verted the difpofitions of the people, and taken numbers of them from their occupations, to their manifeft injury. To convert so iniquitous a practice into a regular mode of raifing money, was difgraceful to the nation. Those who gave it their countenance in parliament, feemed to have forgotten that the duty of legiflators was to facrifice every confideration to the support of public honour and virtue, instead of facrificing thefe for the mere augmentation of income.

The talents of Mr. Courtney were on this occafion remarkably exerted in favour of the oppofition to lotte ries. He ironically reprefented the minifter as judiciously converting private vices into public benefits, and availing himself of the multitudes that wanted wisdom, to render their folly of national utility.

Mr. Francis united with the enemies of a lottery, in condemning it as a fource of many calamities; it filled the jails with unhappy individuals, both as debtors and criminals; an ignominious death, or tranfpor tation was its usual effect; and misfortune or infamy its usual concomitant.

Mr. Sheridan deprecated the ufe of lotteries as banes to the nation: they ftripped families of their furniture, their apparel, and the most neceflary appurtenances. Parents and children were daily reduced by them to every fpecies of wretched nefs; and the drawing of a lottery was always a period marked by the moft deplorable incidents, and every defcription of domeftic calamities." Through Mr. Taylor's reiterated remonftrances, a committee was appointed to inquire into the various evils refulting to the community VOL. XXXIV.

from the establishment of lotteries. A report was accordingly laid before the Houfe; and the friends to the abolition of this mode of raifing money, determined to leave no effort untried to put an end to it.

Another object of an odious nature was brought to the confideration of the Houfe during this feffions: this was the flave trade; which had already been canvaffed in feveral feffions with uncommon warmth and accuracy, and given rife to a multiplicity of regulations formed with the humane view of foftening its horrors, and obviating the complaints of those who reprefented it as an outrage on human nature, and a difgrace to civilized people.

On the 2d of May, through the repeated endeavours of Mr. Wilberforce, who had the honour of primitively leading the way in this laudable attempt, the Houfe went into a committee of examination into the particulars of the trade to the coaft of Africa, for the purchas ing of negroes for the ufe of the plantations in America.

That gentleman had experienced a multitude of obstacles in this attempt; but he had uniformly perfifted in repeating it every feffions, though oppofed with all the ftrength and art of those who difapproved of his defign; which he had now brought, through his refolution and perfeverance, to a maturity that his many opponents did not expect he would have been able to effect.

The more he reflected on this iniquitous branch of commerce, the more he faid it appeared to deferve an immediate prohibition. It was equally inimical in its principle to public intereft, and to the feelings of individuals of any rational fentiments.

L

ftatements, the nation at large was not benefitted.

The perfidious conduct of several British traders on the coaft of Africa was then laid before the Houfe by Mr. Wilberforce; who being called upon to name the offenders, fpecified them accordingly, together with the enorinities of which they had been guilty.

Mr. Wilberforce next adverted to the great mortality among the negroes during the paffage from Africa to the American iflands; which he proved by inconteftable facts. The caufes of this mortality, acknowledged by the captain of a trading veffel, were the grief and melancholy of the flaves, contracted through the harsh ufage they fuffered on board. Sometimes they refufed all food; fometimes they loft their lives through ftupefaction and infanity, and fome were known to have drowned themselves.

The barbarous behaviour of fome of thofe captains was notorious; they not only exercised it over the unhappy negroes, but even over their fellow-feamen; many of whom fell the victims of the brutal ufage they endured. Regulations availed little with fuch men: they were fo radically inured to barbarity, by long practice and impunity, that they deemed it neceffary, in the buinefs they followed; and looked upon mildness and good-nature as inconfiftent with the very principles of the flave trade.

It had been objected, that unless other nations were prevailed upon to defift from fuch a commerce, it were fruitless for the British merchants to relinquish it: but fuch an objection, Mr. Wilberforce obferv. ed, was clearly nugatory. The trade of Great Britain on the coaft of Af

rica, for the purchafe of flaves, admitted of no comparison: it far exceeded that of all Europe collectively. It was therefore our duty to fet to all the European nations the example of humanity,-forbearing to continue a commerce fo oppofite to juftice, and founded on the basest and moft felfish avarice. A people far inferior to us in the commercial world, the Danes, had, notwithftanding that they could ill difpenfe with any diminution of their trade, ftill given up that for flaves.

Mr. Wilberforce concluded his elaborate difcourfe on this fubject; by noticing that it had already been fhewn that there was a fufficient ftock of negroes in the iflands for every defirable purpofe. When no further importation was allowed, intereft would induce the planters to render the lives of the negroes more comfortable; they would of course multiply far more extenfively, and be found nowife deficient in number. He then formally moved for the total abolition of the flave trade.

