132] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



ment would employ every proper 

 me&ns to obtain a convention of 

 the powers of Europe, for the im- 

 mediate abolition of the Slave 

 Trade; representing to him that 

 the late happy events afford the 

 most auspicious opportunity for 

 the interposition of Great Britain 

 for that purpose ; that unless this 

 nation interposes with effect at 

 the present juncture, the restora- 

 tion of peace will be the revival 

 of this criminal traffic in all its 

 horrors ; and that they trust that 

 such a great act of atonement 

 towards Africa would tend to pro- 

 long the tranquillity of Europe, by 

 inculcating a higher respect for 

 justice and humanity among its 

 nations. 



The motion being read, the 

 Chancellor of the Exchequer rose 

 to express his cordial concurrence. 

 He was followed by several other 

 speakers from both sides of the 

 House, who were unanimous in 

 their approbation of the senti- 

 ments in the address. Mr, Can- 

 ning hinted, that as Spain and Por- 

 tugal had now recovered their in- 

 dependence, we might assume a 

 loftier tone with them than would 

 have been wise or delicate when 

 they were struggling with diffi- 

 culties, and looked to this country 

 for aid. Mr. Marryait took upon 

 him to state that those connected 

 with the West India colonies were 

 as anxious for the abolition of the 

 Slave Trade as any other class of 

 persons could be. As a proof that 

 little was done towards lessening 

 the evil while the trade was car- 

 ried on by other nations, he said 

 that from the Report of the Afri- 

 can Society up to the year 1810, 

 the average number of slaves 

 annually obtained from Africa 



amounted to 80,000, of which, 

 half were carried away in Spanish, 

 and half in Portuguese vessels. 

 He asserted that our abolition of 

 the trade had already produced the 

 effect of a better treatment of the 

 Negroes in the colonies, the old 

 system of night and day gangs 

 being abandoned. Mr. Whitbread 

 observed, that those were de- 

 ceived who imagined that every 

 man in England wished for the 

 abolition of the Slave Trade. It 

 had come to his knowledge that 

 there were persons in this country 

 base enough to wish for the return 

 of peace on account of the facili- 

 ties it would afford for carrying 

 on this traffic under another flag. 

 Those powers which still sup- 

 ported it ought to be made to un- 

 derstand that their interest re- 

 quired its total abolition. 



The motion was agreed to una- 

 nimously. 



In the House of Lords, on May 

 5th, Lord Grenville rose, and 

 made a speech so much in the 

 general tenor of that of Mr. Wil- 

 berforce, that it would be super- 

 fluous to particularize its topics. 

 It may however be observed, that 

 he dwelt with more energy on the 

 conduct of the court of Portugal 

 in its late edict permitting the 

 Slave Trade, and plainly incul- 

 cated the necessity of " meeting 

 it with higher and more influen- 

 tial arguments than we had used 

 before," if we desired to effect 

 the abolition. His Lordship con- 

 cluded with moving an address to 

 the Prince Regent, precisely of 

 the same import with that pro- 

 posed in the other House, which 

 was agreed to netn. diss. 



These proceedings were prior to 

 the treaty of peace between the 



