Star.
London, England, 1824-06-16 00:00:00

SLAVERY.

Mr. WILBERFORCE rose to present a Petition from
the County of Carlow, and to pray for the Abolition of
Slavery. The Honourable Member went into a state-
ment of the rituation of the slave population of the
Colonies, and condemned the course pursued by Go-
vernment for obtaining the object of amelioration.
The prejudices on the other side of the water went on
increasing; and he was afraid that melancholy effects
arose in consequence of their misconstruing the course
adopted by his Right Honourable Friend. Inthed,
'he was ready to admit at once, that he believed the
'policy which his Right Honourable Friend was pur•
suing to be' both hopeless and dangerous. The
Honourable Member then dwelt upon the condition 01
he Slaves, and stated that in Demerara the decrease of

;rt

- -

~;:a,

n.~..'

. '

tlieir population was two-nnio half per east. plater
than in the other Colonic& It never.could be expected
that the resolutions of Parliament could be.eartied into
effect by leaving their execution to the owners of
Slaves. Was it likely that men opposed to them in
feeling, and believing that they possessed opposite in-
terests, should co-operate with them upon the very
point of difference? They abhorred the means recom-
mended by Parliament, and they abominated the end.
Their prejudices were becoming greater and greater
eves y day, and the course which the House was pur-
suing only added to their violence. At Demerara,
the authority of the Government was as much
denied as at those places which possessed Legis-
lative Assemblies of their own. They first published
a resolution, condemning Lord Baihnrst's regula-
tions, and then proceeded to one, by witi.-11 it was
declared that all Missionaries shou'd be sent away.—
The great question in fact was, whether they should
leave to those Colonial Assemblies the work of carrying
the intentions of Parliament into eifect. or vrhett-er it
should be done by the Supreme Power of the State ?
The Honourable Member next alluded to some violent

