Star.
London, England, 1813-07-15 00:00:00

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the Cession now prevented him. He should, how.
ever, take the earliest opportunity, next Session of
Parli►.tment, of calling the attention of the House to
that subject.
Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON thought that
instructions ought to be given that the Speaker, in
case of a death or other casualty, should issue no new
writ for that Borough, in the present circumstances
in which they were placed by the rejection of the
It would be the grossest ir.dignity to the House, should
any new election in the mean time take place.

Ult. PALMER'S COMPENSATION DILL.
On the CifANcEtt.ort of the EXCHEQUER having
moved the third reading of this I3ill,
Mr. TIERNEY wished to hear it .t:ited, on what
ground ie50,000 was to be granted to Mr. Palmer by
this Bill ? If Mr. Palmer's claims were well-founded,

why was he not to get the whole annum of what
was due to him > and, if they were not well-founded, I
on what principle was this modified sum granted ?
A Committee of the House of Commons had repea-
tedly given their opinion that those claims were well-
founded ; but because the Lords persevered in refus-
ing to pass the Bill, they were called on to make a
compromise, not very consistent, he thought, with
the dignity of the House. He wished to hear the
principle of this compromise explained.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
observed, that many Members of the House had

thought 030,000 more than Mr. Palmer was enti-
titled to ; for his own part, he thought fe50,000 were
enough, and as liberal a grant as Mr. Palmer could
have expected in all the circurr st7-•.ces the case --•
Those who thought he ought to ve hitt more, could
not object of course to this.
Mr. TIERNEY wished to know if this sum was
intended to include all the expense that. Mr. Paiti.er
must necessarily have been at it 'winging the subject
repeatedly before Parliament, sr.d in the other legal
proceedings to which he found . necessary to resort ?
If Mr. Palmer was considered be entitled to fifty
thousan4 pounds for his service \ to the Public, he
ought to have an extra allowance for his expenses.—
He objected, as a Member of Parliament, to this
mode of giving money i because the Lords persevered
in rejecting the Bill, the House were to compromise
for a less sum than was acknoVedged to be due to•
the claimant.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE,;2I./E•R
eNplained.
Mr. W. SMITH was of opinion, with his. Right
Hon. Friend, that it was rather a hard dealing by
Mr. Palmer. After being often disappointOd and
wearied Qut, a man might sit down at last satisfied
with a less sum than wa.; due to him, but this was
more from the necessity than the justice of the case
It had been repeatedly said, he understood, that
Members had from time to time been induced to vote
for Mr. Palmer's claims from so:ii.itation more than
a conviction of their justice; but he bad no doubt,
for his own part, that there was not a Member who
had voted for these claims that did not do so from a
conviction of their justice. He did not see tbat this i
Bill would prevent Mr. Palmer from afterwards com-
ing forward with a statement of his expense, for the
consideration of Parliament, and with tl.is understan-
ding he voted fOr the present Bill.
Mr. ROSE said, he had always opposed Mr. Pal-
mer's claims from a conviction that he had no right
to the temuneratiop asked ; whatever right he had,
he had forfeited by subsequent misconduct in the (of.
lice, With respect to the proceedings of the Lords,
no man was more disposed than himself to support
the rights and privileges of the Commons; but would
the Right Hon. gentleman, or any other man, say
the Lords had no right to throw out the Bill, should
they think that proceeding necessary ?
Mr. TIERNEY thought the compromise was es.
.ablishing a bad precedent. •
roitrocuese SLAVE TRADE.

Mr. WILBERFORCE rose, pursuant to his no-
tice, to move for an addres to his Royal Highness
the Prince Regent, praying that he would be gra-
ciously pleased to communicate to the House all such
information as hadbeen received from the Portuguese
Government, respecting the performance of that ar-
ticle, the treaty of ltio Janeiro, which related to the
gradual abolition of the Slave Trade in the domi-
nions of the Crown of Portugal. The article in ques-
tion admitted both the injustice of the trade and the
impolicy of introducing a factitious population into
the heart of the empire. The course which he now
proposed had been adopted in the year 1806, and in
June 1810, on each occasion with reference to the
object he now had in view—that of accomplishing
the ultimate and complete abolition of the trade in
slaves. He entirely believed that his Majesty's Mi.
flusters had been sincere and zealous in their exertions
to comply with the declared sense of the Legislature,
and his motion was far from being intended to cast
the slightest imputation upon them as deficient in
their exertions. He was sure, however, that the
House would learn with regret, that since Great
Britain had relinquished the trade, it bad increased
in the hands of the Portuguese, attended with cir-
cumstances of the deepest aggravation and outrages
shocking to humanity. They had gone in many in-
stances upon the Nery ground which we had deserted,
and thus directly defeated the fond expectations that
were indulged of seeing at least one part of Africa
freed from the oppressive influence of this baneful
traffic. He was sorry to be obliged to add, that the
gentle treatment and care to educate, which marked
the conduct of the Portuguese towards the slaves,'
which they imported from their settlement: in the
South of Africa, were not to be found in the manner
in which they now prosecuted their voyages from the
coast north of the Equator. They were now, on the
contra 7, in the practice 'of stowing the wretched
slaves in such numbers into small vessels, tfiat the
effect was almost too deplorable and too loathsome
to conceive, and necessarily impossible to describe.
In that climate many had often been found dead in
the morning fruits suffocation; still more • perished
horn epidemic diseases, crowded as they ivere some-
times what was called spoonwire, without sufficient
room to lie at length. The picture of nauseous and
he;irtrendrng misery which these scenes presented, it
was too painful and distressing to contemplate. He
trusted that the tlOnse would express its sense of such
atrocious tranactinns taking place under the coun-
.enarv7p ?Jul ii.etmiscion of our ally, and skew tOathe
',)rinri.! Regent of Portugal, not only that they were in
.que:4 in demanding from ;lira the concession in the
Treaty of Rio Janeiro, ttut that they were &tenni?
tied iv see it fulfilled—Wear, hear.) He had hint-

