Star.
London, England, 1814-06-28 00:00:00

not being
gociatott.
tacitly

support
of which
idvocate.
it Milne'
purtunetp
mans au

9pportic.
►dud ap.

•. . .
1•• pear that there was butane :decided. and. eminb4able
opinion on thesubjeev. The Presetlt nseaueut was!one
of pride and exultation at seeing amongst us the great
men to whom the country was 10 much indebted :
hence, when we were hurried awe), by the impulse of
our feelings in their behalf, there was not so much
time to attend to that different. feeling vbich so u ' '
venally prevailed on the subject under his notice;
otherwise he might say, that thisfeeheg was One of
deep regret and disappointment, The. Petitions ex-
pressed the general wish, that if, by any means, the
conmry could be saved from this article of the treaty
and its deplorable effects averted from us, that such.
oceans, whatever they may he, should yet be adopted,
and ;he sum and substance of this article beat once
Obtained. We were all induced to hope, that as the
ettrytions of this country had already been successful
g to aci rain extent, that it may yet be saved once
Fr. in.,,e tr.im all the evils and miseries of the Stave
Ti ~de, and that therefore just measures may be adopt-
ed le rescue Africa from a continuance of the abo-
mination. Another part of the intended motion would
be to implore of his Royal Highness the Prince Re.
gent, that in any other meeting on the subject of the
-Treaty; that instructions be given to his Ministers to
avoid consenting to' a similar article with any other
Power. It gave him, indeed, great pleasure to learn
that Holland had acquiesced in our determination to
abolish the trade He annst•tberefore be allowed to
expreii the gratification he experienced on this account.
We had, however, recognised the transfer of Guada-
loupe, and still Sweden had not agreed to abolish the
trade. In his.view of the question, the cession of a.
colony to any Power who would not enter into our
ideas was a real calamity. Denmark had abolished
the traffic, and therefore that country ought not to be
specified in the censure, as we have an additional se.
entity in the treaty just entered into with tharPower.
When he had formerly argued the question, it was
only necessary to establish facts, and when once these
were made out, he could not fail in his object. ' But
the case was now worse. By the nature of the. Con-
stitution of this country, when a treaty had bten.rati-
" fled, there was no course but to acquiesce in it, yet
the general feeling undoubtedly was, that every
means should- be used to prevent the faith of this
country frOin being pledged to give up possessions,
which while we had been at war, were kept under the
express condition that the Slave Trade should not be
continued in them. Considering first 'the Pre-
Entinary -Articles, and afterwards the Definitive
Treaty, he could not but regret that we had not
had an opportunity of ,forming our, judgment upon
the former, which did not come in the usual re-
eler shape. Had the case beenanade apparent by a
regular Preliminary-Treaty, the voice/3f the country
would have been beard from one end to the other.
imploring that by no means this article.,isight receive
thefanction of Government; for tio saestaCC WOUld
have been thought too great to redeeM 01.....4%nrn the
odium imp4ed' by that article.. He was Inure that,
the ieople would have stated, that.. they, con'd not,.
ctioustently with their conscience, agree: to such• a
vitt:cession •i and- chortler* would have bçen, that we
Afield nothave Art reggae that we have, at this mo- '