proceedings of the House of Assembly at Barhadnes,
upon the presentation of a petition, temperately worded,
from the free people of colour in that Colony, praying
to be placed upon the same footing as that class held
in Jamaica. He felt it to be his duty to impress upon
the House the danger of the policy they were now pur-
suing, in working upon the feelings and hopes of the
slaves, and then allowing their masters to withhold from
them in one moment what had been granted or pro-
mised the moment before. He concluded by moving
that the Petition be brought up and read.
Mr. BERNAL complained, that at so late a period of
the Session, and after such repeated discussion on the
West Indies, the Honourable Member should have re-
capitulated his charges against the West India Islands,
without a notice of any kind ; so that he, or some other
connected with the West Indies, might have been pre.
pared to have refuted his charges, which he must con=
sider as most unfair. He would asset t that the West
Indian residents, and absent Proprietors (the latter by
their Agents) had given orders 1. r ameliorating the state
of the Slaves. :It was impossible, by a series of speeches
in a few Sessions of Parliament, to bring about com-
plete emancipation of the Slaves, ot make them fit for it,
though the Missionaries and their friends seem to think
that it was possible. The continued inve.tives of the
Honourable Member against the Colonies were not likely
to allay angry feelings. If he possessed the genuine
feelings of humanity and Christianity, as lie a sinned,
and as he (Mr. Bernal) gave him credit tor, lie N 4/Uld
meet the Colonies with mildness an f calmness, instead
of the language of menace and insult.
Mr. Secretary CANNING said, he rose with a des're,
rather than with an expectation or hope, of being able
to dispose of the question for the present—( /tear, hear).
He had some time since explained at length what was
the plait upon which Government intended to act with
respect to the Colonies in the West Indies, and the man-
ner in which the gradual improvement in the condition
of the Negroes was intended to be attempted, and he
had been encouraged to believe most persons present
were satisfied with its details. His Honourable Friend
must make up his mind to permit Government to pur-
sue that line of conduct, which not Government itself,
but Patliametit-had chalked out, or he niust resolve to
bring the question anew before the 11,;use, aml subject
it. to a complete le-examination. But_irt aIL modes of
treating the subject, he must say he con,i.lered that
the worst would be at th.: end of a Se•sion, after
the discussion which had taken place, ;o take an oppor-
tunity on presenting a Petition, of expressing a regret
that another line of conduct had not been adopted.—
His Honourable Friend objected to the system now in
operation as too slow in reaching its object.. His answer
was, that no other remedy was likely to effect its object,
without society in those settlements sustaining a violent
shock. It was, besides, the manner in which Parliament
had thought fit to meet and remedy the evil. If then
his Honourable Friend were 6e:ermined to open the
subject afresh friim time to time, and neat it in the
manner they had just witnes ed, he at once threw back
that responsibility which his interruption of the mea-
sures of the Executive rendered it imprudent they should
any longer assume. It was impos-ible to suppose that
Government was insensible to the feelings of in itation
which prevailed on this very deiicate subject, and yet
it had courteously abstained from alluding to any proofs
of bad temper or angry feeling. What would the House
think, when they had advisedly put aside all those topics
in former debates capable of exciting angry discussions,
if those topics were called forth now so as to interrupt,
not a plan which would be considered that of G.,vern-
meat, but a plan matured and adopted by Parliament ?
There were still materials enough to excite ill temper.
He therefore intreated his Honourrble Friend, it the
proposed system were too slow or not sufficiently vigor-
ous, let it be met, and discussed candidly and fairly.
But if it were necessary to asset t the supremacy of the
'mother country, let it be done consistently ; but let us
not maintain a temperate line of conduct abroad, and
an inflamed course of argument within those walls. His
Honourable Friend had mentioned wi:11 regret the ex-
periment being tried in the island of Trinidad ; now it
was obvious that here it could be attempted by the Go-
vernment with greater influence and better hope of
success. In the other two Colonies, Demerara and St.
Lucie, which were similarly situated as to the direct
influence and power of the Crow n, the same course
bad been pursued. These were already reaping some
of the advantages of the system pursued ; but it was
one which it would require not days or weeks but months,
and years to mature ; and if it shall be so matured, it
will at least be achieved without apprehension or tenor.
If his Honourable Friend had felt it his duty to make
Ithe statement he had made this evening in the discharge
of his conscience, he hoped that noiv Government would
be left .to follow the course which Parliament had
pointed out to them ; but if it were really his opinion
that another course ought to be followed, he should
suggest to him that it would he far more suitable to the
importance of the subject that he should bring the ques-
tion fully before the House alter due notice, than intro-
duce it in this manner on the presenting of a Petition.
Mr. WILBERFORCE said he had mentioned the
Petition before being in his possession.
Mr. Secretary CANNING admitted he had heard, as
a matter of courtesy, that he would present a Petition.
Dr. LusHINGTQN referred to some Jamaica Papers of a re-
cent date, which contained an account of the Government of that.e
Island towards two persons, Lcsane another. The Honottrab
Gentleman stated, that it was hi: intention earlylin the next Beuion
of Parliament to bring the subject before the House.awben;hbe hopett
released by the Court of King's Beach
iheletwaroedind!iovildroualsoceto wheom
to St- Domingo. He would
meats connected with the case•
ester was not prepared with acts
hisallu dMeadj,esaft y.tesr sblainviiintgersb
not say that the Duke of Manch.
but he would say that those facts iron be of
to jurtify.hiscoficluct,
ot Jamaica, bad been arcrweisi° ttuAldasb lde. sent .

