2/4 Our Colofiies. QSept. 



ment of Great Britain have laid down for their dealing with the colo- 

 nies. To those principles, in their broadest and most general sense, the 

 colonists agree. They are not stated by Sir G. ^Rlurray, in the document 

 we have quoted, for the first time ; but have been reiterated, in Parlia- 

 ment and out, — by all who have a right to be heard in the matter, and 

 by all, who, having no right to be heard, raise their voices upon it. 



It is now more than six years since ]Mr. Fowell Buxton (into whose 

 merits we do not propose to enter very fuUy at this moment, although 

 an opportunity may occur in which we shall have occasion to notice 

 some parts of his public conduct), who had for a long time openly 

 avowed the most decided hostility to the West Indian colonists, and had 

 pursued it with all the zealous fury which characterizes fanaticism, 

 proposed a set of resolutions to the House of Commons, the result of 

 which, if they had been adopted, would have been the total destruction 

 of those possessions, their certain loss to this country, and the ruin of 

 the persons who had made the unpardonable mistake of believing, that if 

 the government of England could not see its own interest, it would at 

 least have too much regard to its own honour and good faith to commit 

 an act of such flagrant injustice as to wrest from them their property. 

 IMr. Buxton's attempt met with a disgraceful, but weU merited, defeat. 

 Mr. Canning detected the hypocritical duplicity of that too pious per- 

 sonage, and after bestowing on him a vapulation, wliich, only to read, makes 

 one almost pity the humiliated object of such a chastisement, proposed 

 other resolutions, which were adopted by Parliament. Those resolu- 

 tions are to the same purport as the intimation before alluded to from 

 Sir G. ]\Iurray, and they lay down the principle on which the work of 

 improvement is to be carried, and the means by which it is to be 

 ultimately effected, so clearly as to leave no room for cavil or equivoca- 

 tion. They are : — 



" That it is expedient to adopt effectual and decisive measures for 

 meliorating the condition of the slave population in his JMajesty's 

 colonies. 



" That, through a determined and persevering, but at the same time 

 judicious and temperate enforcement of such measures, this House lookg 

 forward to a progressive improvement in the character of tlie slave 

 population, such as may prepare them for a participation in those civil 

 rights and privileges which are enjoyed by other classes of his JMajesty's 

 subjects. 



" That this House is anxious for the accomplishment of this purpose 

 at the earliest period that shall be compatible with the well-being of the 

 slaves themselves, with the safety of the colonies, and with a fair and 

 equitable consideration of the interests of private property." 



With these resolutijns, wise and righteoxis in spirit, and moderate in 

 tone, the West India body in England concurred as far as their powers 

 enabled them to do so, and recommended their adoption to the several 

 colonial legislatures. It has been asserted that they also approved of 

 the further regulations, which, in the shape of orders in council, were 

 transmitted by Lord Bathurst to such of the colonies as possess no in- 

 dependant authority, and are therefore under the controul of this 

 government ; that assertion is untrue, and known to be untrue by the 

 persons who have been most busy in spreading it. If therefore we 

 thought fit to advocate the cause of the free West India colonies with 

 the feeling of partizans, we should rest their case ujwn the obedience 



