The Sun.
London, England, 1814-05-06 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE.

Lord GRENVILLE said, that teeling confident
that' no opposition Could be 'consistently made to
the motion which he proposed to submit', he should
not think it necessary long to occupy their Lord-
ships' attention. On former occasions he had
to apologise to the House for the extent of, the
exertion which he felt it his duty to Make, in or-
der to produce a general conviction of the justice,
the humanity, and the policy, which called, for the
abolition of that great practical evil, that deep
stain upon our' national' charater, the African
Slave 'Trade. But that conviction now existing.,
he had only to,propose the means of acting upon
it with
,effect: With that view, he should move
for an application to other States to co,overate in
that work- which this Country had so nobly com-
menced. When it was proposed to.make such an ap-
plication before the trade was abolished k ourselves
as some of those who opposed the abolition strong-
'. ly recommended, he could not subscribe' to the
propriety of the recommendation. Forbad aßritish
Minister then so applied, a foreign State might
well,answer, " If you arc convinced of the injus-
tice and impolicy of thit: traffic, why do you hot act
upon your own . conviction ? If the abolition
of such traffic be called for by religion, and
necessary to the safety of colonial possessions,
why do you not provide for your own fafety .hy
abolishing it at once ? and when you have done
so, you may then consistently, apply for -onir
concurrence and aid, with a view to that compre-
hensive abolition 'which you
,profess to desire."
Boy now tic, such address could be made to a Bri-
tish Minister, for he had it now in his power to
address to other Srates, not only the appeal of
humanity and' the force of argument, but theln-
fluence of exam; le ; for, discarding all those
doubtful, wavering apprehensions, which Were
conjured np' tO prevent us from doing ouri duty
until-other nations had done theirs, our Legisla-
ture-had aboliShed this odious 'trade, and we had
the consolation of thinking that we had (lone so
without producing any of .those consequences
which the opponents of abolition were so forward
to predict. Interest and policy had in fact been
found on the,side of justice and humanity ; for
our colonies, instead of being ruined, as was pro-
phesied, had been Most materially benefited, as
we had seen from the testimony of the agent of
these colonies: Thus art that had. been
,told,
that althoUgh the abolition of the Slave Trade
Mighl be humane : towards Africa, it would
be inhumanity towards the West Indies, had
proved utterly fallacious, and our colonies were
f0u1...) forward to render'thanks' to thel,e(!isla-
ture for the important benefits which the aboirttirin
had produced. The prophesy Of an injurious
ef-
feet upon our navy and- our commerce,so confi-
dently dwelt tipun by the opponents of the aboli-
tion, had turned out equally fallacioui ; for where
had such effects appeared ? On the contrary, at
whit period of our history had our navy been
more triumphant„ or our commerce more extend--
ed, than since the abolition ? That triumph and
extent had in fact arisen in consequence of the
abolition of the Slave Trade ; and he firmly be-
lieved, that-, under the protection of Providence,
we had become of late so eminently successful,
because -the Slave Trade was abolished. -Thus
we had found it not,only right but expedient to
get rid of this abominable Trade, and thiS Must
furnish an impressive lesson to those States with
whom lie proposed to negociate for its gene-
,ll,l renunciation. Upon such States we could
the more consistently call for concurrence in a
measure indisp.eusahly necessary to satisfy the uni-
versal law of humanity; and the unquestionable
claim of justice. In this call, he trusted that all who
had the power to enforce it would act unanimously.
That his Royal highness the Prince Regent would
exert his utmost influence to second the will of,
thej.4egiSlature, anti to promote the object of hu
Inanity, lie was fully assured. He had, indeed, no
idea is.hatever, that- any efforts in consequence of
the Address of that I-Lfuse would not he effectually
.used. It might be deemed invidious to mention
particular names on this occasion, but it would
not answer, the purpose-of his motion to deal in.
generalities:- The Slave Trade had, it was known,
through particular circumstances, been -practically
abolished in several countries of Europe ; and that
for some years it had been exclusively carried on -
by Spain and Portugal, or rather by Emtlith sub-
jects 'under,the cover of Spanish and Portuguese
flags.- Efforts, it would be recollected, had been
made to pit an end to this scandalous traffic ; and
the Prince Regent of the Brazils had actually
agreed, by special treaty, to concur with our Go-
vernment in its abolition. He (Lord G.) was ex-

