Star.
London, England, 1807-03-10 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE ABOLITION.

Mr. HOBHOUSE brought up the Report of the
Slave Trade Abolition Bill. On the motion that the
Amendments be read a fecond time,

Lord HOWICK rote and Paid, that before the
Amendments were read, he was an xious to advert
to what had palled on a former occafion, and propofe,
what he flattered htmfelf would be found fulficient to
obviate certain objedions; in doing this, ho'weve*To
he begged to be underflood as not in the flightefl da
kree fwerving from the opinions he had advanced,
and hill entertained, of the principle of the Bill it.
Pelf. He wifhed to give Gentlemen, who had flatted
their objelions, every poffible accommodation ; and
though he could not fee how the preamble of the Bill
in its prefent form could be produ&ive of the ill
confequences that had been fo if rentgly apprehended,
yet he would content, by omitting the two firit Aires,
to put that preamble in a form Ids objeaionable ; at
the fame time, when he recolleded that all the former
proceedings of the two Houfes of Parliament, rel -
live to the Slave Trade, had been publifhed in all
parts 4 the Weft Indies, and there circulated, and
efpecially the very Refolution declaring the trade to
be inconfiflenr with juflice, humanity and found po•
lief, and that thole publications were not productive
of any ditturbance or diraffedion among the negroes;
he could not think that if the preamble flood in its
original (late, that it could be produdive of the leaft
evil; this opinion, however, fhould yield to his anxiety
for general accommodation on a great queftion like
the prefent. The amended form of the preamble
then propofed by the N.tble Lord, preluded the
terms s• founded in inhumanity," &c. &c. and fob.
aimed " for certain fpecial reafons," it is expedient
that the Slave Trade be abelilbed.

1

Mr. HIBBERT Paid he fhould rekrve what he
had to fay for a future nage of the Bill.
General VYSE required that the original preamble
be read.
The SPEAKER reminded the Honourable Mem.
ber, that the queltion now before the Houfe was
generally, that the amendments be read.
General VYSE contended warmly, that the terms
tired in the fill preamble, were but charaderiflic of
fo infamous a trade, and reprefented in glowing
terms the miferies of the wretched vielims in a three-
fold point of view, the circumaances of their capture
and Cale in Africa, thole of their [mirage to the co-
lonies, and the manner of their reception on their
arrival there.
Mr. ROSE thought, that the wording of the pre-
amble as it originally flood, would have been pro.
duaive of dangerous confequences among the 04VC1.
Mr. WILBERFORCE could not fee it in fo
Aiming a point of view, but had no objeElion to the
.imendment.

Mr. FULLER felt himfelf much obliged to the
Nohie Lord for the willingnefs he had evinced to-
wel& general accommodation on this fubjed ; be
could nut, however, help adverting to the unfair and
unhandfnme conftrudion that hid been put upon his
condua in this butinefs ; he did not much like to fee
upon a former night an Hon. Member going about
the Houle ageing quellions about his dive in the
colonies, the name of it, and other circumhances, as,
if it were to detea him (Mr. Fuller) in any aliertion
that might not be ltrialy confonant to the faa ; he
fhould fcorn to affect any thing which be did not think
he could lubßantiate. He knew what was due from
every Member to that Houle, and he knew alto what
was due from a man of honour to himfelf. He was no
pitiful canter; confident in the integrity of his inten-
tions, no fupeinitious folly hurried him to interpret
every little cafualty into a dire vifitation of Novi-
Imam But had he no internal principle to guide
him. he had to fupport that charaaer a long line of
anceary bequeathed him. The family were well
known and refpetted in 1607, and this is 1807, and
they are now, as they were then—not one of them
indebted to any fa'tion or to any Ministry for fix.
pence of the public money ; tl.ey were then in prof.
perity, and now in the faired way of profpering, if
Gentlemen would let them profper (a laugh). As for
himfelf, he had always voted in that Houle as a Juror
upon his oath. He was not endeavouring e.),cd in with
the Government—be felt and aOed as an independent
man, and was never an admirer of affected piety.
Mr. WILBERFORCE explained, that it had not
been his intention to impeach the Hon. Gentleman
of any thing more than utter ignorance of what was
going on in his eftate in the Well Indies.
Mr. BARHAM approved of the amendment ;n
she preamble propufed by the Noble Lord (Howick)
on principles of policy. The imprefling upon the
minds r.f the negroe. that it was by a violation of the
laws of jithice and humanity that they came there,
would be only filling their minds with unavailing
regret. He acknowledged that the circulation of the
papers refpeaing the abolition in the Weft
was rather a fingular fort of proceeding. But at the
fame time, the negroes mull have learnt from thefe
that the fentiments concerning the inhumanity, in-
jullice, &c. of the meafure, were only thole of the
minotity in this country. He recommenced conci•
barmy meafutes, and obferved, that whatever bad
effeEts might retolt horn the mode of proceeding in
this bufinef,, he had nothing to do with them. He
difapproved of the trade itfelf, but had objeaions to
the manner of ah,,lithing it.
Mr. DICKENSON obferved, that the opinions
which he formerly maintained on this fubjea were
much weakened ; he hill, however, doubted the po•
lie), of the ineafure, but at the fame time could nut
help paying his tribute of approbation to the modera-
tion of the Noble Lord.

General GASCOIGNE alfu approved of the
Amendment but Itill contended that the meafurc
would in the firtl intlance occAlinn a feparation of
intetelts and opinions between this country and the
colunie,, and ultimately occafinn an entire reparation,
unlefs the law pallid in 3807 should be repealed in

Lord HOWICK propofed a claufe to prevent the
late Regulations for Limited Service extendingto the
Negrne, The Negroer, therefore, are Rill to be
inlilled in the fire inltance, his Majefty having the
power to make fuch regulations refpeding them as he
may hereafter judge proper. The ohjed of this vk
to prevent any apprehenfions of their becoming charge.
able to the illAncls. This Claufe was received and
added to the Bill.
l'he Amendment in the Preamble,and the Amend.
ments in the Committee, were then agreed to, and
the Bill was ordered to be read a third time on Wed
xrefday next.

RATUM, in our report of Mr. Animas-rotes Speech, on the
Slave Trade, in yelterday's STAnt—kor " evil frtrpetraied," read
_evil tertetvated."
THE EVENING STAR.