The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-02-24 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE.

Mr. 11011.1sIER:;Isbed,beiorethe House should
resume the consideration of the Corn Laws, to call
their attention for a few moments to a subject con-
nected with the due execution of the laws enacted
for the Abolitton of the Slave Trade. He had seen
a pamphlet that attracted his attention, chiefly by
the character and name assumed by its author, in
which it was stated that three persons named Cook,
Bra.die, and Dunbar, who had been convicted at
Sierra Leo.te of slave trading, and sentenced to be
transported, had been c.mfined on board the hulks
at Portsmouth ; but that the Secretary of State, ever
alive to the calls of humanity, had relieved them
front the miseries of their situation. He had no rea.
son to attach any particular credit to this statement,
more especially as lie had cause to know that it we,
accompanied by other statements positively erroneous,
but it was at the same time desirable to know 'woe.
ther a Secretary of State had interfered between a.
convict and the law so as to prevent its due exe.
cution.

Mr. 11. ADDINGTON was perfectly ready to as.
sure the House, that the statement, if sect+ as repro.
seated by the lion. and Learned Gentleman, had not
shadow of a foundation in fact. The truth of the

tse was this : Petitions had been received from the

the
cef
thi

.free individuals in question, and representations
made, soliciting an exemption from the heavy labour
which they were condemned, on the ground of
'ere ill-health. This prayer had been complied
'h, the tact of their illness being verified by pro-
. authority. This was the extent of relief which
lad been granted. Within these last three or four
aye, however, information had been received, in-
Iving various legal doubts, which had been referred

. the law Officers of the Crown. Whenever their
report should be received, it would he readily com-
lnicated, either privately to the Eon. Gentleman,
on his notice to the House.

Mr. HORNER thought the explanation of the
.ight lion. Gentleman quite satisfactory. Whatever
had been the guilt of the individuals, undoubtedly
they were still objects of humanity, and if there
existed but the shadow of a legal doubt, be hoped
nothing would be done till those doubts were entire.
removed. The pamphlet, however, to which he had
uded, represented these men to have been illegally
ivicted and also represented Government to hare

4opted that persuasion. It contained random
ipon a Society of which he had the honour to know
)uch, and made its conduct and proceedings for s
series of years a subject of the most unqualified cs.
mnies. After reading it, he had lost no time in

.samining, with all the diligence and acceracy•he
employ, the statements in question, and he had
reason: to believe that these were not only erroneous,
: that they had been made under circumstances
gilds might have enabled the author, if he had made
necessary enquiries, to know that they were so.
had nqw the satisfaction to acquaint the House,
..at the African Institution, in consequence of this
publication, were preparing an answer, point by
point, to the misrepresentations so industriously cir-
culated.

CORN !AMTS.
Sir WILLIAM CURTIS presented a Petition
'ons.Colchester, signed by 0000 persons; including
00.faroprs, praying that no alteration be made to
he present Corn Laws.
Mr. BURRELL moved the Order of the Day for
he loose resolving itself into a Committee of the