Star.
London, England, 1807-02-07 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE.

The Houfe refolved itielf into a Committee on the
Bill for abolifhing the Slave Trade. The preamble
having been poflponed,
Lord GRENVILLE faid, with refpeel to filling
up the blanks in the Bill, that the time which he in-
tended to propofe as the period for the Abolition of
this Trade, might, perhaps, appear fomewhat at va-
riance with that eager defile which the Houle had
expieffed for the Abolition, but the gratification ari-
ling from the near profpat of at length carrying into
eflea this great meafure, would, perhaps, induce
Them to give way, in a fmall degree, to circum-
(lances, and not to in(iit upon an Abolition to take
place immediately. He propofed that the time to
he fixed for the Abolition of the Trade to the Weft
Indies ;Mould be the ifl of January, 1808, but that
the period after which no (hips engaged in the trade,
fhould clear nut from the ports of this country,
thould be the 1 fl of M-;y in the prefent year. His
ob]e6l in propoilrg thefe periods was, that the veffels
at prefent cngazeed in the Trade thould have a fair
epportanity of clearing not from the putts of this
country, previous to the tit of May next, and after.
ward, of taking in their lading in the ports of Africa,
and of carrying their cargoes to Coe Well Indies,
previous to the at of January, 8c).1. A 3 it might
happen, however, that from nnavuidr.ble circum-
(lances Come .vetris might nrt be ;:ble to complete
their cargoes on the Coafi of Africa, fo as to carry
them to the Welt Ihdies previous to that peri.al, he
itotnAPO to fUhnint to the Committee a roviro for
the purprfe ot :a-dotting veifels under.foch circum-
fiances, to trade to the Weil Indies a itlotheir carnoes.
The blauks were up in cc:lto:Liu with hishis
Lot-Olio's opoiltions.
The Earl of HA RLWICK doubted whether the
Provifions Of the Lill would net interfe,e with the
teeruitieg f,:r his Ma;:tely's fervice in the Vs'ett Indies. I
Lord U RENV I LLi:: was ot obi irnt ti e Tee;
•i.tg would not he atlected by the Bill, as Fie:men,
and not SlaTeF, were the ohjeas of recrol:ing.
Lrrd REDE.SI)ALE. trineited, that as the Bill
was at pi efent win Lied, it might he conariurd to ex-
tend to prevent tile. Trade on the C.Daii of Africa
from being carried on after ere ill of May next,
which was evidently not the chjed el the framer. of
the 1311.
Lord GRENVILLE faid, a doubt of that nature
h jui been loggtlied to him, and he though: it
dierved otlidct.ttisism, as the timitati.n of t!:e in of
Nlay was certainly erly intruded to apply to the
clearing cut from the ports of :his country. It it
was fund to he uecaiilny, an explana“ t y claufe
might be in•rodUcc.l in a future Ilage of the Bill.
(hurt cons/cif:6,J, alfo trek place bet waen Lord
Redeldale aid Lr:rd Gr mei:le, the firmer Noble
Lord c nzeivitig that the Bill night he ermilrued
extend to our poil..ilions in the Fait Ird:es, and to
our faflories in .ilia Minor, Lotd Grenviiie ol,ferv-
e-.4, that nu Slaves had been imported to either
forne tints. Ile wa, aware, however; *thet both in
the Eall and in A fia Minor, there were n any
Chriiiiitos who kept a :lumber cf. S:Avcs, but bc..t!id,