anet, so deplorable aif arttcj, before us. The.Stiee
Trade,he regarded as thtetsifereatest *tidied evil that
could exist. Its magni was notlo Ise estimated
• by the five thousand. or the ten thousand. the fifty
thOusand, or the hundreds of thousandi of persons.
or h the ntunbeeof human beings, however great it
might be, which itcossigned to bondage. Its hor-
rors were to-se traced in this—in -thivast diffusion
of Misery which it caused throughout a vast Conti-
nent, which was thus kept in a state of irreclaimable
''barbarism, in which it must remain till this odious
traffic was terminated. He did not wish to speak
Lushly of the motives.by which.Frence was actua-
ated in refusing her consent in its, immediate abali-
tine. He could not but persuade hiratilf. that if she
were pmsessed of the same degree of iniortriation on
the Subject which had been furnished to this country,
' her people would be against continuing it, and her
govrinnrs ashamed .to .stand up in its behalf. One
great difficulty in the wayof entorciegour demand for
its immediate abolition, arose out of our own con-
diet. The length if time we. had taken to.consider
,
11 s" of it before it had been put an end to, furnished
France with a :air excuse for not immediately acce-
ding
in various French pc.%lications and debates on the
Slave Trade. They forgot that that which ceased
it to be so long delayed was, that it was thought
ether countries- would carry it on if we did not, and
. . thus the cause of humanity would gain little by our
giving it up ourselves before we could persuade the
other Powers of Europe to enter into our views.—
Alas ! what a melancholy illustration of this argu-
ment was finnidied by the use now made of it
against ourselves. They now told us, 46. You had
time to prepare yourselves for its abolition, and we
must have the same advantage." • Yet in justice to
ourselves, a must be admitted, we have put an end
to it, with the general voice ;of the nation in favour
of the measure, at a time when greater interests in
thi; country were likely to be affected by it than any
that could by possibility suffer from it in Prance.—
With tars marine establisluninta connected with it, ,
and with colonies yielding annually a revenue of nine
or ten millions, which they were told must be greatly
injured by the discontinuance of the Slave Trade, it
bad been at once abolished. He wished it to be sta.
zed Co fureiE•kowers, that such were the sacriaces
we had ma Int humapity, and having made them,
had never, Rut even on entertaioing.the most sordid
mercantil; calculations had reason.to view them for
'Olll moment with regret. No inconvenience had re-
sulted frdm the change; and, there was reason to
iiopc the political stamina of toe West India Colo-
inks would be improved and strengthened by it, and
`-ler possessines in that quarks' of the world were
tikely to derive the most solid advant .ges from the
adoption of that measure. When he considered that
the Prench islaruishad less occasion for the laboured
slaves than the English colonies, he could not but
entertain a hope that even now something might Le
gained from France in favour of that unhappy race 1
of which he was the advocate. In this he might be
too sanguine rho he had reasoa...to fear the real ols•
ject of the French Government in upholding the
filAve Trade was ro repeople the. island t.f Saint Dual
rniogn. To reropte that vast island, if such wings
. "'Hy the plan of France, it Vould .be neeess•irY ".
transport two or to millions, a fill" die
shares of Africa. It in e117"."1 dii could be re-
vel:tort by our inter4soeition, we Weal° tat L.""

