Star.
London, England, 1821-06-26 00:00:00

TUESDAY. JUNE 26,

PARLIAWENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

DOUSE. OF LORDS, JUNE 25.

Mr. 1330011 Ex. and others brought up from the Commons the
New Churches Act .Imendment Bill, the Irish Transfer of
Stock Bill, the Scottish Distilleries Drawback Bill, the Scottish
Malt Duties Reduction 13111, and the Irish Jail Fees Bill.—Read
a first time.

Mr. JOHNSON from the Office of the Chief Secretary of State
forlreland, presented the sccond Report of the Commissioners

of Irish Fisheries.—Laid on the table.
On the motion of the Earl of LIMILICX, the London Wharfs
Bill was ordered to be recommitted next Friday.
Dr. PIIILLIMOK.E and others brought up from the Commons
the Salvage Regulation Bill and several Private Bills.—Read a
first time.
The Irish Treasury Bills Bill, the Sinking Fund Loan Bill,
the Ordnance Lands Bill, the Exchequer Bills Bill, and the
Bank of Ireland Bill, were read a third time, passed, and sent
to the Commons.
The Coal Mines Drawback, and the East India Company
Trade Bills went respectively through Conunittees, and were
reported. .
The Earl of DARNLEY rose for the purpose of stating the
object of the motion of which he had given notice, and whichl
it was his intention to bring forward to-morrow. It would be
to recommend generally a system of economy and retrenchment
in the Navy.
Lord SIDMOUTH said, it was his intention to fix Friday
next for the Committee on the Bill for regulating the Court of
Chancery in Ireland, which had been before the House for a
considerable time, and which had for its object a regulation of
great importance to the Suitors in that court.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN fully concurred in the im-
portance of the measure, and hoped that no circumstance would
occur to prevent it from passing into a law, otherwise the Par-
liament would be giving its sanction to the exaction of illegal
and exorbitant fees.—The Committee was fixed for Friday next.

SLAVE TRADE.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN said, that pursuant
to the notice he had given, he rose to call the atten-
tion of the Howe to a subject which had often come
before them on former occasions. After the long
period that had elapsed since the abolition of the
Slave Trade by the Parliament of Great Britain, and
the period since most of the Powers of Europe bad
entered into engagements with this country to put a
stop to that detestable traffic, it was the duty of 0
House to consider the present state of it, not only for
their own satisfaction, but with a view to stimulate
the Government to use every possible means towards
its complete extirpation. Whatever opinion he might
have entertained as to the remissness of our Ministers
at the Congress of Vienna in enforcing •the entire
abolition of this trade, he was happy to say, that he
entertained on such occasion nothing like a hostile
feeling towards army such individuals ; and he must
observe, that some very zealous and able remon-
strances had been.made on the subject by his Ma-
jesty's • ministers at foreign Courts, with a view of
enforcing the abolition in question. When the guilty
traffic was laid aside by this country, it was naturally
expected that a horde of unprincipled adventurers
would start up in every quarter of the world, and
take up a traffic which we had abandoned. These
anticipations were.realised, and a spirit of adventure
arose among the wicked and the base of all nations,
for carrying on the trade. Against this there was no'
' other remedy than negotiation with foreign States.
At the Congress of Vienna, just at the time when the
termination of the war was likely to open the trade
to the people of all countries, Great Britain had a
right, on principles of humanity and justice, to appeal
to those countries whose Representatives appeared at
that Congress, and call on them to agree to the final',
abolition of the trade. The appeal was made—no
Power was found base enough to defend it ; and al
general determination appeared to be entered into to
put an end to it altogether. Treaties were, conse-
quently, concluded with different countries, for abo-
lishing the trade on a certain line of coast. Here the
Noble Marquis recapitulated the various Treatiesl
which we had made with several countries, of which
the Netherlands had agreed to abolish the trade alto-1
gether : the Congress of the United States of America
had also, by a late Act, declared that all persons car-
rying on the trade should be held guilty of piracy,
and punished with death. He should next come to
the melancholy task of shewing that the Treaties to
which he alluded had been broken. There had been
a degree of laxity on the part of these Governments
in carrying the Treaties into effect, and a degree of
favour shewn to their subjects who carried on the
trade in slaves. The Government of Spain, in parti-
cular, had been altogether inattentive to the terms of
the Treaty, and numberless instances °centred of
Spanish slave-vessels having arrived at the Havannah
with slaves from all parts of Africa: and numerous
vessels had been sent out from that port for the pur-
pose of carrying on the trade. As to Portugal, great
numbers of vessels had been fitted out from that coun-
try ; and, in one year, no less than 2000 slaves had been
brought to South America in Portuguese ships, and
under the sanction of Portuguese Authorities, who, it
appeared, were themselves proprietors of slave ships.
As to the Government of the Netherlands, he was
sorry to say that Surinam had been in the constant,
habit of receiving slaves. The pretence was, that the
slaves had come from other Colonies; but they came
°from Africa. IN now adverted to the conduct of
the French, who were placed under a Representative
Government, and who ought to have some regard
for the principles of liberty. But it unfortunately
happened that, in one year, not less than 50,000
slaves were carried away from Africa in French ships.
The trade had been carried on by them to Martinique
in the most open manner. Remonstrances on this
subject were made by Sir Charles Stewart to the
French Government, but without the desired effect.
One ship, called the Rogere, was so crowded with
slaves from the coast of Africa, that a dreadful sick-
ness broke out among them, and many of them were
thrown overboard, and the remainder, on arriving
at their dr;.stirration, were so disabled _as to be ren-
dered unfit for any useful purpose. And such was
the unpardonable remissness of the French Govern-
ment in this business, that although all sort of pub-
licity was given to it in the Parisian Journals, the
French Police were unable to find out in what man-
ner, and for what purpose the Rogere had sailed.—
Thc Noble Marquis nest alluded to a caie in which

