The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-06-16 00:00:00

tnre from those expressions of abhorrence and de..
testation he was disposed to bestow. He would
not call them merchants, fur they were miscreants
guilty of the worst species of crimes. . When he
said they were guilty of all sorts of murders, far
from thinking he expressed himself too harshly,
be thought his language was nut sufficiently strong.
For murder in a common way he would admit
there might be something like an excuse. In some
instauces it might be perpetrated through sudden
passion, or through &sot resentment of injuries
received. Where no provocation hail been given,
it might sometimes be excused by insanity ; but
the murders committed by these monsters were de-
liberately committed, with motives the most mer.
cenary, the most sordid, and the most base. The
freebooter and highwayman, who murdered the
traveller refusing to surrender his property, were
illustrious characters, compared to those dealers
in blood. The courage of the robber in exposing
his own life to such danger-, threw a sort of lus-
tre over his crime; but here were a set of men,
with every disposition to commit murder, who,
afraid of exposing themselves, systematically cm-
ployed others equally base, excepting their being
less cowardly to do the horrid deed. They ought
not to he tellud " Stave Traders," but " Liver.
pool murderers," or " Liverpool suborners of
perjury and murder." He begged to suggest to
the House the facilities which would be given for
putting a stop to the Slave Trade by our obtaining
possession of an island situated between Sierra
Leone and the southern part of the African coast.
lie thought a greater number of cruisers ought to
be sent ter that port, having an extraordinary num-
ber of hands on board, and a considerable equip.
went of boats ; six or eight ships could not, he
thought, be better employed fur one year. One
year would so far cut up the abominable traffic,
that he thought there would be little danger of its
ever again taking root. Those now employed in
it would employ their capitals in other concerns.
They would, perhaps, turn pirates, and probably
within that period some of them would forfeit their
lives to the violated laws of their country. It was
not, he thought, sufficient that those illegally en.
gaged in the traffic should be only punished by pe.
natty. Feam the record in his hand it appeared,
that, paying all the penalties imposed, if but one
voyage succeeded out of five, the adventurer would
be twenty thousand pounds gainer. Such penal-
ties tended to increase rather than to prevent
the offbnce against the laws, as those engaged in
such pursuits, afraid of seeding one ship, would
be likely to send 20. If a weterman, between
Windsor and Gravesend, took a number of per-
sons above his fare, for the first and second offeu-
ces he was fined, fur the third he lost his franchise
as a letterman, and, if any person should be
drowned ti hen the boat is so overloaded, he will be
transported beyond the seas ; but w item men bought
and murdered a number of Africans, they were
only leitteoeed to pay trtrifling penalty. Formerly
there was t !..w ordaining that " he who stealetli a
telan • e out to death." Now our law en.•
sett— 44 be who stealeth a man, and tortures,

and.. 4 hinr, or consigns him to interminable
slavery, ti./Sail pay 201." This was at present the
sta4 of :'se rase. He [loped before many months
ereugpailvril, the House would take such steps as
woisid f fffe ctually remedy the evil, and vindicate
the character of the country and of Parliament.
Het-cone! sled by moving,

44' Th.,, ble Address be presented to the King, re-
presetting .‘s his Majesty that that Home had taken into
coesideratinc the papers he had been graciously pleased to
tetainunicate wetting the African Slave Trade. But
what they ar:.nowledge with gratitude his endeavours, in
compliauce suet the wisheswf Parliament, I. induce foreign
Powers. awl persuade bill allies to co-operate with England
is ahoii asi,ig the Slave Trade, they cannot hut express regret
tk,.( itresentatious should have had so tittle erect. —To
,c&. his Majesty still to persevere in his endeavours to
are •oreigu PoWers and allies to unite with this country in
ageneral abolition of it, and effectually enforce the laws
akainst k. That they have learned, with surprise and indig-.
rasiou, that eertaio persons in this country have, In a Clan-
destine and fraudulent wanner, endeavoured to ifivire the'
Slave Trade again. That they will early in the belt Sessions
take such measures as shall efectuallysebeck such °tendert,
and polish so daring a violate° of the laws. That in the in-
terim they pray that his Majesty will he graciously pleased
to give orders to the Coundandete of blips and other Mum
acting under his Majesty's authority, to suppress, as far as lies
in their power, praetiees so contemptuous of Parlianwat, and
derogatory to the dignity and character of thenation."
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.
said, concurring as he did in the general object of
the Hon. Gentleman, It was painful to him toiled
any part of the Address such at he must 'consider:
to be improper. Ile objected to that pat Pletig.!:
log the Mese to take up the subject in the ensuing,
Session. That pauage, he hoped; !be Hon. Gent.;
would have no objection 40 expunge, as it was not
commou to give such a pledge in an Address., If It'
sheukl appear desirable that the House should give
such a pledge, it would be better to come to it in
a resolution than In an address though as the ma.
Udall before them were at present's( acuity, and
the lion. Gent. had himself given a pledge to
bring the subject forward, he thoUght they would
do well to content themselves with that. With
respect to the little progresi made in our negocia.
tint with Foreign Courts on the subject, it should
be remembered how lung it was before this country
was weaned from its old prejudices, and retnem-
bering that we ought not to be too sanguine in our
expectations of the conversion of others. Endea.
,ours had been made, and with some success, to
make Portugal favourable to the gradual abolition
of the Slave Trade, but some allowances were to
be made fur them if the Portuguese GOvernment
were out as favourable as could be wished, when
it was remembered how little leisure they had for
turuiug their attention te the subject.
Mr. MAItitYATT thought those persons who
some years ago settled in Trinidad, being eucou.
raged so to do by the then Government, had a
fair claim to compensation, having on the strength
of that encouragement purchased large tracts of
land, which, in consequence of the abolition of
the Slave Trade, they could not put into a state
of cultivation, anti of course lost their vartie.—
Tile measures adopted had not effectually cheeky!
the trade. We had only changed characters, 'and
boos. the receivers iustead of the dealers.W4'