Star.
London, England, 1830-05-17 00:00:00

AA' 71-SLAVERY SOCI E 7' Y.

A Meetini of the friends of this Society was 1204 OR
Saturday, at the Freemasons' Tavern, on which occasion the Great
11411 was crowded to excess in every part. Among the Noblemen
ace i men present, we observed
L C thorpe. Lord Milton, the Bishop of Bath and Wells,
3I:. Brougham, Mr. Denman, Mr. Macauley, Mr. T. Blacauley,
Mr. F. Buxton, Mr. Rice, Mr. 0. Cave, Mr. O'Connell, Alr. 8r0w.,.
low, Mr. D. Wilson, Mr. R. Owen, Mr. Hunt, &c. &c.
On the tnotion of Mr. Ceenesom, Mr. Wilbetforce teas caPed
upon to preside.
Toe CHAIRMAN said that it was satisfactory to him to know that
it was not necessary to detain them loeg. because the purpose fur
which they had assembled had sunk deep into the hearts of all oho
were present. It was impossible for him to met his friend, Mr.
Clarkson, after the long interval of absence which had elapsed. without
finding his mind occupied with looking back to the early days of their
labours, and without thinking of those who had first engaged in that
honourable duty. When the proposition for the abolition of the
Slave Trade was first made to the House of Conurens, he well re-
membered that it was, with almost ore concurreet voice. declared that
that trade must be abolished. But since then they had learned how
dangerous it was to trifle with tonscienee and the nonnst convictions
of the mind. At first every one said let it be abolisned ; Litt, by de-
grees, their ardour had abated ; until, as it were, it nlmost evape.
rated. Under 111 r. Dundas the principle of gradual abolition was
adopted. When that proposal was made, he (31r. Wailed/nee) saw
all the danger of such a step ; and he believed that every principle
called on them to oppose such a partial attempt to eradicate the evil.
The cry, however, was, that this was the only way—not to neg.
lect the West India interest, and that cry prevailed. In 1792, Mr.
Dundas proposed his prospective measures; and it was then agreed
that every child born after the year 1800 should be free. This ones.
was, perphaps, good to a certain extent; but it had never been
executed the fault, however, rested with the friends of the Slaves,
in a great measure; for, ought they ever to have consented to a
principle which postponed the rights of the Negroes for eight
years ? What right had they to consent that a system so bane-
ful as slavery should exist for that length of time ? Those days,
however, had pasted away, and no permanent good had been effected
It was now, therefore, no longer time for delay, or for attempt
Ing half measures. It was the duty of all to be in earnest, and to
show that they were in earnest. Let them only for a InullhVt
consider what was the state in which they at present were. Alr.
Dundas could not have been charged with being a wild rt.
former, or one led astray by visionary and theoretical schemes.
Fle was no such man ; on the contrary, he was the enemy
(though generous and liberal in his heart) of every thit,g that
looked that way, or that the most prudent could ie:ni trava•
gant. According to his system, the death blow was to have been
given to slavery in 1000; and yet now that 30 years lad elapsed
since that period, there was still nothing done, and they could
only look for the accomplishment of their object through a long vista
of possible disappointments and certain objections. In the year
11323 another step was taken for the purpose of carrying into effl ct
this desirable object : in that year Mr. Canning entered into neogocia.
Lions with all the principal planters, or their agents, that were resident
in this country, for the purpose of effecting a material altenit ion in 11.,
state of things in the VI eat Indies • and the result was,that all the lea :'s-
ing and influential men of that body not only assented to the me e
sures which he proposed, but recommended them to the adoption of
their fellow-planters in the different islands of the West Indies.--
Yet, in spite of this, which appeared to be entitled to command no
small portion of respect, scarcely a single Colonial Assembly
adopted any one part of the measures proposed. But this was
not all: after the consent that had been given to Mr. Canning's
measures by the planters in this country, how painful was it ier
have lived to see those very planters, after their declaration in
favour of the wisdom and moderation of the measures, turn round,
retract, and declare the conduct of the Assemblies in the West In.
dies, in resisting them, not only wise and prudent, but actually lul-
-1 mane. It appeared, therefore, after all, that the only endeavour of tl:e
Colonial Assemblies, and of those whom they represented, was to get
into the management of the affair, for the purpose of mocking the
hopes, and frustrating the designs of England. After these renewed
specimens of what their intentions were, it would be a want of com-
mon sense not to see that there could be no hope of good by putting
the management of the affkir into their hands. Reason was but a
weak advocate, and of little avail, when it was put in competition
with self interest. Reason, when brought to bear on matters re-
moved to such a distance, ran great danger of evaporating. It was
to prevent this that they were called upon to use their every
' exertion in favour of a system that appealed to every heart for sup-
port and sympathy. The enemies of the negroes would tell them to
look at home, for that the slaves in the West indite were much more
