The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-20 00:00:00

for it was boli vcd by them it Would tend to increase rint
Ert:lsh ttede winch s.rved to diminish, or to the ex-
Cr_ation absolutely of the slave trade. The mere rea-
ter•:ds they were about to purchase wer3 equal to the
money value that was about to b 3 given for them.
Then the lend was favourable to the produc-
tion of cotton. The trade wns iticressmg, on that
coast.—(hear.) The return of British inat,ufactures
exported to the west coast of Africa was in value as
follow:—in 1844, 421,0001.; in 1847, 518,0001.; in
1848, 1i71,0001. lie btlieved that the revenue raised
would meet the whole of the annual expenditure. This
would not be done by high, but by duties so low as
sufficient to deter the practices of the smuggler. One
of the chiefs of that coast declared that he found his
trade by slaves was diminished, as his subjects preferred
directing themselves to the peso& ill pursuit of industry,
and acquiring profits of trade.—(hear, hear.) He said
that " his people were betting; rich and setting his as-
thority at defiance."—(hear.) This showed the value
of extending their ferts, which were not military for-
tresses, but stations fur carrying on trade, and effarding
protection to British subjects and natives. In these
placei it was not proposed to have a white force, but a
native force. As to the growth of cotton in toeir pos-
sessions, it was to be remaiked they had hitherto dis-
c ,uraged it by the high protecting duties they had given
for sugar. And he was sure the 10,000/. now proposed
would do far more for the growth of cotton than by
sending commissions to India. On these grounds he
trusted the Committee would sanction thevote.

Colonel THOMPSON was confident that he spoke
the sense of his constituents by giving his support to this
vote, as it appeared to him calculated to increase the
trade of this country. There was a rampant hostility
against this country in other parts of the world, and that
might be detected in America, amongst those who were
descended from the slave-drivers, who originally found
refuge in their country, and were far diff.retit from the
descendants of those great men who had gone over from
this country, because the country was not worthy of
them. Under these circumstances, if Great Britain did
not take advantage of the opportunity of playing off free
Africa and free countries, wherever they existed, against
that surging power that was destined perhaps to occupy
the whole of South and North America, she would
greatly injure her own interests. He objected to any
prejudice on account of colour. Englishmen would
not be anything the worse fir a little of the infusion
of the blood of Ham.—(Great laughter.) He com-
plained that so little had been done iu the way of
employing the natural. born inhabitants, in protecting
their settlements, and extending their commerce eon
their power. Ho thought the British merchants ought
to be competent judges of whether the expenditure
would or would not be attended with beneficial results;
and, in the present case, they bad given their approval to
the proposition submitted by the Government.
Mr. M. GIBSON said there was one point of the an-
swer of de Hon. Gentleman the Under Secretary fur the
Colonies which he did not distinctly understand—
namely, the tariff of duties that was to be imposed; be-
cause it would appear that the large revenue that was to
be derived from the trade with Africa was to be obtained
by taxing the free negroes. He contended that they had
no right to impose any tax upon these parties. He did
not think that the abolition of the slave-trade would ever
be accomplished by coercion; end he should therefore
give his vote in favour of the amendment of his Hon.
Friend.
Mr. CARDWELL took a review of the slave ques-