the Ad
feared
dread,

to be
Wished
the late
it.to say
nailing
ith Colo.,
be eulti..
sure lets,
stint! to I
reed on
. subject, yet,. luring _ gate that Noble
Lord had been in office, he had exerted himself by
every possible means to give the law against the
Slave Trade full effect. He feared the questions on
this head bed not been considered sufficiently early
during the late negociatiens. If, when amicable ar-
rangements were first discussed, the language of
England had been. " we will restore to France the
Colonies we have taken, on her consenting to put an
end to the Slave Trade," the Allies would then pro-
bably have pledged themselves to support the prin-
ciple, and France had yielded the point. He regret-
ted that he had not early called the attention of Go-
vernment to this subjec, that the conditions might be
discussed on which alone her Colonies ought to be
restored. What he now wished was, that the voice
of Parliament and of the nation should be raised
against the further continuance of the Slave Trade,
in the hope that such an appeal might be made to
the feelings of the French nation, they would not re-
fuse to give up the traffic in Slaves; and he for one
would be well centent to purchase such a concession
by making a proportionate sacrifice. If the Trade
were not at once terminated, he trusted the period of
its continuance would be shortened; and if this were
not done, he should expect at least that they would
not carry it on in those parts of Africa where we
had succeeded in rooting out, and in substituting
for it a legitmate commerce. He had just heard
of a body of slave dealers having been put down
near Sierra Leone; so that- an extent of coast of
seven or eight hundred miles was cleared.—( Hear.)
He wes exulting that these human vultures could no
longer seek their prey; that there the inhabitants
would not longer be stimulated to make war upon
each other. when the Treaty of the Noble Lord met
his eye, and checked his joy. In those parts a con-
siderable improvement had been made in the situa-
tion of the natives. 'Tillage occupied many, and from
100 to 150 Ati in the habit of receiving daily in-
struction. Was a prospera so fair to. be now closed,
and these unfortunate beings abandoned u, increased
misery ? We ought to obtain some security that the
Slave Trade would not be renewed in these parts.—
But it was particularly incumbent on England to
take,careathat when the period for which by the ar-
tide in.the Treaty it was to be continued should ex-
pire, that its abolition should take place. lie was
aware that it may be said when that time comes-
-14 France has now great interests concerned in the
Aweie. -and itis not reasonable to expect she will give
it up." He was not one of• those who considered as
ving the recognition of the principle, which had
obtained, the Slave Trade. ought. not to
_ tinue. This he thought of great importance. He
as not disposed to sap' Prance did not intend to ful-
fil the aniele in the Treaty which pledged her to abo-
-I.lish the Slave Trade at the end of tire years ; but
France was subject to the weakness of human nature,
and against the effects of these she eight to take
measures to secure herself as much as possible.
( flenr, itar.)-a-The Honourable Gentleman coati.
nued--v A painful incident rushes on my mind: On
the day when this revoking Treaty reached nr.e, I -
received a letter from Africa, announcing that the'
last depot of slave-dealers had been ,rioted out from
the vicinity of Sierra Leone, and that in the district
embracing a vast extent et country, human hunters
would no longer be found in quest of their prey
(Harr, kar,)--and yet, at this very momein, when
the light of civilization was beaming on a persecuted
and urioffending people, we were about to re•deliver
this continent into all the horrors of barbarity and
crime. In the river of Sierre Leone, the seat 4it our
iinprovemements, a small French island was situated,
so. that the seeds of slavery would take root, and of
course, extend in that point, where after muchlabour
and expence and self-devotion, industry and peac
were beginning to develope themselves. (Hear, hear.)
—Not far from this river, in a nation where we are
only known as spoliators, as poisoners of the domestic
cup, and abettors of fratricide,. through the perseve-
ring efforts of the African Institution, the last ad-
vices enumerate the progress of moral improvement,
and the extending education of many children. Are
these the prospects then that are to be abandoned to
misery and desolation, if 'Erance shall disallow any
exemption?—(Hear, hear.)—Anothas object of. my
address is, that if allanher means tail, we shall at
legit secure the redemption of the pledge. if a limi-
tation must be gratsted, let us take care the arrange-
ment shall be final and irrevocable. I don't mean
to be understood as setting no value on the recogni-
tion of the abolition in the 'Freely ; on the contrary,
it.goes some way towards the ulterior object. yet I
cannot help thinking. that if France is pernicious
now, we cannot look to very great moderation in five
years hence, when her circomstanttes will naturally
place her in a more commanaing auitude ; • I there-
tOre repeat, without meaning to be tmcourteous, that
we should get security at thie moment, not so much
against France, as against the common weaknesi of
human nature, and compel, by a formal stipulation,
acknowledged as the public law of Europe, the en-
tire and irremediable cessation of the Slave Trade
after the specified time. (Laid cries of Nor.)—From
that moment let the voice of mardcind proclaim it.
unlawful and infamous. When I make this declare-
tien, I beg to reserve the hope that more may •be
June ; if the Treaty already entered into with Swe-
dea for Guadeloupe, could be transferred in 'the
course of slavery, why Lot hops for its rrAielnptiou,
even though a treaty tatettested. in- the one case as
*well as the other I—Ohm% newt.)-.,At .all eveatt, let
the fatal period of human endurance be definitively
Ilined by the Ploggpotasuissiaa .at the General Con-.
; mcanlilnee-1 hope■t-itubdois 41tai those feelings'
were more niingiiinft that lbe 4figitioii of Linnet in.
fausiniew aimed Nay last the gar/in illtWitgAlii to.
limas a .Mee solmissy soosiusiimppicasetieing may.
.10.6 Ar'sh as*" ;the .'mss of Rama and
Alle Iris mmx.,--f_.Tiourshis 44 .tire *auto of humanity,
'dmohlorat only samaiao4 to timid the tinting Ito