not conceive that this Bill; iuld be eonflrned to ex
t.nd fo'sas. tn. ittjure them in their property. kit
would;.hovevcr; tain confider the Itabjeft, and, it
neceffary, ,a.claufe- to prevent the erica of any fuch
con itruelioh might be prupore.d.
The blanks having been filled np,
Lord GRENVILLE pi °poled a provifu, allowing
fuch velrels as fhould have cleared out from the ports
of this country for Africa, previor.s to the ttt of May
next, and fhould nut have been able to complete their
lading in Africa, fo as to carry their car re, to the
Well Indies, previous to the eft of January, a:8,
to trade neverthelefs to the Weft Indies With loch
cargoes.
Lord GRENVILLE alfu hated, that as fome per-
lons might take advantage of the interval allowed,
to make two voyages with the fame vehel, he intend-
ed, therefore, to propofe a claufc to prevent that ad•
vantage from being taken.
In the cootie of converfation in the Corninittet,
the Earl of WESTMORLAND fuggefled, that the
time fixed for the abolition ought to be extended,
Parliament having, by the A 8 of fah ferfion, pledged
itfelf that the trade Ihould continue for two years.
Lord GRENVILLE denied that any filch pledge
had been given by Parliament, as the objea of the
Bill paired laft feffion was to prohibit any more veal,
from being engaged in the trade, but there— was no.
thing in it from which it could be inferred, that the
veffels already engaged in the trade were to be al-
lowed to continue it for my certain time.
The provilions of theßill having been gone through,
the preamble was again taken into contiderarion.
Lord HA VKESPURY objefted to the words in
the preamble, which declared the Slave Trade to be
contrary to juflice, humanity and found policy. Up' n
the principles which were thus hated as the grounds
of the abolition, he could not underhand the diltinc-
tion made between the abolition of the trade, and the
emancipation of the (laves already in the Wands.—
Admitting, ho the fake of argument, the affertion in
the preamble to be true, the fame principle would
equally apply to the exiling hate of flavery in the
Weft India itlands, as to the abolition of the trade in
flovei. It was per-leafy clear, that if the ground of
expediency was taken as the foundation of this mea-
1-ore, that then there would be a marked diftinflion
between abolition and emancipation, the former
would he expedient, while the latter would be clearly
inexpedient. He thought it would have been v ifer
to have worded the Refolution of latt fellion, fo as
to place the abolition on the ground of expediency,
than tu have agreed to it in the form in which it
patted, hut at any rate that refulution was not
binding in the Houle with refpedt to the wording of
this Bill. He would not now argue over again the
meafure of the abolition, but whatever good the ad.
vocates of that meafure carded to derive from it, no
benefit could, in his opinion, be derived from retain.
jog thefe words in the preathble ; on the contrary,
he thought that much danger was to be apprehended
from holding out to the negroes in the Weft Indies,
the principle, that the Slave Trade, by which they
were originally brought thither, was contrary to juf-
lice and humanity.
The Earl of CARNARVON contended that the
Slave Trade, by tearing men from their families and
their country, in order to place them in a (late of
flavery for the purpofe of producing profit to the
planters, was in i:felf unjuli, and inhuman, and there-
fore that the word, which fo chataaerifedit ought to
be retained.

The LORD CHANCELLOR übferved, that the
exprelli:in in the preamble having been admitted by
the Noble Lord (Hawktfoury) to be true, it fol-
lowed that it ought to be re►ained. What was the
objeetion of the Noble Lord laR night ? It was, that
this trade ought not to be abolithed, except in con-
jundion with foreign powers, and now the Noble
Lord by his motion would take away the only ground
upon which we could afic other posers to co-operate
in the abolition of the Slave Trade. If we declared
that we abolithed the trade on the ground of expe-
di:my alone, then it might be fairly fuppofed that we
fo for reafons applicable to ourfelves alone, or to
our own Colonies, but by Dating broadly and clif-
tinaly that the trade was contrary to juflice and hu-
manity, there we took a ground upon which we might
fairly call upon other powers to cu•operate with us
in abolifhing the trade. He could not dilcover any
reafon fr,r apprehending danger from thus exprefling,
in a Legiflative Aft, their opinion cf the trade,whilft
the retaining the words objeCted to, was the bell
mode they could at prefent adopt of leading to a ge-
neral abolition.

