216 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



and navigation, the benefits of 

 which amounted annually to four 

 millions ; that employed an im- 

 mense number of seamen ; tlnd 

 wherein property was embarked 

 to the extent ot seventy millions. 

 •The Bishop's motion was support- 

 ed by Lord Grenville, as condu- 

 cing most elfectually to a prompt 

 decision : but oppcised by Lord.; 

 Mansfield and Tliurlow, bn the 

 impropriety of referring an object 

 of such magnitude to a committee. 

 Those I^orcis who could not attend 

 the business at the bar of tiie House 

 could not attend it iii the commit- 

 tee. Lord Grenville replied, that 

 the committee being an open one, 

 it ought to be presumed, that every 

 one convinced of the importance 

 of the subject, would make it his 

 duty to attend. 



The Bishop of Londoi., inan elS- 

 boratespeech strenuously supported 

 the propriety of the committee, as 

 luostcondiicive to expedition. Pro- 

 perty wasdoabtless an objectof great 

 consideration; but was it greater 

 than the interest of fifteen millions 

 of the natives of Africa, who might 

 strictly be considered as petitioning 

 for commiseration and relief from 

 their Lordships? Fourscore thou- 

 sand of them were, by this inhu- 

 man titiffic, ycairly banished from 

 their own country, and condemned 

 to slavery. 



Several other members of the 

 House spoke for ar>d against the 1 

 question. * 



Lord Giiildford in particulal* 

 observed, th:it, by their suffering 

 the business to remain at the bar 

 of the House, it might be protract- 

 ed to the very term which the 

 Commons had appointed for its 

 tdlal abolition. Such a protraction 

 tended to a delay still more mjuri- 

 oru to those wliom it affected, as 

 in cise their Lordships should ron* 

 cm- in the propriety of obolishinfj 

 the trade, tliey might be reqnebtetl 

 and prevailed upon to permit its 

 d\iration son)e rime longer, lest the 

 abruptness of its abo'ition should 

 prejudice the interests of those con- 

 cerned in it. The motion, how- 

 ever, was negatived bv a majority 

 of 2. 



On the 2d of May, when the 

 bill for abolishing the i'cteign slave- 

 trade was debated in the tipper 

 House, it met with very i'ew sup- 

 porters. Lord Grenville opposed 

 it as improper, while the question 

 itsdf remaint'd undecided. Other 

 Lords joincdissuewith him. Those 

 who were not friendly to the trade 

 itself, seehied to think that the gra- 

 dual abolition of the whole would 

 suffice, without terminating any 

 branch of it in particular. It was 

 therefore, after a long debate, ne- 

 gatived by 45 to 4. 



CHAP. Xli. 



General Jn.rlcty concerning the Issue, of the iVdr in loth France and Eng- 

 land. Motion in the Jloust of Peers for Peace with France. Arguments 

 for and against it. Charge against Ministers in the House (f Commons, 

 of A'cg/ect of Nova Scotia, yinyii-er to this Charge. Motion itf Mr. Pitt 

 in the House of Commons, for an AugmoUation of the Militia, andfor 

 levying a Volunteer Force of Horse a7id Foot in every County. Delates on 

 thcc Motions. The Motions carried. Spirited Protest of the County of 

 Surry against Ministerial Attempts to procure SulscriptionsJ'or Supplies 



without 



