HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
cause he knew theassertion was not 
true. Colonel Walpole could not 
say it had been broke; although he 
disapproved of the measwres against 
the Maroons. He did not expect, 
after he had answered one observa- 
tion, to have another started. Now 
the planters are accused of not in- 
structing the Maroons in religion, 
and initiating them in thehabitsof ci- 
vilized life.. When objections were 
started, upon speculative grounds, 
there was no end of them. Were he 
called upon to deliver his own pri- 
vate opinion upon the subject, he 
would perhaps disapprove of the 
mode of confining the Maroons tose- 
parate communities ; but situated as 
they were, in this respect, they spoke 
a language of their own; and of 
course, being unacquainted with the 
language of the island, they were 
not capable of benefitting from the 
. common means of instruction, a cir- 
cumstance which, of itself, was a 
sufficient reply to the objection of 
the honourable gentleman. Their 
language was a mixture of the Spa 
njsh and another language, which 
made it impossible to teach them 
the principles. of religion. He 
thought whoever took it in hand 
would have hard. work to make 
Christians of them, They were so 
addicted to polygamy, that it would 
Tequire the utmost exertion of hu- 
man ingenuity. to confine them to 
one woman. He was contented 
with one woman, but he was sure 
no Maroon was, With regard to 
_ ihstructing them, by sending clergy- 
men among them, he believed such 
an attempt would be impossible, for 
he did not know any.clergyman that 
would much like to go. To hiscer- 
tain knowledge, the Maroons Were 
cannibals. He was sure, if a cler- 
gyman was to be sent to them, in- 
risi 
stead of listening to his doctrines, 
they would eat him up. He be- 
lieved that, under all these circum- 
stances, the honourable gentleman 
would have some difficulty to make 
them converts; but there was no 
mode of proselytism which he (Mr. 
Wilberforce) could suggest, that 
would strike him with surprize, after 
having once heard him propose, on 
the moment thata ship arrives from 
Africa, to send a clergyman, with a 
pail of water, to baptize all her 
cargo, without ever previously at- 
tempting to instil into their minds 
the principles of religion, or to in- 
form them respecting the nature 
and end of the ceremony. 
Mr. Fox was-extremely glad that 
he had said the few words that he 
did on the late wansactions with 
the Maroons, as it had given rise - 
to the explanation of the honoure 
able gentleman (Mr. Edwards), 
which was perfectly satisfactory. 
After this interesting digression, 
various resolutions, moved by the 
secretary at war, for defraying a 
variety of expences for the public 
service, were unanimously agreed 
to. 
Ina committee of supply, on the 
2d of December, the secretary at 
war observed, that the estimates of 
expences, on thetable, that remained 
to be voted were so much matter of 
course, and so little different from 
those of last year, that he did not 
conceive it to be necessary for him to 
say more than to move the differe . 
ent resolutions founded upon them, 
These resolutions were then moved 
and agreed to accordingly, 
Onthe7thof December the chan+ 
cellor of the exchequer produced his 
annual estimate ofthe public revenue 
and expenditure, with ademand of 
supplies, or what is barbarously.call 
[K 2] ed 
