The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-22
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
OF NEWS BY THE LATE Az
RIVALS.
SLAVE TRADE.
HOUSE, OF COMMONS, June 8, $50

Rate his opinion upon the fubiect, in which, as
1t appeared to him, the honor and character Of
the nation were 10 much involved that ever
fince the fave trade bad been under public diff
culiion, bis opinion refpeGting it had been, that
1t was a fy(tein which had originated in avarice
and cruelty, and had been continued 90 the pre-
fent moment to the difgrace of the Britih natl
en-, and in violation of every principle of relig-
on, iuftice and humanity. That after this de-
claration, it was almot unneceiiary for him to
add, that the bill now before the houfe ihould
have his jealous fupport in its prefent and in all
its future ftages. But before he Cat down, he
hoped he might be allowed to offer his acknow-
Judgments to the hon. gentleman oppoiite to him
(Rlr. Wilberforce,) with whom this bill had ORR
ginated, tor his unwearied perseverance in a
neaiure, one effect of which, in his view of the
fubied, would be to refcue the national charac-
ter from the dfgrace and opprobrium in which
1t was now involved, by the mere federation of
this abominable trahc.-He, moreover, trufted
that the event would prove, that ne was not
premature if he congratulated the hon. gentle
man Mr.. Wilberforce, y and if he congratulated
the houfe and the country on the profpeSt now
offered OF the labour of that honorable gentle
man being at lat about to be rewarded and car
ried with perfect and entire fuccefs.
June IL.
MIR. Fuller moved the order of the day-Mr.
Wilberforce moved that the fpeaker do leave
the chair. The Ian motion was oppoied with
much warmth, and fupported with great fririt.
Sir Robert Buxton defended Mr.. Pitt, againn
any charge OF inincerity in his fupport of the
abolition of the llave trade. He had made it his
buiinets narrowly to watch the whole of his
conduct in this buiineis, and he had never
witneifed greater evidence of the cordiali-
ty and zeal of any individual il public
caufe.
Mr.. Wilherforce made Mort but very per
tnent & concluiivereplyt to the principal obietti-
surgedlgainf hismeafure. Thehonorable and
worthy membernext proceededtorenforce alhi
original arguments in favour of the abolition of
the trade. He quoted from Mr. Parke's travels
into the interior of Africa, feveral paTages,
which fully thew that the arguments OF the abo-
Htonifs are founded in the jultelt views of poll
cy as well as the mott enlarged ideas of introdu-
eng knowledge, humanity, and religion into
that Watt continent. We decline entering into
any minute ftatement, having in the hrit in
fance, 70 fully defcribed the hon. members ar
guments. The manner in which he handled
this part of the fubjee did equal honour to his
head and heart. He quoted authors, particular
ly the French writer lie Bruno, who wrote long
before the quetion of abolition was tated,
to confirm all his petitions on this head. He
argued at fome length on the praGticabty OF
keeping up the flock of negroes, independent OF
importation. He fhewed, that for long ferries
ofyears, particularly for the aft twelve, that the
proportion of the deaths and births of the ne
groes was gradually becoming more favourable,
and quoted teveral authorities particularly that
Of a DR.. Auderfon, who had the care of four
thon!and negroes, &c flew that by good manage
ment, the number of negroes might be kept up
in all our illands. In luttration of this idea he
hated that he was enabled, on the authority of
Mr.. King, the late American miniiter, one of the
mott respectable men alive that in the ten years,
from 1901 to 1901, the American negroes had
increafed in iiIch proportion as TO hold out
fair profpe6t Of doubling their number in "a or
25 years.
The negroes too rapidly increafed in Bencoo-
len, in ST. Helena in ST. kits, and in other iet-
Elements. 1t being afcertained that flch a ra-
pid incIeaic was obtained in America, he faw
no reafon to think why orr Velt-Inda negroes
might not only keep up their numbers but might
poiitively increae to great degree. The eli
mate of America was 70 far from being more IA
vorahle, that the dews and exhalations with
which it abCunded were particularly unfavora-
bic to the health of the negroes, accuftomed to
a dry and hot climate. The hon. member, af-
ter illuftrating this point, which we have iuit
limited at, laid before the houfe, on the poftiye
information of the American miniRer, fine very
satisfactory proipect of the probable abolition OF
the ilave trade i'll the United States at no remote
period. AT preient in all the ftates, with the
exception of Sontb Carolina, the importation of
negroes was prohibited and in lsOs, when the
powers on this point now ve1ed in the partcu-
lar ftates ihould ceafe, there was every reafon
to believe that congrefs would take up the buff
nefs and aboliih the fave trade forever. The
hon. member read paragraph from the minif-
ter's letter precifely to the foregoing effect. He
congratulated the houfe on this project, and
urged it as an additional argument for taking
the lead in the great work of humanity, policy
and iuftice.
The queaion finally, being foundIy called for
the houfe divided-Ayes 79-Noes 90. Maio-
rity for going into committee 50. The houfe
then went into committee and after conGde-
rable deiutory debate, the claufe, refpeeting the
limitation Of the trade from Africa to the Wet
indies, was amended and Rood nearly thus:
Provided always, that it fhall and may be
lawful for any iuch flip or vefIel as fhal be 70
engaged in the African trade aforefaid, to land
her negroes in any part of his maiefy's 1ands
IN the Weh-Indies, after the faid period of the
III Of January, 1905, if there fhall be fificient
proofs that the fad vefIel has failed from any
port in the united kingdom within IS days after
the paTng of this act, or from any other part of
Europe on or before the sth of Auguf, 1904 )"
CONSTANTTNOPLE, April %.
M. JOubert, the French interpreter, is arrived
here from Paris. He has brought letter from
the Firli Coniul TO the Grand Siglor, written