt bound briefly to state the reasons
which had induced him to bring forward this motion.
England bad, of late years, become aware of the enor-
mity of her guilt towards the African race, and as she
had set the example of guilt, so she had determined
to set the example of repentance, and to endeavour to
induce other powers to join her in putting down the
slave trade. But of late there had been an apathy
existing on the subject in this country. It was easier to
make a great sacrifice than to continue pursuing a course
of duty which at first sight might appear to be attended
with pecuniary loss. The tone of the press on this sub-
ject was an unmistakeable proof of the existence of this
apathy, and therefore he moved for this Committee. He
desired to see the maintenance of the blockading squadron,
for according to evidence of the witnesses examined in
another place, with the exception of those witnesses who
had been or were engaged in the slave-trade, it appeared
that in proportion to the efficiency of the squadron was
the success; of the efforts to suppress the slave trade.
That squadron in 1842 and 1843, had all but succeeded
in suppressing the slave trade, and it was only in conse-
quence of the cessation of those exertions, in conse-
quence of orders from home, mistaken orders
as he thought, that the trade had revived.
He wished a Committee to inquire into those
matters, and to devise measures for carrying out the
greatest act of justice which a nation had ever under-
taken to execute. The apathy of the public at present
was owing entirely to a forgetfulness of the details of
the horrid traffic, and if such details were again brought
Prominently forward, the public attention would again
be directed to the subject, and the country would be as
loud as ever in its protests against the commission of this
horrible iniquity. It was one thing to consider the ques-
tion of the slave trade to the Brazils abstractedly,
and another to contemplate the horrors which each indi-
vidual African suffered during the passage. If these
horrors were brought prominently before the public
the public feeling would again be excited against these
horrible atrocities. It was a fearful thing
to have avowed a determination to redress these evils,
and then to be deterred from using the means which
God had given to destroy this system of iniquity, on
the ground of expense. So long as the slave
trade existed in Africa the introduction of lawful
traffic would be impossible. They had it is evidence
that the slave trade was the most lucrative
traffic under the sun, and that so far from having
a tendency to wear itself out, it would increase.
The supply at Brazil was inadequate to the
demand, and there were hundreds, thousands of
acres of virgin soil which might be brought into profit-
able cultivation if there were an adequate supply of
slaves. The slave trade would therefore, if left
to itself, increase, rendering all legitimate trade im-
possible, and tending to keep the interior of Africa
in a frightful state of demoralization. He felt that
England had given a great stimulus to slavery by
opening her ports to slave-grown sugar. In doing that
she committed a great crime, and entangled herself again
in the difficulties of the abominable traffic which she
had abolished. He believed that those who proposed
the act were ignorant of the effect which it would pro-
duce, but as it had produced the effect, he called upon
them not for the sake of a miserable saving in the price
of sugar to encourage this evil, and to join with him in
adopting measures to prevent the recurrence of
this evil. If they refused they would fall
from the. high principles by which they
had hitherto been actuated, and if in such a great matter
as this England abandoned in the face of heaven and
earth her high principles, she would bring upon herself
that chastisement which Providence always inflicted upon
delinquent nations. Those who believed in our maritime
strength, when they saw us abandoning our efforts did
not believe we were serious in our desire to supress this
trade; and those who saw we were bailed by those
smugglers and pirates ceased to have faith in our ma-
ritime omnipotence.—(Cheers.)
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, in assenting to the
motion, c:sild nut agree in the opinion expressed by the
Right Rer. Prelate, that any alteration had taken place in
public opinion with regard to this subject. Public opinion
was unanimous in the desire to suppress the trade,
but there were doubts entertained as to the efficacy of
the measures adopted for its suppression, and, therefore it
was that he thought the inquiry proposed by the
Right Reverend Prelate would be of the greatest
possible service.—(Hear.) The invention of steam
had introduced a new element into the consideration
-of this question, and it would be well that the Com-
mittee should inquire into its effects. This alone would
justify the appointment of this Committee, which, he
was convinced, would recommend such measures as
would enable England to carry out those high prin-
ciples by which she had been actuated.
The Earl of ABERDEEN was glad that this inquiry
was to be instituted, because he believed he was mainly
responsible for the increase in the blockading squadron.