Mr. Bailley, agent for one of the Weft India iflands, oppofed this motion, on the ground of its having given birth to dangerous ideas among the negroes. The infurrections in the French iflands originated from this caufe. Without the conftant fear of heavy punishment; it was not practicable to keep them in any order, as they were only to be ruled by terror. The fituation of the negroes, however, was not, in a variety of refpects, worfe than that of the British failors and foldiers, who were often condemned to the most cruel punishments, and fometimes known to have expired under them. He appealed to the teftimo. ny of fome of the moft refpectable officers in the British navy for the 12 comfortable

comfortable fituation of the generality of the flaves in the islands; far preferable to that of many of the labouring claffes in Great Britain. He warned the House not to invalidate the characters that empowered the proprietors of eftates in the plantations to enjoy the benefit of the flave trade; it was essential to their political existence. To abolish it would be to violate the compact that connected them with Great Britain; and fuch an attempt would infallibly be refifted by them, and poffibly attended with danger. But were government to perfift in abolifhing it, a compenfation muft in equity be allowed to the planters; who certainly would fuffer a material injury by this deprivative of the long established and folemnly authorized means of cultivating their poffeffions.

Mr. Vaughan, who fpoke next, highly difapproved of the manner in which the proprietors of eftates in the ifland was mentioned, as involved in the fame degree of guilt as the captains of the flaving veffels, and the other traders in flaves. He afferted, that from his perfonal know ledge of the difpofition and frame of mind of the blacks, they could neither with safety to the whites, nor advantage to themfelves, be placed on a footing of complete freedom. The introduction of christianity among them would be preferable to emancipation, by purifying their morals, and rendering them faithful fervants. He averred at the fame time, that their condition was by no means unhappy. They were found in whatever they wanted in houfes, in lands, in raiment, in provifions, in medicines. They were not deterred by the fear of want from marrying and having

children; when old, they and their wives were fupported; their property was never invaded; and they could not be imprifoned for debt. They lived, in fhort, in fo much real plenty, that mendicity was unknown among them.

The true caufe why more died than were born among them, was the larger importation of males than females, together with the diffolutenefs of their lives. The very severe punishments occafionally inflicted upon them by their mafters, were ufually well merited; as, had they been delivered into the hands of public juftice, they must have forfeited their lives; which by this private infliction of chastisement, were thus preferved to their owners. No tortures, in the mean time, but whipping and fitting in the ftocks, were used in the British islands. The principal article of cultivation was fugar; a wholesome plant, neither noxious to man nor animals, but falutary to both in every stage of its growth, culture, and preparation.

Many improvements.might, however, be made in the economy of the islands. Marriage in particular ought to be promoted among the negroes, and debauchery difcouraged, as the fource of most of their perfonal miferies. Working by a fet talk would encourage industry, by preventing their being oppreffed by too much labour, or allowed to diffipate their ftrength in needlefs recreations. The evidence of negroes fhould be admitted as legal; and cruelty in their mafters duly punished. The degree of correc tion fhould be proportioned to the fault committed; and mafters not permitted to inflict it according to their fole difcretion.

Mr.

Mr. Jenkinson and Colonel Tarlton afferted the propriety of the flave trade, from a variety of confiderations. It had been long authorized by the British legiflature, as indifpenfably neceffary for the prefervation of the iflands. The evidence that had been produced against it, was partial and ill founded. Were it to be abolished, the nation would be a lofer annually, by the diminution of fix millions taken from the worth of manufactures exported, and of shipping conftructed. This country was not therefore to be expofed to fuch a calamity, in compliance with petitions, which, however numerous, proceeded moftly from inexperienced individuals, many of whom were raw youths, and perfons compelled by indigence to fet their names to them, in hope of reward.

The principal objections of thofe who opposed the last speakers, were, that the African trade was fo iniquitous in its nature, fo repugnant to every principle of humanity, that it was unworthy of regulations; and the only proper treatment it deferved was abfolute abolition. On the coaft of Africa, in the paffage to the Weft Indies, where they were doomed to fale and fervitude, the negroes were degraded from the rank and privileges of men. It had been propofed to entitle them to bear evidence in courts of judicature: but what weight could a teftimony carry that was to be appreciated by the tribunals before which they were cited, and which might either approve or invalidate at their pleafure? The negroes were not fo deftitute of perception as not to lee the flight put upon them by fuch ufage; and would not fail to refent it accordingly.

It was obferved by Mr. Whitbread on this occafion, that the exiftence of flavery was particularly inimical to moral feelings. The defpotic power lodged in the pro-. prietors of flaves, naturally corrupted their hearts, by hardening it against the fenfations of humanity. The difpofitions of those who favoured the flave trade, teftified how little value were fet on those unfortunate beings whofe fate it was to be brought to the market. In the fale of plantations, flaves were occafionally mentioned as damaged goods: an expreffion fo degrading to human nature, proved at the fame time how ill they had been treated, how exhausted and worn down by hard toil, and its natural effects, fickness and infirmities.

Mr. Dundas, whofe opinion was folicitoufly waited for during the debate, declared himself no friend to the flave trade; but doubtful in what manner to proceed, in order to abolish it. He was fatisfied as to its impolicy, and its being unnecessary for the well being of our plantations. The negroes there, if properly treated, were not more fubject to mortality nor difeafes than in their own country; and could afford a fufficient population for all purposes. But an immediate abolition of the flave trade, would certainly prove prejudicial to the planters; who were not prepared for fuch a measure, and would think themselves highly aggrieved, were it adopted at the prefent moment. A method ought therefore to be adopted, that might reconcile them to it. Habits and prejudices that had fubfifted for near two centuries, were not at once to be eradicated; and the Weft Indian planters had been fo used to the practices in queftion,