numbers of slaves had been• thrown into the sea in

casks from a French slave ship, after that ship had
been pursued by Sir George Collyer. The result of
all, he said, was, that the British Government must
feel itself bound to take some steps more effectual
than any it had hitherto taken, in order to put a
final stop to this horrid traffic. Ile now proceeded
to read the statement of Sir George Collyer, as to
the manner in which the trade was carried on, par-
ticularly by France, which carried it on to an ex-
tent beyond anything that ever could be supposed ;
and he declared that the French Gorcinment did

secretly give unbounded sanction to the trade; and
that the slaves in their passage were subject to the
most horrible cruelties, being confined in narrow
places, where they breathed the most pestilential air.
The French Papers every day abounded with ad-
vertisements respecting tUs trade ; and all this was
done in the eye of a most enlightened Government
with impunity, and with its entire sanction. It was,
therefore, incumbent on that House t. adopt some
resolution declaratory of their feelings on this horrid
traffic, and the condoct of the Powers which carried
it on. He was happy to say that the British Govern-
ment in India had exeited itself in a most laudable
manner to eut a stop to the trade in that part of the
world. With respect to the countries which agreed
with us to abolish this traffic, he thought we had a
right to call on them to know the reasons why they
had refused to give effect to their own resolutions.
The United States of America were willing to co•
operate with us, and he saw no reason why it should
be repugnant to the fair dealing of each country,
that the ships of the different nations off the coast of,
Africa, should have a right to search.• The nest
plan was, that there should be a general Register of
Slavet in all the Colonies. These suggestions Ought
to be impressed incessantly on every Power, which
must feel the necessity of totally abolishing a traffic.
that collected round it the influence of every evil
passion that belonged to human nature. And the
first desideratum to be looked to both on the piin-
ciples of commerce and humanity was, the total abo-
lition of a trade, which in every place exhibited the
fruits of misery and desolation. It was necessary to
proclaim to the world their sentiments on this great
question, in order that some impression might be
made on the other Nations of Europe, so as to induce
them to come into the views of our Government in
respect to this trade. He then concluded with moving,
that a dutiful and loyal Address be presented to his
Majesty, representing that the House had season to
know that the efforts of his Majesty to induce foreign
Governments to unite with him in putting a stop to
the Slave Trade had not been attended to by those
Governments. The Address, which was very long,
consisted chiefly of a repetition of the facts stated by
the Noble Marquis in the coufse of his speech, and
'prayed that his Majesty would use his endeavours to
forward the wishes of the House, by means of his
Ministers it foreign Courts.
Earl BATHURST said, lie should be ready to
give the Address his support, although he might not
agree with all the terms of it. As to Portugal, he
felt there would be some difficulty in bringing that
country into our views. The only way by which the
object could be effectually attained %sits, by a gene-
ral right of search; and he feared that any general
regulation that might be entered into, might be in
many instances evaded. He assured the House that
his Majesty's Ministers were not inattentive to this
subject, and that they had dime everything in their
power to promote. the object which the Noble Mar-
quis seemed to have so much at heart. •
Lord CALTHORPE could not help expressing
disappointment on finding how imperfectly Fria:cc
had acted up to all her treaties, and that, too, when
she had acquired the blessings of freedom and good
government. He was sure that the exertions already
made for abolishing the Slave Trade, must be at-
tended with final success;' and he trusted that France
would ultimately be induced to abandon this odious
traffic. Ile should give his most sincere and cordial
support to the motion.
. The Address was then agreed to, and the House,
at Seven o'Clock, adjourned.