The Earl of MORTON thought the adoption 'of
abflraft principles in a Legiflative Act, was inconfif
tent wirh the wife and wary language which our an.
celiors had nfed on luch occalions, and feemed rather
like an adoptiqn cf that mode of espreflion which
had been fo repeatedly ufed in modern France.
Earl STANHOPE approved highly of the ex•
orefflons in the preamble which had been nhjeeled to.
'fie thought, however, that this Bill would not do
much tcwat cis tie abolition of the Slave Trade with-
not the adoption of adequate regulations in the Co-
lonies. It might, perhaps, be proper to enact, that
every have imported into the iflands contrary to law,
after the time limited for the abolition of the trade,
(hould fa7o be free. If the local Legiflatutcs
would not adopt regulations fufficient to carry the
a:rlttion into complete effect, we had the means c,f
compelling then, by impofing additional duties, and
in °the; ways. It we could Hot fpeak to their hearts
we might to their pockets, and by the latter mode
produce a greater effe,9 than could poifibly be pro-
duced by Demonhenian or Ciceronian eloquence.
Lord REDESDJLE exprelTed irprehenfions
that danger would ante from retaining theft exprel-
lions in the preamble, and called the attention of
the Honk to the dangerous confevence which te-
(tilted in France from the adoption of abflraet prin.
cif les in leg flation, which, however true in them-
felvci, were applied in a manner that produced con-
fol.; m and anarchy in that courCy.
_ _

The Earl cf LAUDERDALE maintained that
the words which it was propofed to leave out, were
the lima effential words in the Bill. How was the
great objed of general Ab. litinn to be attained, if
it appeared upon the face of our own proceedings
that we wete only aCtuated Ly confide•ations of es
pediency, and that in calking upon other Powers io
abulifh the trade, we made no facrifice onifelves ?
This he could illultrate by communications, which
he had whilft at Paris, with one of the 'French Mi-
nitter on this f,bje:t. On his urging to th.

aers the- .11 of this Tr Ade; he wns anfwcred I
that it could not be exFeEled that the French Govern-
ment, irritated as it bad been by the conduet of the
Negvra On St. Domingo, would readily agree to the
Abolition of the Trade. He replied that the Aboli-
tion would have been the only effectual means of pre
venting the horrors which had occurred in this ifland.
Then the truth came out : lie was told by this Mi-
nitter, that England, with her colonies well flocked
wilh Negroes, and affording a large produce, might
abolifh the trade without inconvenience ; but that
France, with colonies ill (locked and deficient in pro-
duce, could not abolith it without conceding to us
the greatelt advantages and fultaining a propor•
titillate infs. Thus then, if we were to declare the
ground of our aholilhing the Trade to be expediency
alone, we Ihould he declaring that we were aettiated
by the very policy imputed to us by the French
Mil-Alter ; and how, in thus being fuppofed to make
no facrifice ourfelves, could we call with any effea
upon foreign powers to cooperate in the abolition.
The Duke of MONTROSE declared himfelf to be
a friend to the Abolition, but thought at the fame
time, that it would be better to leave out the words'
objeEled to.
Lord HOLLAND kid he could not clearly un•
derftand the diflinetions which had been attempted to
be drawn betweeft juftice and expediency. He was
of opinion, that if the fubjeCt was fully conlidered,
thole dittinetions would be found to center in the fame
p tint. It was not a t iflinFlion between juflice and
expediency, with refpcd to abolition and emancipa •
ti .n ; on the contrary, whili4 on the cue hand it was
effentially juff that the Trade Ihould be abrilifhed, it
would on the other be injultice to the .Slaves in the
Hands to give them emancipation, becaufe it could
only tend to their own injury. He was furprifed to
hear the Noble and Learned Lord (Redefdale) con•
demning the Faroduetion of abilr46l principles into
legiflaiiiin What did our Bill of Rights contain but
abtlraet principles ? He was decidedly of opinion that
the words ought to be retained. No damper what-
ever had refulted from (Malin ennduCl in feveral of
the provinces in America, where the Trade had been
abolifbed, and flavery dill continued.
The Duke of CLARENCE urged the danger
which might refult from retaining there expretlions.
When the negroes in the illznd • found that no (refit
importations took place, they would natur illy en-
quire the cattle, and when they found that the trade
was abolifited, arid declared to be contrary to joilice,
humanity, and found policy, would it not have a
material effeCt in their minds with refgefl to their own
fituation, and the means by which they were brought
there ? •

The Committee divided on the quenion, that the
words objefted to (land part of the preamble,
Contents 33 ; Non Contents to—Majority 23.
The Houfe refumed, and the Report was ordered
to be received ort Monday.