Alio most unquestionable ostute.. Those two individuals were both
.owners of slaves, and both possessed of considerable property.
Mr. lII'SIiISSON observed. that it had been stated by the
Iloconrable Member (Dr. imshingtott) on a former night, that the
tanse of the insurrection in Demerara was the cruelty of the ma-
•nlgerts of the estates; he ( or. Iluskisson) had spoken to his lion.
Friend the Member for Woodstock (who owned the plantation
Success) on the. subject, ana he had never heard of it.
NIT W. :;.IITII co::1,1 say with pleasure, that although the
people of the I-lati,l of li.trhadoes did at one time reject all propo.
sitions for the Vho:ition of the Slave Trade, they now uses all their
exertions to prevent the importation of Slaves.
Mr. F BUXTON wiihed to know if Government had deter-
mine.' on any course with respect to the free people of colour;
aetlyhetho- the perpt trators of the outrage on Mr. Shrewsbury, in
B trhado ts, had been brought to justke?
Mr. WI 1.M0.r-tioliTON read a letter from Lord Bathurst,
expressive of his Majesty's extreme displeasure at that outrageous
violation of law ; end y kit respect to the free negroes, there was a
remmission sitting in the West Indies on the treatment of the
vegroes generally+
MANNI NG said, the negroes were going on in a progres-
sive state of improvement.
Mr. 10.1.0trG II AM defended the Member for Bramber, and
complalt.ed of the outrage on Mr. Shrewsbury, committed on five
successive d •ys, in broad day", and by above 1000 persons, who
boasted of what they 11,,t1 done. and what they were prepared to
do; and )et ;loot of them 1111 t been brought to justice. -
Mr. BurrEitwoialt eulogized the exertions of the Mir
sionarie., and the good effects they had produced on the murals of

the negroes.
Sir G. ROSE spoke highly of the labours of the Missionaries,
which he considered as prodactive of much good.
Mr. BARING was in favour of the emancipation of the slaves,
but it must he done with caution.
Sir F. BLARE was decidedly in favour of the abolition of Sla-
very. Ile wished to have the time named—the year, the month,
the week, the day, the bout—aye, even the very moment.
_ Mr. EVANS spoke in high terms of the 9lissionari.s and their

labours.
Sit C. FORBES thought the Missionaries would, by their la-
bours, overturn the Colonies, both East and West.—The Peti-
tion was then read.
Mr. WILBERFORCE said, in the whole time he had sat in the
}louse, upwards of forty years, he had never heard so serious a
Charge brought against any person as that which had now been
brought ag3inst him ; and he was convinced there was not an indi-
vidual belonging to any Society who bad the most distant wish to
excite discontent in the Colonies.
Mr. BAR ENG had brought no charge against his Honourable
Friend, but he had said, and would repeat, that the Society for the
Abolition, as they termed themselves, had become so hated on this
subject, that, without imputing motives, any others, at least than
conscientious ones, he would say, such was the tendency of the mo-
tions and speeches which they were continually in the habit of
making, Session after Session.
Mr. ZHOU GH A M repeated what be had said at an early period
of the present discussion, namely, that himself and his friends had
been most anxious to refrain 11-0 m discussing this subject unneces-
sarily during the present Seesion.—The Petition was then ordered
to be printed.

THE Iltlsll CATHOLICS.
Mr. DENIS BROWNE then rose to stove Es Resolution,
expressive of his opinion, and the opinion of the House, that it
would be expedient to establish a Catholic Chords in Ire/and, con-
nected with the State.
Mr. S. Rica, Mr. CANNING, and Sir G. Hut., suggested to the
Hon. Member that, at this advanced period of the Session, it would
be better to give notice of a motion on the subject.
Mr. BROWN E, however, persisted in moving an Address to
bit 31ajesty on the subject.
Mr. PEEL, Mr. GRATTAN, Mr. V. FITZGERALD, Colonel FRENCII3
Mr. CANNING, Mr. Ilumr, and others, opposed the motion ; and
the Hon. Member consented to withdraw his motion, pledging him-
self to bring it forward next Session, if he did mot materially change
his mind (a laugh.)
The East India Possessions Bill was read a second time, and or-
dered to be committed for this day.
The !louse went into a Committee on the Insurrection Act. Se-
veral clauses were added. Report this day.
The other Orders were disposed of, and the House adjourned at
Half-past Two.

TIIE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1324.
THE FUNDS.