Star.
London, England, 1807-03-17 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Lord YARMOUTH, as Chairman of the Dublin Committee,
read at the Bar the Report of Paid Committee,ftating that they had
met, and had Wiled a Collimation according as the At prefcribcd.
The Report being delivered in, Lord Yarmouth moved that laid
Committee have leave to adjourn until filch time as the return of
laid Coninsiffion has arrived.—Leave given.
The Chairman of the Guildford Committee reported that
George Holme Somner, Efq. was not duly eleeted, and that the
Honourable Chapel Norton bad been duly elated to lease in the
prcfent Parliament for the Borough of Guildford.
Mr. HOBHOUSE moved that Lord Bruce, at the rifing of the
Houle this day, be difeharged from the custody of the Serjeant at
Arms, firft paying his fees.
A New Writ for the Borough of Buckingham was ordered in
the room of Sit William lounge, who fince his elation had ac-
cepted of the govemm:nt of the Oland of Tobago.
Several Petitions were prefented againft the Oak Bark Bill, and
referred to the Committee on faid Bill.
Sir HOME FOPHAM took the Oaths and his Seat.

A Mcffage from the Lords acquainted the Honfe that their
Lordihips had agreed to the Loan Bill, and the frith Taxes Col-
lation Bill.

Mr. Montague from :he Office of the Chamberlain of London,
prdented at the bar certain Papers, which were ordered to lie on
the table.

Mr. Johnstone, from the Office of Chief Secretary of Ireland,
gave in at the Bar certain Accounts relating to the Bank of Ire
land.—Ordered to lie on the table.

A perlon from the Exchequer gave in at the• Bar certain Ac•
cairns, relating to the Permanent Taxes and the Public Funds.—
Ordered to lic on the table.

The Ira Paper Duty Bill was read a first time, and ordered to
be read a recond time to morrow.

The Bahama Salt Bill, and the Paddington Coal Bill, were fe-
verally rind a third time and paired.
Mr. DENT poßponed his notice from this day to to-morrow
fc'nnight.
Mr. COURTNEY moved, that the Order of the Day for hear-
ing the CuEras Petition be difcharged, and that Paid Order be
fixed for the 29th of May.
Sir JOHN ANSTRUTHER and Mr. PERCEVAL objedted
to fo diftant a day, and propofed inftead of it the lath of April.
The SPEAKER, however, having obferved on the preffure of
bulimia on that day, the s 6th was finally agreed to.
MR. PAULL'S PKTITIOM.

Lord FOLKSTON E moved that there be laid before the Houfe
a return, Chewing the time of fervice in the Navy, by Mr. William
Weatherhead, between the years Ink and 18e)3, both inclufive.
After force obfervations from Lord Temple, Admiral Mark-
Um, Meffrs. J. Bourne, Baker, Fremantle, and H. Lee, upon
the intficiency of the Motion in its prefent form, the Noble Lord
withdrew it, and fltortly after prdented the following, which was
agreed to without any further Obfervation, " That there be laid
hefore the Houk a return, mewing the time of fervice in the
Navy by 151 r. William Weatherbead, between the years of 1798
and tBO5, both inclufive; in his Majesty's Blips Royal William,
&Heine, Ajax, Ceres, and Africa."

BATH COMMON INCLOSURE BILL.
Lord JOHN THYNNE moved t►e order of the day for the
fecond reading of the Bath Common Inclofure Bill.
Lord OSSULSTON oppofed the motion, as the Bill went to in•
terfere with one of the principal and moft airy walks of the inva-
lids who reforted to Bath. He moved, an amendment, that the
Bill be read a fecond time this day three months.
The Bill was defended by Lord JOHN THYNNE, Mr. PAL-
MER, and Mr HOBHOUSE. A divifion took place,
For reading the Bill a fecond time now 49—AgainR it 78—Ma-
jority 29.
A fecond divifion then took place on the queftisa for reading
the Bill a fecond time this day three months.
For reading the Bill a feeond time this day three months 57
Againft it 49. The Bill was of cootie loft twit majority of 8.
SLAVE TRADE. _ _ _ _

Lord HENRY iiiiiini;red the Order of the
Day for the third reading of the Slave Trade Abo-
lition Bill.

Mr. HIBBERT then rote, and made a Tone
fpeech againft the meafure, and in defence of thole
who had been concerned in carrying on the Trade.
He exprefred his approbation at the maner in which
the difcuffion on the fubjea had been introduced to
the Houle by a Noble Lord (Howick) ; and he re-
gretted his example had net been followed by others.
He cenfured the expreffions which had fallen from
Cowie Members, that the hurricanes and other mil
fortunes which befel the Wet India Wands were
vifited upon them as the judgment of Gon for the
Slave Trade. He next alluded to the condition of
the Natives on the Coati of Africa ; contended they
would not be ameliorated by the Abolition of the
Trade; and he quoted the authority of Leo Afri-
canus and others to thew, that long before the Slave
Trade began upon the Coati, the Natives were con-
tinually at war, making captives; and had a public
market for Slaves, where so were fold for one borfe,
becaufe honks were much in requa by the warriors.
Slavery was in fad familiar to tilde people in all
ages. In anfwer to the argument, that the popula-
tion in the Weft Indies could be kept up, he men-
tioned the names of fume elates, where the owners
retitled, and had the Slaves treated in the kindeft
manner, and yet the population failed. He feared
that the Abolition, when known to the Negroes in
the Wefi Indies, would cattle a molt dangerous im-
preflinn ; and as the increafe of the we.a. India Pro-
duce was one of the lured means of adding to the
wealth of the country, fo the decay of the fpirit
which produced that wealth would be highly inju-
rious to our commerce.