iambi)* • •''t s ' orethe final • ' . .
. n a m trinuigi of a great and
just cause. It is only niceisary,. therefore, to Male
the *id of Franci aoqustnted with the ral evils of
such a traffic, which was emphatically tcrmed 6 The
disgrace of England, and the tornient. of liftße.'
This once dohe ; the co-Nitration beiisstnei geOriil ;
and the more we reflect, the iiitird limn for lingering
hope. With all the consolations Which the mind can
combine, shame and pain must yet predominate.—.
When we rejoice in the peace and comfort we have
just established in Eumpe—when we are about to
put up our thanks to Heaven for the gracious heal-
ficence of Pitovtozecis in our behalf, can we at the
same instant expel from oirr sight, that we are con-
niving at the spoliation of a large and tinoffending
quarter of the globe—at the ruin of a people who
never injured us, and at the introduction into their
race of a system of horrors fir exceeding our ordi-
nary rules of established warfare—a war of extermi-
nation—a hostility alien to those generous feelings
which in the gloom of contending nations still per.
vades the protracted conflict—a contest in which no
Wellington appears to exhibit a valour of mind with
A gentleness of heart gilding and yet softening the
calamities of hostile strife ?—(Cheri.)—in fine, a
war ceaseless in its continuation, unconfined in its
principles, and remorseless in its oblect. (Near, hear.)
In every view of this sutsject I cannot withhold my
,repugnance at the surrender of any colonies which
'exposed a part of the human race to the scourge of
extermination. I cannot also put out of considera-
tion its operation On our own West India settlements.
—lt is not, however, on minor grounds of mere
commercial speculation I am actuated, Last of ail am
I inclined to suppose that Our merchants trading in
this.quarter will feel jealousy at this preference to the
interests of another nation. I should do them out-
rage by such an insinuation, recollecting the alacrity
with which the major part of them Came forward to
aid us with their support. The able co-operation of
one of them (Mr. Barham) I shall ever bear in grate-
ful recollection. —( Heat, bear).—But I cannot help
saying I am blind to that policy which- deprives one
class of traders of a privilege, base as it was, and
establishes it in, another, sOkre there can exist no
possibility of competition. I repeat, I mean to
overlook all considerations of mere every dap policy,
and to. revert to uncompromising. in inciples.—(Hear,
hear).—My grand object now is, to mitigate, if I
cannot prevent evil ; fur this purpose I look towards
the factories which France holds adjoining that nearly
civilized track of country to which I hare already ad.
verted. Commerce is incompatible with this detested
traffic, therefore the cannot object to exempt that part
where slie really upholds commercial improvement.
My next will he, by a full statement of this dreadful
plague and all its concomitant enormities, to compel
its advocates to a direct limitation, pl.ftiging the faith
of Europe to its final extincti-m. Thus, by a con-
joint law, affixing its cessation throughout the world
ft the end of five years, or, if passible; a far less pe.
Adj. If justice, humanity, or religion can be heard
at Congress, the appeal will not be filade in vain. If
, the posthumous character of national honour and 'fr.
We be smith consideration, when the present men
and the present times will have passed into the womb
, elf time, and be known only by their acts, not their
