148] 
comfortable situation of the gene- 
rality of the slaves in the islands ; far 
preferable to that of many of the 
Jabouring classes in Great Britain. 
He warned the House not to invali- 
date the characters that empowered 
the proprietors of estates in the plan- 
tations to enjoy the benefit of the 
slave trade; it wasessential to their 
political existence. To abolish it 
would be to violate the compact 
that connected them with Great 
Britain; and suchan attempt would 
infallibly be resisted by them, and 
possibly attended with danger, But 
were government to persist in abo- 
lishing it, a compensation must in 
equity be allowed to the planters; 
who certainly would suffer a materi- 
al injury by this deprivative of the 
long established and solemnly au- 
thorized means of cultivating their 
possessions, 
Mr. Vaughan, who spoke next, 
highly disapproved of the manner 
in which the’ proprietors of estates 
in the islands was mentioned, as in- 
volved in the same degree of guilt 
as the captains of the slaving vessels, 
and the other traders in slaves. 
He asserted, that from his personal 
knowledge of the disposition and 
frame of mind of the blacks, they 
could neither with safety to the 
whites, noradvantageto themselves, 
_ be placed on a footing of complete 
freedom. The introduction of 
christianity among them would be 
preferable to emancipation, by pu- 
rifying their morals, and rendering 
them faithful servants. He averred 
at the same time, that their condi- 
tion was by no means unhappy. 
They were found in whatever they 
wanted: in houses, in lands, in rai- 
ment, in provisions, in medicines. 
They were not deterred by the fear 
of want from marrying and having 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1792. 
children ; when old, they and their 
wives were supported; their pro- 
perty was never invaded ; and they 
could not be imprisoned for debt. 
They lived, in short, in so much 
real plenty, that mendicity was un- 
known among them. 
The true cause why more died 
than were born among them, was 
the larger importation of males than 
females, together with the disso- 
luteness of their lives. The very se- 
vere punishments occasionally in- 
flicted upon them by their masters, 
were usually well merited ; as, had 
they been delivered into the hands 
of public justice, they ‘must have 
forfeited their lives ; which by this 
private infliction of chastisement, 
were thus preserved to their owners. 
No tortures, in the mean time, but 
whipping and sitting in the stocks, _ 
were used in the British islands. 
The principal article of cultivation 
was sugar ;_a wholesome plant, nei- 
ther noxious to man nor animals, 
but salutary to both in every stage 
of its growth, culture, and prepa- 
ration, 
Many improvements might, how- 
ever, be made in the economy of 
the islands. Marriage in particular 
ought to be promoted among the 
negroes, and debauchery discour- 
aged, as the source of most of their 
personal miseries. | Working by a 
set task would encourage industry, 
by preventing their being oppressed 
by too much labour, or allowed to 
dissipate their strength in needless 
recreations. The evidence of ne- 
groes should be admitted as legal ; 
and cruelty in their masters duly 
punished. The degree of correc- 
tion should be proportioned to the 
fault committed; and masters not 
permitted to inflict it according to 
their sole discretion. 
Mr. 