Sir P. FRANCIS could not reconcile his mind to
the idea of granting compenfation to men for depri-
ving them of a trade which the Legillaure declared
contrary to the principles of jullice, humanity, and
found policy.
Mr. LYTTLETON deprecated, in a ftrain of
warmth, the principles upon which this nefarious
traffic was conducted.

Mr. H. THORNTON fupported the Bill with
great ability ; gave a {hot t but interetling account of
the decline and abolition of flavery in Europe ; of
the cattle of it, and of the happy if et of that aboli-
tion. He hailed the prefent as an aufpicious moment
in which Africa was greatly to be relieved, and the
Weft Indies at the fame time to be much benefited.
He expatiated on the great hardfhips which the Ne-
groes had been accuflomed to endure, but whole cot-
dition would be ameliorated by the abolition of the
African Slave Trade, becaufe it would become the
immediate interelt of their matters to ufe their lives
well, wheti they found they could never have a frefh
limply of them.
Captain HERBERT appofed the Bill, which, if
patted, would in his judgment eventually be nothing
lefs than the death-warrant, not inertly of the Welt
India Trade, but of all the Whites in the Weft India
Iflands. This he declared as hit confcientious opinion,
having no other interell whatever in the quetti to than
what arofe from public motives, but influenced
ftrongly by his knowledge of the Well India Iflands,
and particularly of St. Domingo.
Mr. I'. W. PLUMMER was as much an advocate
for liberty as any man, but thought it very dangerous
to propagate fuch an idea among the unenlightened
Negroes. It was to be recolleeled how much Great
Britain had already loft in her colonial ltrength, by
the difcuflion of thefe abftrael principles—to that the
owed the revolt and final loft of her Amei ican colo-
nies—and it behoved her to be aware of propagating
notions of political right among a people ft unintelli-
gent and fo eafily provoked to revolt as the Negroes.
With regard to the fupply of Negroes to the colonies,
as it appeared on all hands at leap a queflionable
point, that the negro population could be kept up
without any farther impottation, he recommended
rather a fufpenfion of the Trade than a total Aboli-
tion, in order that an experiment might be fairly
made upon this important queftion.
Mr. BA RHAM Paid, that the total time of labour
was only ten hours. The whip of a.driver was never
ufed, though it was formerly ; and it was no more
ufed now titan the mace was to knock down Mem-
bers in the lobby. Neither the drivers nor white fer-
vants had power to punith without confent of the
matters. The Negroes preferred the ordinary mode
of labour to lathes, as he himfelf had found by expe-
rience. He pofitively &flirted, that when women
were pregnant, all idea of labour was at an end. His
Negroes had brought him, on a fear of fcarcity, about
a thoufand pounds in gold ; which was a proof that
Negroes had, in general, not been fo harfhly treated
as had been apprehended.
Mr. H. THORNTON (till maintained, that he
was comet in the points he had fluted.
Mr. WINDHAM entered at great length upon'
the prefent queftion, and maintained with his ufual
acutenefs, that the principle on which this Bill was
founded went the length of abolifhing Slavery, as
well as the Slave Trade. He agreed with his Noble
Relation (Mr. Herbert) who had fpoken in a manner
which did him honour, that the real queftion for a
Statefman in this cafe was—Whether more good or
evil would' refult from this meafure in the prefent
Hate of the world ? and he really thought that the
evil preponderated; he was therefore againft this Bill.
Mr. SHERIDAN made a very animated fpeech
, in anfwer to his Right Honourable Friend who had
juft fpoken, and who, he Paid, had delayed (peaking
on the Bill until it was too late for any of his obfer-
vations to be ufeful in amending the Bill, becaufe
that could only be done in a Committee. He thought
his Right Hon. Friend had mifapplied his fplendid
talents in blending two things that were totally dif-
tinet. The Aft ican Slave Trade, and Slavery in the
Well Indies—undoubtedly they were both inhuman,
and by the unerring order of PROVIDF.NCE, every
thing that was inhuman was impolitic. He concluded
with affuring the Houle, that he never gave w vote
in his life with greater fatisfaetion than that which
he was about to give in favour of this Bill for the
Abolition of the African Slave Trade.
Lord CASTLEREAGH made a long fpeech, in
which he argued, that the prefent Bill would not
produce any of the advantages intended by it ; and
that Slaves would be, with great cruelty to them.
(elves and injury to the Colonies, (till fmtiggled into
the Iflands. He contended, that his Hon. Friend
who was the author of this meafure had been wafting
his time for feventeen years.
Mr. WILBERFORCE contended, that if the abo-
lition (bould be deferred for five years, or even ten
years farther, time would be required at the end of
that period. If time (Mould be given to import a

Cufficient number of Negroes to cultivate
capable of cultivation in Jamaica and Trinidad,
which would require one million for each, at the
of the twenty four years, which th::t importation
would require, the fame demand for further indul-
gence may with equal propriety be preferred. He
then entered into a very eloquent defence -t the mea.
litre, and acknowledged his gratitude to the prefrnt
Adminithation, who, wi h the exception of one in-
dividual (Mr. Windham), had fo zealouhly and ho.
nourably fuppotked the great prineirles iipqn which
the meafure was founded. It was peculiarly gratif:.
ing to him, to receive filch dißinguithed and cif:anal
of flance from them ; becatife many of then), in con.
juneion with the great Statcfman now no more, had
contributed their 'efforts to attract the attention of
the public to this great qualm), when it was first
'brought forward.
Mr. WINDHAM and Mr. WILBERFORCE
mutually explained, after which the Bill e; AL read a
third time, and paired without a di vifinn.
At HALF PAST TWO, the licatfe A•liottrned.