imentions—when to the historian will devolve the
i task of recording our virtues or our vices, it is for
the rakes in the present instance to reflect, and now
to stamp the characters which will hereafter be traced
in imperishable letters, and to decide whether they
will be considered as the benefactors a mankind, ar
as confederates extinguishing their own domestic feuds
for, the more effectual persecation of unoffending ma-
tions of their tellow-creatures—(Laid trice of "burl)
_ The time is now salutary, let them p vise to .consi.
...„.
der the comparative estimate, and may t ieir decision
extend the boundaries of humanity and virtue, and
by enlarging the sphere of social comfort and enjoy-
ment, give to the n:.mes of the great public benefac-
tors of our time, a stability coeval with the blessings
they will nave diffusesl throughout the whole litatan
race." - (Load and repeated vie, of Hear I) The Ho.
nourable Gentleman concluded by moving an Ad.
'dress of great length, to the Prince Regent, expressing
great sa isfaction at the successful efforts made to in.
eluae Sweden, and more particularly Holland' to con.
:sent to the Abolition of the Slave Trade, but express
sing regret that France had not done the same, and,
'suggesting the expediency of attempting to gain some
`further coriecessions at. the approaching Congress:-
11e Address embodied all the principal points, and
many of the arguments of the Honourable Gentle-
man's speech. .
The motion was seconded by Mr. BARHAM.
Lord CASTLEREAGH concurring cordially
'and warmly as he did with the principles that had
fallen from the Hon. Member (Mr. Wilberforce), still
felt inclined to lament, that he shoillil have deemed it
his duty to make the present motion. He (Lord C )
had no hesitation in saying, that he lamented equally
with the Hon. Member, that the state of public opi.
'lions in France should be such as to induce the Go-
vernment of that country to stipulate for dlr further
continuation of a trade which was viewed with. just
horror by the House. The Hon. Member seemed in-
clined to fix blame somewhere, because he had not
before brought the matter under the notice of the
House—because he had not brought it before the
House till the ratification bf the Treaty had made all
opposition to it of no avail. He might complain that'!
these was something invidious in this, if he did noel
flatter himself that he should be. able to ;hew .to the 1
House that he had done his duty—that he had per-
formed all that could be accomplished-.that he
had even done more than could 'be eppected, and
he might have felt disposed to shelter himself
under the general features of the tee*. These
WAS no cause for the far' of the Honourable
Member, that he had been tardy in the perfosmancS
of his duty, fur the Preliminaries of Peace were quite
as binding .on the Crown as the Definitice-Treity ',
could be, as well as on the House ; and he ,therefore
could relieve the anxiety of the Honourable Mover.
He, however, WAS somewhat at a Lou to find what
Could have induced the Honourable Member to ex-
pect so much from the present Government, remem-
bering that nothing _appeared in the negociations of a
'former Government with Prance for peace which
could have led him to be so confident as to the. result
of treaties with, that country, so far as they ~might
affect the question of the Slaie Trade. What had
happened in the intercourse between the two coun-
tries to induce that .kfonoeraSe Member to think
that the iieleat Goveraiiiit . ought to have made

