The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-18 00:00:00

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I -
Committee should be appointed to exams V its lift
object. He admitted that gre it distresseV:lrkited.
the British West India Colonies, anck..decTi
t arose solely from the existence of a4v4ifiNe.iii,
t to be supposed that a system founded-- ota.sual":l;:.4o'./:‘
,ruelty, where man bad unlimited power over ..1athv7,7,i0A.',44
.nan, should exist much longer ? He appealed teAbe'fitlusktV.-.,
.yliether that cyst,--tri bad not now failed ?
iect of slavery was one which was but too wee Ire
known in every corner of the kingdom; and that
iris House should be the only place in which igno_
ance should prevail, was to him most aston shiug.
The Noble Earl opposite had complained of the Orders in
Council. He (Lord Suffield) must express his great
it.li2ation to his Itlaiesty's Gwernment for those, the onlY)
means that had been found for carrying into effec
tie tit inuinission of slaves. All the plans of firmer Go-
vernments to do so had been unsucessslul, from not knowing
the proper mode of carrying them into effect. The present
Government had, however, hit upon the secret. to exact
neans of enforcing that amelioration. It was true that
there were colonial legislatures in the West Indies ; but
still it was competent to the Government at home to ssy
to them, if they adopted certain regulations they sofild
receive such and such favours, but that if tteey refus.
to adopt them, they should be deprived of the benefit.
The papers on their Lordships' table shew,d the
spirit with which those legislatures received the
suggestions of his Majesty's Government. They
had resisted those suggestions, and repelled the ad-
vice of the Government, and must now take the conse-
quences. It was well known. the produce of the West
India colonies was always uncertain. In some seasons,
great wealth had been acquired ; while, in others, from
a failure of their crops, many persons had be- n ruined.
He, for one, would never give his consent to an inquiry
•nto that which was as plain to every vne as the sun at,

noon-day.
hark tiAREWOOD explained. lie never :fidj.eted td
the Orders in Council; but in his opil.ion "veto
certain parts of them which could not satiafactorily
carried into effect.