When he entered office in 1841 about eight hundred men
were employed in this service; when he quitted it,
in 1846, there were three thousand men employed.
There had been several barracoons destroyed by the men
of our squadron, and in several instances the Govern-
ment had had to make compensation to subjects
of France and America for destroying their
property—(Hear, hear)—and consequently instruc-
tions were sent to the officers that they were
not justified in destroying the property of neutrals, un-
less they had permission of the African Chiefs and
Kings. These were the orders to which the Right Rev.
Prelate had alluded, and which merely impressed on the
officers the necessity of observing the laws of nations,
It was a mistake to call this a blockade, as it was not a
blockade in the ordinary sense of the word. He had no
doubt but that the effect of that letter in increasing the
trade had been greatly -exaggerated, although he
did not doubt but that the publication of those in-
structions had produced a very injurious effect in Africa.
With respect to this so-called blockade, we were
not altogether free agents, because we were bound
by treaty with France to maintain a certain amount of
force, and perhaps the Goverment would find some
difficulty in getting the treaty renewed; for he
believed that none but the firma and virtuous Minister
who then ruled France would have ventured
to have entered into it, and as it was, such was the feel-
ing it excited in France, that it nearly led to his over-
throw.
Lord STANLEY desired, as strongly as the Right
Reverend Prelate could do, to see the utter extinction
of the slave trade, but he thought the Committee
would fail in its duty if it did not examine
into the causes which militated against the success of the
squadron; more particularly should the Committee in-
quire into the causes which had led to the immense
increase which had taken place in the traffic from 1846
to 1849. Notwithstanding the vigilance of that squadron,
they had more than neutralized the effects of thesquadron
by the increased stimulus they had given to the slave-
trade by their alteration ie the sugar-laws, and be
trusted the Committee would examine into, and report
upon the sauces of the increase of the trade during the
years 1846, 1847, and 1848.
Earl GREY thought that the speech of the Noble
Lord would greatly diminish the value of his labours as
a member of the Committee. Here was a motion fur
a Committee of Inquiry, and the Noble Lord, with his
usual hastiness, jumped to a conclusion as to the subject
upon which the Committee was to inquire. For himself he
was convinced that the measure of 1846 was a wise mea-
sure, that it had not led to the results which the Noble
Lord stated it had and when the proper time of
discussing it should come he would be perfectly ready
to justify it. ;He had also a complaint to make of
the Noble and Learned Lord (Brougham), who,
during his absence, and when told he was coming,
had thought proper to indulge in severe remarks on
recent occurrences in Ceylon. go protested against the
conduct of the Noble and Learned Lord, as most unjust
to the Governor of Ceylon and to the Government. in
bringing forward this matter incidentally without notice.
If the Noble and Learned Lord would give notice of a
motion, and bring it forward in a regular manner, he
should be obliged to him for raising the discussion.
Lord BROUGHAM said that, as the Noble Lord was
absent when he made his remarks, the best thing he
could do was to re-state them, and they were thesee—.
"That I abstain at present from bringing the conduct of
the Governor of Ceylon before the House. That my
reason for doing so was, that proceedings which had
been adopted elsewhere might possibly, and I fondly
hoped would, end in explanations of that conduct. That
if they did not end in satisfactory explanations of that
conduct, there was an additional reason for the postpone-
ment. as then their Lordships might peradventure be
called upon to exercise otherfunctions than those of their
legislative functions in regard to the Governor of the
colony of Ceylon." Those were his words, and he defied
any one to read the Blue Book of the Government, where
the facts in regard to Ceylon were detailed, and say that
they could have spoken under so suppressed feelings.
The Noble Earl however need not despair, as he might
rest assered that, if spared, he would not fail to give
him notice of a motion on the subject. As to the
appointment of this Committee of Inquiry, 'he had no
objections to it, although, as regarded himself, he had
all the information he wanted on the subject. The
Noble Earl had complained of the Noble Lord (Stan-
ley's) characteristic impetuosity. No doubt they all
had their characteristics. The Noble Earl had his; and
as ho was in a humour to confer favours on the Noble
Earl, ho would say to-night the Ngble Earl had come '