.

• •
the instant abolition-of the Slave
est Rance ill.* Oa sesi —a
war ?--(ifear, hair.) --In the
held to ttioOottestintept of France,
thoie topics which might
this sentiments 01 thie-cottnrry 1.
Villeee anxious to keep the question
Of reason and prudence. Thi,
contrary to the opinions which .
',lves in this. House on this very
be was that nOthing,had ever -
which ought to have induced
negociations a via s gla 6041—a
rear.—ouch was not the docteio- e
If the example and, liberality -
not persuade all the great Po.
operate with us in the aecomplirth
end glorious work—the abolition
be was sure that to attempt to cor
the way to sacceeJ. If we could
principled nature evident ;p e-
che propriety of joining with
th-ught we should make but
compfishing what that Honourable
much at heart, by setting.to
at the point of the bayonet.
not have been.deemed the most
to further the objects of the t'
he believed of the House, so
war and the shedding of blood•
negociations with France had ,
those who were the more declared
sure, and yet the, Honourable '
nothing of the kind of Cher
proved that the opinions of _
state of sentiments and property
affecting this question, were
once. Mr. Fox, in the course
his vote of the 4th July, expressed
leive the of estioas of the co
tion of the Slave Trade, and
1 course should be pursued
Talleyrand in his note of
that the Emperor would discus!
when the more important
Mr. Fox mentioned it ag:.ia
Clarke, w:lo replied that alter
conclutiet, he would enter into
it could not make any part of
the fate of the negociations
and jet he never heard that'
obj-..cted to the course of those
the abolition of the Slave T:
for ; he never even heard that
matter of reproach to them.
'he did net see how questions
which went to affect the irli
State, could be so introduced
tares in the negociations het'
*which went to settle foreign
tee views of the Hint. Member,
made a question of peace or
matter agreed upon after years
internal regulation, he thoni
elan Hon. Gentleman would
gild that the Government ought
aim qua am. The Government
leave been warranted in Rising
on the contrary, he thought
their duty- end the-Honse sot
all fair and legitinsifeitiontis
the xccompliJimerit of the;
a traffic ; but that was very ,
for the first time, a question
Honourable Member had
the French Government
turtha• information on this
to say, as indeed the WI
Agreed to proved, OA *it
to the object, the acchrOplishrnent
devoutly to be erished.. As'
ever, he, was glad to find
WAS not amongst those who
value it. He c,.uld asure
House that he did not agree
continuance of the trade for
his endeavours to confine
failed. As to connecting the
Trade with the cession of the
one dependent on the other,
two subjects had been so
have obtained the stipulation
in introducing into the Treaty.
vernrnent of France would ha,
such a stipulation the colonies
the people as not worth hie
till the question came to be
gitimate point of view by ,
now coming close together,
of their mutual interests, t
step in the accomplishment
WAS a feeling in France,-
encountered in its tiegociat
placed in a situation where
been purchasing.peace With ~
graceful concessions, by acquiesce
of the Slave Trade, for the
'her colonies. Nor was it
England alone that had to
the negotiators or France
they kbew to be the general
which they represented.
Member would allow him
would place him in a situation
where he deeply deplored, r'
yes not to be viewed in
Which had thrown a desponding atmosphere
the whole of the Honourable Member"-
for after having gained
France, this country ought
test.—(Hear, hear). r_
.6-experience had not taught
consistent with the progress
most enlightened sentiments
once. To make them appear
strong minds, was a work
greater was the task, when
:were not only Tend. bet
Ten' and trader islloB
oudly for the abolition, --
measure was work of great
iipposed, even after it had
to cover the lowest. and
'embitrked in the colonial
ilietak of time, art thelothts
fore it ought not to be