Lord GODERICH said he felt himself called upon to
address a few observations upon the sti:ject of this
more particularly in reference to the speech they
had first heard from the Noble Earl who introduced the
petition. It would, he had not doubt, be admitted that, in
respect to these colonies, their situation, and prospects, the
Government of this country were very delicately circum-
stanced, particularly with regard to the condition of the
slave population, and the prospect of its manumission,
whether voluntarily or compulsorily. It could not escape
the Legislature at home that a great degree of jealousy
existed as to the interference of Parliament, or the Govern-
ment here, in regulations or enactments Which it was sups
posed the local legislatures were perfectly competent Id
pass or issue with respect to the population over Which
they more especially presided. For eight years 10tethet
the Government had continued in a state of uncertalot
to what would be the issue of the deliberations of tiar
lonial legislatures; during which it became their duty,' ao
Ministers, to endeavour as much as possible to withdraw
themselves from the influence of parties interested, and to
steer clear of over-zealous advocates of the rights of hu-
manity, or the interested supporters of the present system
of slavery in the West Indies. It was strictly in accord-
ance with such a system that the Government, in 1823,
came forward to propose the resolutions then agreed to by
the Lower House, by which it was then agreed that it
was the duty of that House to endeavour to effect the ini-
provemeat of the slaves in our West India colonies, Whilst
they continued to be in a state of slavery, and to attempt'
finally to procure their liberation from slavery. Whatever
difficulty they had anticipated in the accomplishment of
the latter, even in the former it was found that the Legis-
lature and the Government was destined to he disap-
pointed. Their suggestions were disregarded, the direc-
tions of the orders issued in Council were not attended
solutionsatwop
a,
approbation
bn aad the
ti
oangroefdth
successful
teoeffubopyteffort Government
etrn was
the
ll obtainitiHeine
constrainedsoetrhpeo fafrucl at last
eemrnotnt.:
sanctionoh ea
apt
reeto
, d.:
rate as a stimulus to the colonial legi-latures, and include
them to comply with the Orders sent out by this Gtia
veroment. He would avoid, as much as possible, touch-
ing upon any topic which might give pain to persons or
to parties whose interests were concerned ; but he must
say that he did not think the course pursued by the co-
lonial legislatures, in consequence cf these Orders in
Council, was commensurate to the just expectations
of Parliament.—(Hear, bear.) It became thence neces-
sary that some additional inducement should be held out
to these colonial legislatures. The Noble Lord had ob-
jected that this additional inducement having been he:d
ut by Parliament, in the manner described, the Govern-
ment should have abstained from issuing an Older in
Council on the subject. He would remark, that it was
only by an Order in Council that the object could possi-
bly be attempted to be gained in those which were Crown
colonies, as theisamae-terined. Having been disappointed
in all theirexpectations, Government thought it advisa-
ble, in 1830, to issue an Order in Council to direct the
attention of the colonial governments to the improvement
and secure the welfare of the slaves. This was accom.
tianied by a despatch drawing their attention to the pro-
priety of appointing particular hours for labour in the
colonies, together with an adequate apportionment of food
And clothing, with other remarks, which would, if ex-
tended, form a complete code of slave regulations. Go-
vernment, it was known at the time, had never consi-
dered this as a final measure. They seemed to feel that
such was the give of things in the West Indies that they
could not and ought not either to stand still or retrograde.
It behoved them to make some progress towards the at-
tainment of the desirable objects contemplated by the
friends of humanity.—(Hear, hear.) Much needless
criticism had been pasted upon the unnecessary minute-
ness of details as to food and clothing, introduced into
this despatch, as if the proprietors of slaves had not
humanity enough to provide for the comforts
of their slaves, without the intervention of the
Government at home. If any fault, however, were
capable of being found, it would not be fair to put it to
the account of this despatch, because the regulations were
drawn up from a review of the existing laws on this sub-
lect, at Demerara and other places; so that it might be
said to be no more than a consolidating of a system which
nefore bad existence under the colonial laws in certain of
our colonies. The Government felt it would be necessary
to re-enact those points on the treatment of slaves, be-
cause all the prudent enactments had been abrogated. It
is the nature of uncontrolled power to be abused. This they
felt as his Majesty's advisers, and as the colonists had a
control over the liberty, and formerly over the life of their
slaves, they thought this power ought to be regulated by
law. To support this opinion, he quoted a law passed in
1824, apportioning to the slaves in the Bahamas both food
and clothes. Nothing had been done objectionable in all
the Crown colonies by Government. Indeed, it would
not be conclusive to a calm discussion of these topics if he
were to go into the minutia of heads of complaint which
there regulations were meant to meet. But as to the
propriety of these regulations he acknowledged he could
out persuade himself to believe that their expedi. ncy
ought to depend on proving to the letter all the enor-
mities and inhumanity alleged to exist in our treat-
ment of slaves still in the colonies. They were,
it was enough to say, founded on the natural ten-
dency of mankind to abuse all absolute power, and
the case of these poor slaves was, therefore, a fit
.übject for legislative interference. He had no objec-
tion to accede to the proposition of the Noble Earl to
Brant a Committee to inquire into the condition of these
..olonies. He was aware of the difficulties ender which the
alanters laboured, and that they were involved in debts
which they had no prospect of discharging. As Parlia-
ment had not recently inquired into this circumstance, it
was only right they should be subject to the investiga-
tion claimed, if they conceived such a course advisable.
For himself, were he a planter in the West Indies, lie
should much question the policy or prudence of calling for
•,
nu
intemperate
anpe r
ai
tneq ui ryt,
hastelest,and impatienceinstead of
of the British moderating the alleged
Parlia-
ment on the subject of the protracted continuance of
-lavery, they should draw down upon them ct nsequences
of a very different description. He felt, however, dispssed
ro wave his preconceived opinion, and to offer no oppo-
sition to the Committee proposed by the Noble Earl who
introduced the subject.—(Hear, hear.) As to the feelings
of Government and of himself, were he to form a part
of that Committee, their only object would he the pursuit
and elucidation of truth. But of this he must state him-
self advisedly convinced, that nothing in the world could
Possibly be worse for that great interest than, in advocating
the cause of their property, to attempt to shut out in
the deliberation the great considerations of the neces-
sity of justice and humanity in the treatment of
heir slaves. He would not anticipate ; but one result, he
trusted, would follow from such an investigation, that the
colonial legislatures would begin to think it was no longer
wise to defer the adoption of the regulations suggested by
Government, without which they roust ever be subject to
frequent gusts of violence, which would from time to time
sake their interests and their property to its very foundation.
Several Noble Lords rose at the same time ; but there
Was a call for
Lord SEAFORD, who began by observing, he always
addressed their Lordships with great reluctance ; but he
could not avoid, in the present melancholy state of distress
in which the West Indians were plunged by the measures
of Government, making one or two remarks en the argil.