happy than the peasantry of this country. This was a disgusting as-
sertion, for how could that man be happier than a freeman, who was
in want of all those blessings which liberty afforded ? Or if the 'lave
was indeed happy in his situation, why was he so ready to give all
that be could scrape together, all his little earnings, for the purpose
of purchasing his own freedom, as that of his family ? This was
not the only light in which he looked at this case. He thought it
wu deserving of their most serious attention as a matter of religion ;
and he believed that if we so long went on making free with the
rights and privileges of others, Gots would not long leave us in pos.
session of our own rights and privileges. It was therefore.theirbounden
duty to set themselves to work in earnest, by bringing to the contest
all their bCst energies, for the purpose of putting an end to so flagrant
and afflicting an eviL
Mr. FOWELL BUXTON said that he had to congratulate the
friends of the Anti-Slavery Society on still seeing at their head
his honourable friend the Chairman, who had so long been theit
chieftain, their support, and their guide. The time hed indeed
come when they must speak out. Hitherto they had been re-
strained from doing so by a hope (however feeble or forlorn that
hope might be) that the planters of the West Indies would at length
be awakened to a sense of the iniquity which they practised, and
be roused, if not to a sense of justice, at least to a sense of what
their own interests demanded in respect to this question. The hots.
gentleman concluded by moving a resolution, declaring the unalte-
rable determination of *the society to leave no proper means mutt.
tempted for effecting, at the earliest period, the entire abolition of
slavery throughout the British dominions.
Lord MILTON and 11r. T. AIACAULEY supported the resolution.
Mr. HUNT rose amidst the most deafening clamour, and con.
tended, that although he had been always a friend to Emancipation,
he could not shut his eyes to the fact, that the poor of this country
were suffering, more than the negroes in the West Indies.
The Rev. DANIEL WILSON and Mr. BENRTT supported the
Resolution ; which was agreed to.
,Mr. BROUGHAM repeated the professions of his zeal in the great
cause of abolition—complained with much bitterness of the disap-
probation which the friends of suffering humanity experienced at
the hands of Government and the Legislature—enlarged, with his
usual power, upon the degrading and demoralising tendency if
slavery, both as respected master and slave, and chiefly with respect
to the former—and urged the meeting to approach the Legislature •
with such remonstrances es must awaken it to a sense of the duty
it owed to the black population of the West
Mr. BROWNLOW observed that they had tried the Colonial legit.
latures long enough, and now the Parliament of the mother country
was bound to take the matter into their own hands.
Mr. PowIrALL found fault with the speeches of some of those
who preceded him, as being nothing to the purpose. He conceived
that they (the meeting) were in duty bound to petition Parliament to
this effect, that though the complete abolition might not, at the pre.
sent moment, be perfectly convenient, yet that, in the meanwhile, a
bill might be passed, declaring that children born of negro peretes,
after the Ist of July, 1101, be deemed free; and praying the Lrgi...
lature that such bill be passed immediately.
Mr. H. DRUMMOND seconded the motion; and Mr. BUTT was
understood to speak in its support.
Mr. F. BUXTON observed that not much difference subsisted be
tween the Amendment of Mr. Pelmet and the original motion.
Mt. Buoy...meet cpposed the Amendment, on the ground of the
impossibility of the bill's, supposing it to pass, arriving in the %Vest
ladies, and being made knew there, any considerable time before the
day proposed for its coming into operetion.
Mr. Pau la 310 ND explained, as did Mr. POWN.tL. He was not
bigottcd to a particular date; he merely wished for the vitiation of
principle—the principle of fixing some early date.
Mr. S. RICE recommended the Meeting to negative the Amend-
ment.

Mr. O'Coitirenn saw no difficulty in adopting the amendment ;
they could not expect to aceonipit:.4 their object all at once ; let
them make a beginning ; and if they (riled in the struule, they
at least would have the consolation ct knowing that they had failed
in attempting the spread of feedem and religion.
Mr. 1.. BUXTON read the Resolution in an altered form so the
Meeting, pledging to: petition Parliament to proceed forthwith
with such measures as might be necessary for abolishing slavery,
and praying that an early day might be fixed, the children be rn
after which to be deemed free.
After a few words from Mr. BrCLINGHADI and 31r. DENMAN.
Dr. LUINIXOTON said that Mr. Brougham was the man above
all others to whom they must look for the advocacy of their cause t
for in the House of Commons he alone possessed the influence
which could obtain a patient hearing, even upon that great question.
Mr. Rice moved the thanks of the Meeting to the Chairman,
seconded .by Mr. Sykes, M.P. Thanks wen also voted to the
Dake of Gloucester, the Presiaast. The Meeting broke up at a
quarter past six o'slocln

The March of Morality mate keep pate with the
oft-named " March of Intellect." We perceive the fol-
lowing announcement in a Canterbury paper:—" Wanted,
in the office of this paper, two devils of moral character.'