.

~ai

•,.I • • . ,
• . • .. . • •
Hs had, utSt.,sakl,#y titactrn. this,,,subjeet in t
dress which he mtendedto propwese I.bsit as he
such to_be the.silejign 01,Firpefe,,he widied the
NJ erects. et.a.ltessptiug tbkillrri.li info effect
tetreseate4 ril.Afic, Fetneli,gresEmuis!it:. , fie 1
to icast nose eetscips„stn.thots',,wkit condticted tl
negoaiatiogst lu ny,i4rsicitlitsii Ise ought.
Iliffit
the inspressiou ,t4:psr; in`' d. n
could havf 414 col grre ispshe French
flies, hitt so go itisa OA Aie?,Alottld not be
vate4 brAiavp. yir .ftom wishing .to Fensu
Nubia. friensf(T4ord Cistlercagh), he was ism
lac4neark4ge, though they had not always agr
that subject, yet,. during the time slsat. the

nave Trade Su the Piii
a coastipa of *Ace or
• argument'. Width he
France, he did not dwell
.ht have been applied. sib
Y formerly; he had bien
estion within the bounds
his, be trhsted, arch OS
iris had deisrloped them. .
very queition I for sere
rer passed in that Hon* • i
d hint to Make it in his
—a question of peece oe
bctriue of that }CO ,ein....;
Li of this country' could
Powers of Europe, tel. cot
nplishrrient of that great
Litton of the 81ave Trade;
to compel theist was not
could-not snake its un.
them, so as to *hew thee*
th us in that object. be
but; little progress in at•
nourable Member had so
I work to teach morality •
• He thought it would
most efficient endeav
Honourable Mover,
I to act as to continue
*din Europe. The Poi
had been carried on, -.,.t
j#4
clired friends of tin% . ••.. 4
ble Member had •
em ; indeed It was then.
France, like the beau
operty in this,craeste* en:
re not to be Overpottsent.
se 4 his negociausam by
expressed a wish not to
colonies and the reviles
id desired to /mow what
respecting Clem.? M.
the 9th of July replied,
issuss this latter question
t points were settled.—. 1
..in in a note to thmeral
ter tile Treaty should be
I
into the question, but thpt
of the Treaty. such was
Is of that administration;
the Honourable Member
one negociations, because
Trade WaS not stipulated
that it had been made e
• But be that at it might,
ns of a moral nature, aid
internal regulations of a
ed as to form leading fen.
;wren foreign lowers, and
n rclationt only. To meet
tuber, it must have been
w scar ; but as it was a
ears of debate lot our own
right the House and even
I ponder well, before they
ought to have made IS a 1 i • '
mrnt certainly would not r. -
Ling sight of the question 1.3 .
ight they would abandon
mould iilsandon
.its still if
fie were not rsi Tied tort
'abolition of it> disgraceful ;
r different from mating it,„,,,s
on of peace or war. '146
I spoken of the temper b
un this subject, desiring„
is paint l' and he was eta ~
ipulation which had been .7.-
was decidedly favourable •
4ishroent of which was so .
As to that stipulation, how-
d that the Hon. Meniber
!to were disposed to under-
: the Hon. Member and the
ee to the itipulacior. for the
Or five years longer, till all
it to a shorter period had
the abolition of the Slive.
the col mies, so as to make
see, he believed that if the i
connected he should never
:inn a hich he bad succeeded
eaty. ( Hear, Afar.) Tile Co.
Id have told him, that with , I
rinks would be deemed by i
airing. (Heir.) It was not
be placed in its tree and le. :
the two Powers, that were
ler, from a just estimation
:s, that he could gain one
tent of this point. There
and that feeling was to be
ators, that she was not to be I
re it tfight seem that she had
th what would be called di:-
acquiescing in the Abolition
the purpose of getting back
Et exactly the negociators of
to combat with this feeling—
: itself had to attend to What •
terai feeling of the country
Knowing all this, the Hon.
m to say, and the assertion
maims or seeming to applaud
d, that what had been done
n that gloomy tone of mind
lesponding atmosphere over
mumble -Member's speech ;
ed such a stipulation from
:ht not despair of final sue.
Coo much bad been expected
Lught a lessors—for it was sot
rem of human affairs that the
mints should be adopted at
appear perfectly clear, even to
cork of tirseibut how much
ben the feelings of the nation
but also their notices of pro-
fit country, that now called se
il the aceeispiishment of that .
[ 'rat time; for it was.
a been placed is kraus
nd the propetty that lend
,I trade. With its kbeelellpe
04 I'S a labree= •
a weed% to
. i •
.., - ..;
, ..,...i.• : ; s. if
... ~...