tion, illustrating his argument by reference to the map,
of Africa, and contended that it would not only be pre-
judicial to Liverpool, but also to Manchester, to refuse to
obtain possession of that part of the Gold Coast, which
would complete their territory. Unless they cut off, and
completely put down the slave trade, they would cut off
their own power of export, for their export must neces-
sarily be curtailed and incomplete so lung as the slave
trade was suffered to exist. He was sure the Right
Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Milner Gibson) would
agree with him, notwithstanding the facetious remarks
in which the Hon. Member indulged, that the sooner the
nefarious traffic in the slave trade was suppressed, the
better ; and if they wanted to put down slavery—if they
wanted to promote Christianity, and to serve the inte-
rests of humanity, he asked them with what consis-
tency they could object to the proposed vote of 10,0001,
which was to be devoted towards the carrying out of
those objects.
Mr. VERNON SMITH said, whatever opinion he
might arrive at with respect to this Tote, he wished to
offer his humble meed of approbation to her Majesty's
Government for the candid spirit in which they ap
preached this question. He should be the last to treat,
and to treat lightly, so momentous a question as the ex-
tension of Christianity; but it appeared to him that this
was less a matter of proceeding by moral influence than
it was one 'Of extending our colonial empire by force of
arms in every part of the world, and of increasing our
military expenditure for that purpose. The papers on
this subject contained all the arguments which had ever
been urged in favour of the expediency of our colonial
ascendancy, and it struck him, notwithstanding anything
that had been said to the contrary, that this was really
the object, let them disguise it as they might, which they
contemplated. He must say that in his opinion it was
most inexpedient of this country to avail itself of every
opportnnity which offered for extending the British ter-
ritory; and it was for those reasons that he should vote
with the Hon. Member for the W6st Riding, in opposi-
tion to the proposed vote.
Sir E. BUXTON said that when the question of our
expenses on the Gold Coast of Africa were being
spoken of, it should be recollected that we already had a
colony there. It appeared from a correspondence which
had passed between the Foreign Office and Captain
Winniett, that the effect of this purchase, so far from
adding to our expenditure, would enable us to dispense
with a ccn.iderable portion of it. He confessed he was
greatly astonished at the statement of the Right Hon.
Gentleman the Member for Manchester, when he said
he was entirely opposed to the system of taxing the in-
habitants which was still in force on that coast. He had
no hesitation in giving his support to the vote.
Mr. ANSTEY called upon all those who were opposed
to the gre vest blunder ever committed by any Adminis-
tration—the maintenance of a fleet on the African coast
to put down the slave trade by force—to oppose all votes
like the present, which, by maintaining establishments
on the coast, directly promoted the continuance there of
the squadron to protect them.
Mr. BRIGHT was anxious to make two or three
observations, because, after many other excuses had
failed, the interests which he was supposed to re-
present were dragged in as a justification for
the purchase of these forts. lie agreed with the
Right Honourable Member for Northampton that
this was neither more nor less than the old excuse for
planting colonies in every part of the world on the
ground of advancing trade, civilization, and Christianity.
He did not attach much weight to the authorities which
had been referred to, of Liverpool and Manchester mer-
chants, for he knew that there were a few merchants
everywhere who were not more enlightened than other
people. He certainly protested against the Chamber of
Commerce at Manchester being quoted in support of
such views. The proposition, as connected with cotton,
led him to the consideration of what was done in India.
They had conquered India, but what bad they done in
the way of cultivating cotton? But cotton had always
been brought forward when some political job of this
kind was in contemplation, and it was sufficient to refer
to the conduct of the Government with respect to the re•
cent motion made by him (Mr. Bright) for an inquiry,
to test their sincerity in the matter. He repudiated the
scheme on his own behalf and that of those whom he re-
presented, and believed that if it should be carried out
they would not get 100 bales of cotton from Africa in the
next fi!ty years. On these grounds he would support
the amendment of his Hon. Friend the Member for the
West Riding of Yorkshire.
Sir DE LACY EVANS opposed the amendment. He
considered the vote intimately connected with the sup-
pression of the slave trade.
Mr. HUTT agreed in the views expressed on the
question by the Hon. Member for the West Riding. He
looked upon the proposal as another of those costly and
unfortunate experiments by which the people of the
country had been so long deluded into imagining that
they were magnanimously suppressing the slave trade.—
(Hear, hear.) What was the result at which they had
arrived after thirty years' experience? They arrived
at the conclusion to which the Duke of Wellington and
Mr. Canning carve in 1822, that it would be welt for the
cause of humanity if none of those experiments were
undertaken.—(Eltar.) The Under-Secretary for the
Colonies had said, that although they had failed with
regard to other cases, in this they were to be successful.
He did not doubt that the Hon. Gentleman believed what he

expressed, but he would whisper in his ear that persons
as honest as himself, not less sagacious, and as much
experienced on the subject as he could be, had predicted
success for every one of those experimentr,, as they Imd
arisen, by which this system bad been protracted to the
present year. They had failed, and he could not see
how they could prove that this plan should succeed.—
(Ilt.ar, hear.) The slave trade was now as extensive,
and carried on with circumstances of as great horror a 4
at any former period. It was but six weeks ago he had
been informed by the President of the Brazilian Associa-
tion at Liverpool, that the slave trade was carried on as
actively as ever, and that slaves were now sold in the
markets of Brasil at a lower price than ever. What,
then, was the value of their contract?—(Haar, hear.)
Unless they were prepared hermetically to seal the
entire coast-line, no good could be done by occupying a
few isolated points. He saw in this measure the com-
mencement cf a system of national aggrandisement and
lavish expenditure which might lead to very deplorable
consequences. He could not sit down without en-
tering his strongest protest against the course which the
Government had resolved to pursue.
Viscount PALMERSTON said the question had risen
to an altitude disproportionate to its merits. One party
said it would establish the dominion of England in Africa,
in the same manner as in India; another that it would
promote the slave trade; another that it would do some-
thing else. The only one who took a practical view of
the question, however, was his Hon. Friend the Member
for Gateshead, who advocated an agreement between
England and Brazil for the purpose of a limited and
modified slave trade. _ .

Mr. lIUT T said the Noble Lord had misrepresented

him.

Viscount PALNIERSTON said that at all events his
Hon. Friend imagined that this country should cense to
make further efforts to suppress the slave trade; hot if
he was not deceived, he had not only argued in public,
ably, as was his custom, but in private also, that this
country should have a regulated slave trade. If his Hon.
Friend did not entertliin that opinion, it was his
(Viscount Palmerston's) mistake, and ho begged his
pardon.

Mr. BUTT said he had advocated no such doctrine.
Viscount PALMERSTON was bound to yield to his
lion. Friend in that case. But his lion. Friend had
asked, where, after the long and costly endeavours made
by England to suppress the slave trade, was the success
of those efforts? Ile (Viscount Palmerston) would
answer him. In 1845 the utmost that it was considered
could be accomplished by :,the combined., powers was to