• .' „
trtniely titZlTvijling to szy any thihg cirnny
Mate
.nr Sovereign, which might appear; in tni
tinliteentitiL; on the part of a.
her df the British Parlianienti but it ;kali due td
truth And the imperious call a ddiY; tif -State
Whidh excited his sorrow arid Stirprise, nanie.ll;
that the Goirernrdent of the Brazils not Only pz.s.
silted in the continuance of the iSlave'Tra'fle, Ica:*
at thii very Moment, or at the period of the latiit.
,intelligeriee, tell engaged iii Makings arrange=.
mentS to carry that Trade' to tin extent quili
shocking to contemplate. By an Edict of .tht-it
Government, dated ire &OVember last
he believed, the latest intelligence that had
rived), it appeared, that in eonseqnence of Ott:
great eXtent of the Brazilian territory, and .cOnipski.
rative scarcity of populatidn, it wat deteraiined
to idanolt number Slaves,, With a view to
work
.the mines and Cultivate the eartli—na.y.
metre, in order to establish Mantifacttfres. BttOi
a project ht could not view without paid add aS
tonishment. What to people the vast territory, of
the Brazils froni the ports of Africa; and that we'd .
an extraordinary attempt should tie nnitie against an
express treaty, and against the repeated wish of a
nation to which the Government that meditates it
owei -the protection of its dotniniobs. He could
not suppose it possible that such 'an Undertaking
would be tolerated--.--bat he felt most strongly,
that a very different language from that hereto-
fore. used must be addressed to the Portuguese
Goverment, in order to produce the renuncia-
tion, not only of this extensive projeCt of injus-
tice and inloinianity; but of- the African Slave
Trade altogether. .His Lordship observed, that
this was the most propitious moment for a mea-
sure of the present 'nature: Was it to be a mere
-nominal request, which they knew would be id-
, effectual, he trusted he should be spared the
pains, and the House the afiliction,_of so unpro-
fitable a measure. Requests had been already
madeof foreign powers, and stipulations had been
introduced into Treaties,' but they saw how un-
availing, when this abominable traffic was now
threatened to be carried on to a greater extent
than ever. Tt would therefore be, indeed, with
the greatest pain he should contemplate any
measure that could produce no better results,
nor could he reconcile it to himself, or to what
was due to their Lordships,. to propose a measure.
which: it must be known beforehand would be
effectual. Now, however, when the great lead-
ing Powers of Europe were assembled to establiih
Peace upon a basis. of justice- and liberality, when
they had displayed an admirable moderation, and
in their whole conduct evinced a desire to‘ im-
prove the situation of mankind, what better nao-
uncut could offer itself to lay before them a re-
quest to abolish for ever that iniquitous traffic its
the human species, which we could truly, and wish
a just pride,, say, we had set the example in 'de-
stroying. If they, by the Minh sanction. of their
united authority; declared against the conti»u.,
arse of this -abominable traffic, at least this good
would arise, that one, Power would scarely ven-
ture against such authority to .persist in. upholding -
this trade, njuch less in increasing so enOrmous'
an evil.. His Lordship concluded by moving an
Address to the• Prince Regent, -embodyipg _the
principal argumentative topics in his speech, and
supplicating his Royal Highness that the whole.
weight and influence of the British Crovtn may he
exerted in the pending negociations with the dif-
feteut Powers, in order to .-d in2re their doneur-
rence and co• operation in effecting an itnmediate
and total .abolition of that destrutive and inhu-;
man traffic---the African Slave Trade.

The Address was read frOin ,the I'VoolSack;:and
the question put, when it was voted by their Lord-
ships nemini d‘issentipite. •

lt was then ordered to be preientecl to the
Prince Regent in the usual manner, and the House
adjourned till to-morrow.

HOUSE or COMMONS.
Sir P. BURDErr presented a Petition from NiCholas Ham-
mond, who had been a contre.etur for Carpenter's Work, ac
to o Oarracks.oi the /stand of Jersvr • r

Mr. ROSE gave notice, that as the General Fishery Act
would expire before the end !) the present Sesaion, he stio:Ald:
take an early opportunity.of proposing to the Ho Ise the re-
.newal of that Act. ' 7

Mr. WYNNE gave notice, that he should more, yn
Thurs-
da next,•an Address to the Cruwn respecting Notway.
The. Slave Trade Ships Bill went ti.rongh the Committee,
and the. Report was to be brought up- to-morrow.
Mr. TAYLOR presented Petitions fruit), the Royal Btirgli of
Dysart;and other orougli Towns in Scotland, respecting the
Corn Laws.

These Petitions), together with those of some other Bp..
'mug-11s, were received, and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. LUSHINGTON; in a Coinmittee of the %%livid House,
moved. a Resolution for tithing off Certain War-Duties., which
likd been imposed ttpun the Manufactures and Preducevf
'Fratke aitd her Depeadt?licies, and for substituting other &ti-
tles in lien thereats.—The Resolutions Were 4g•reed to. s'
The' second rt:adint; of the Bakers Bill was iiostpuneditin
to-um:row three wee,.