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whose meads 'ere fewer, but whose. progress was
slower, it they did noeirequiesce in the policy of the abo-
lition co the Slave Trade the moment it was pariposed to
them ; nor should k be enforced so as to look like com-
pulsion, except we were prepared to contend for the
question at the point of the ewoulT (kern.) He
would assure the Honourable Member,.that he did
not give the English Government all the credit they
deserved, as he must say, if he were acquainted with
the opinious that existed in France on this subject.
He could assure the Honourable. Gentleman, that
not•oniy the lower orders. in France, but also those
ct mar elevated rank, were not inclined to give us
credit tor quite so much benevolence as we pretended
to &splay ; nor were they disposed to believe that
.Faigland was bona fide sincere in the abolition ; be.
caose, they said, that she could not be sincere, as she
was a commercial nation, and must he interested in
the trade. As such was the feeling in France, nothing
could have been more prejudicial to those objects
which they all had at heart. than for the British Co.
oernment to have insisted on France acquiescing in
the Abolition of the Slave Trade as a return for the
cession of her colonies, for it would have been in.
stantly said, that this country only proposed to give
by the colonies on condition of France abaadoning
the traffic, becaese, as a commercial- people, in her
heart she wished to retain those Colonies...4am. 1)—•
therefore, to have enforced its immediate abolition.
would not have been to promote the cause.—
To have talked of making it a rine qua non, would have
been to make France day, that we wished to prevent
her from assuming a peaceful attitude in Europe,
and that we were always anxious still to leave some
causefor war, even at the moment that we were pre-
tending to be fighting for peace; indeed it was once
malignantly said by Frahce, that we only fought to
conquer every thing—to get all her Colonies from
her. When it came to be remembered that the war,
which had not long terminated, had been .stretched
almost beyond its healthful limits, nearly endanger-
ing our security as a nation,' he thought that on re-
fraction ik would be deemed to haVe too much
for the Government of' this country to risk the termi-
nation of that war, by insisting on France to recog-
nise the Abolition of the Slave Trade at once. If It
• had been made a questiOn of peace or war, it would
hare been putting them to a severe and mischievous
test—mischievous to Farope, as it might have
,en-
dangered that union which wasneting; and continued
to act, down to the moment when it accomplished its
great task with the most perfect unanimity--it might
hare been mischievous, as it might have led to the
dissolutiOn of that union which had saved Europe,
which had preserved the world, and which no doubt
would lead to the accomplishment of that object, so
fondly and so honourably desired by thelion. Mover.
The qoestion Wa; one that bad never before been
made a matter of -peace or war, nor did he think it
'was exactly of that class of questions that eught to be
made to risk the continuance of war. The correspon.,
deuce had beets called.for—he had no objaction toI
agree to its being produced, bit he thought it was his:
eluty.ro declare, that if this question were to be pre-,
ovoid-farther; he cOtild.not agree to its disclosureo..;
—lt would be a greit obstruaion to public affairs if
it were now to be said that the principles and stud-
•
'stems urged at the preterit moment' were to be ae
finial' and binding at a foture piried as if they had
beget regularly introduced ipto the Treaty. But
welly the Hon. Member wattota"tioveb disposed to
undervalue what h beer.'done, and to over-rate
that in *lath he had been more immediately engagedi
and might it not be rather a discoUragiog thing for
other Powert to v'iew_that Houseas more Inclined to'
• dwell with reproach on what had not been done, than
toly to panegyric on 'the great things that had been
accomplished Much had already been accomplished
'with regard to this very question, not only in ob-
taining the siipu,kadon, but in getting Holland and
Vseden and Denmark to second the efforts o(Eng-
land to abolish that odious traffic. But. France, in
_particular, was the last country in the world Where
wee had a right to expect so rapid a change of opi--
&On as the Honourable Member seemed to have
looked for. The intense tyranny which had so long
reigned in France, but which happily was new at an
end, had so moulded the opinkona of the people there
that it must be a work of time to convince them that
ire really had the business at heart r that we really
were siocer. in desiring to abolish the Slave Trade.--
He had been told, that, if the French were to reco-
ver their colonies on the express condition that there
should be no Slave Trade, they would say, that the
colonies were to be returned in a manner that would
make them not only useless but so as to be disgrace-
ful to them•—(Hear, heae.)—He set great value on
the stipulation, and he really believed that it would
be carried into' effect at the termination of the flee
years ; and if it should now be carried on, it would be
in contemplatien of its approaching termination...—
Wear, from the Opposition Beneber.)—lf he had not
*0440 fcir this stipulation; and that, too, as a
matt*, I/tally unconnected with the cession of the
ootordee, he verily believed that 'he should not have
been tole to obtain any article favourable to the
views of that House respecting the Slave Trade.—
He had at first wished to obtain (when he toad that
it was hopeless to think of getting the complete abo.
lition) a stipulation fur the ceded places, particularly
that part of the Cape on the African coast which 1110
.been particularly alluded to by the Hon. Mover
but even this was repugnant to the feelings with
which he had to combat in 'the negotiations The
French Government' having voluntarily expressed it-
self ready to co-operate istit.,h. Great Britain in its ef-
forts to abolish this triffic, loit in such a way as not
to be obnexious to the French peirple--tis not to have
•the appearance of dictation, he, of aourse, was anxious
ant to perseveie too Much in thit on which lie Wa: told
the French people had strewn the strongest ditgtist.
But the French Governmnt did giiie him a distiiici
and official assurance that is Membert would employ
*twelves in prepa• in g the minds of the 'People tot
the speedy Abolition of the Trade: He admitted that
the cession of the' colonies arid the continuation of to,
tralfie‘mighe give fielitiesao the trade which west
riot very desirable, by enabling parties CO' eitablic
depots'at Gwidiloupe and Mart nique ; but no doubt
in theCollairess priapar regulationt would be nr.aletre
greet:tribe Improper exportation of slaves. But 'the
possible incieise of depots was no argument agaitio
ttie 6101 rtanceiC.bectiuse, if she had no
coat it,' thr6a hreie nahinnah, Purto Rico.
A.dmarty ottir acti th'akt Made' int%
St-tio:s far -our •s. • VilAst had been dons

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