self always looked with gratification to the friendly , did not think the simple statement of the Honourable
intercourse which had now subsisted for so many ' Baronet could justify the House, in overturning a de.
years between this country and Portugal--and recol. cision to which they had come after a debate that
lected with what constancy and firmness that con- , was protracted through four successive weeks. It
flexion had been adhered to by the King of Portugal, would be premature to vote these Resolutions, though
when, during seven years, his dominions were threat- ; the facts recorded were admitted, before some. pe-
ened with invasion, unless he broke off his alliance tical measure was in contemplation. As net-v
with Great Britain. Dearly, however, as he valued sion, therefore, was likely to arise, he shot ;
the, ties that bound together the two countries, he that the House do now adjourn.
could not see with patience the naval power of this The latter quest fan was then put and carried, and
couatry employed to protect a trade in slaves carried the House adjourned to Tuesday next.
on by our own ally, in support of whom we had 1
made so many exertions, in direct ~„iolation, too, of
the provisions of a treaty of amity2—(Hear, hear.)—
He knew well that Ministers had had many difficul-
ties and embarrassments to encounter, and he must
frankly declare, that he would rather see the con-
nexion dissolved than incur the guilt that mast fall
upon our heads, in the sight of GOD and man, it we
should continue to forfeit the favour of a protecting
Providence, by countenancing, or in any way making
ourselves instrumantal, in perpetuating such various
and inexpressible afflictions. He trusted that we
should be reduced to no such alternative, but that
the Prince Regent of Portugal would be found at
length to concur with our wishes, and that our other
ally, Spain, would act in the same spirit which was
manifested in abolishing the Inquisition, by consent-
ing likewise to relinquish the small portion of it that
still remained in his hands.
Mr. DOUGLAS seconded the motion.
I Lord CASTLEREAGH agreed, that it was per-
, fest: ns natural that his Ho. •.rraSle Friend should wish
to know whit progress haat been made in accomplish-
ing the execution of the Portuguess. Treaty. He had
no other enjectinn to the nietiot., than that there
would be some difflculty in erodua.ng all the cones-
pond. 'ice !)!.it had passed, find in cite course of which
his Majesty's Ministers had feet v.ith many difficul-
ties and s bstruetions immediately, and that it must,
at this late period of the Session, "Lie impossible that
any discussion os subsequent preceeding could be
had upon it. Upon this growl.: he expressed his
wish that his Honourable Friend would withdraw his
motion, and be saitisfied with giving notice of it for
the next Session. '
Mr. WILLIAM SILITH was of opinion, that if
the conduct of the Portuguese Government, in evad-
ing the pedant:ante of the Treety, were accurately
known in thistountry, it would excite an universal
feeling of indignation. Wnsfit net for the prevalence
of our marine, the trade rust ee speedily extin-
gitiShed.
•
Mr. SNOTH hoped, tie! Gentleman, (Mr.
WiWerforce) would persist in his motion, and Was of
opiuion, that it would rather facilitate than embarrass
'the remonstrances of his Majesty's Ministers.
Mr. C. GRANT, jun. had no inclination to speak
to the iminetrate question of presenting the Address.
That he might lately leave to the discretion of his
Hon. Friend. The impression made upon his mind,
however, from what he had that night heard, was,
eat unless Parliament sheiddsetercise an unceasing
vigilance ;lan subject, the c Sject they had hi
~view would never be accomplished. The House had
'interfered with success to put down attempts which
bad been made, even in this country, to defeat the
ends of the Legislature; and he hoped that the same
attention and perseverance might be produetive of
the same effects in other countries. He did not doubt
the sincerity of Government; but it was singular that
the only country in Europe by which, with the excep-
tion of Spain, the slave trade was now carried
on, should be that with which we were in the closi'st
alliance, and whose existence was bound lip with our
prosperity and power. It was still more singular,
•that after an acknowledgment in a solemn treaty by
the Prince Regent of Portugal himself, that the trade
was both unjust and injuiious, not only that the gra-
dual abolition should not have been prosecuted, het
that nothing should have been done t,, check its rapid
augmentation—(Hear, hear.) It was of importance
to shew that the House had not forgotten its ancient
pledge—that it was alive to those dreadful scenes that
were now acting in Africa—to that system which
was now again in full vigour and activity, with ail its
complicated machinery of crimes and sorrows
(Hear, hear.) If we continued to exercise our con-
nivance by permitting the Portuguese, ender the sha-
dow of our naval superiority, to carry en a com-
merce which we had abandoned as an evil not to be
endured, he did think the pledge of Parliament
would be surrendered. His Hon. Friend had not
touched on one'feature in the question on which he
had formerly dwelt with peculiar eloquence—that of
the interest of Africa herself. However desirous they
might be to wash away the dark and damned spot in
our own iniquities, it was incumbent on us to consi-
der how it was possible for Africa to enjoy the liberal
blessings bestowed by PROVIDENCE upon her, whilst
subject to the depression and degradation of having
between 70 or 06,000 of her natives p.nnually drag.
ged from her shores. He hoped . they would all he
anxious to repair the deep, he hoped, not it remedi-
able injuries we had inflicted upon her, to bind up
her wounds, and thew at least the ardour of a gene-
rous spirit, in healing wrongs of which we were our-
selves the authors.
Mr. WILBERFORCE, after some compliments
to his Hon, Friends, acceded to the wish of the No.
ble Lord, and consented to defer his motion till the
next Session.