134] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



treaty into consideration, when he 

 trusted he should have been able 

 to shew that government had per- 

 formed its duty, even to tlie in- 

 terests of this question. His 

 Lordship then entered into some 

 considerations to prove that there 

 was no reason to suppose that 

 France would have consented to 

 an abolition of the Slave Trade 

 on the restitution of her colonies, 

 and that it would have been highly 

 improper to make such a condi- 

 tion a sine qua won of the treaty. 

 He spoke long upon these points, 

 but in conclusion said he had no 

 hesitation in agreeing to the ad- 

 dress. 



Several succeeding speakers ex- 

 pressed their dissatisfaction with 

 the article of the treaty in ques- 

 tion ; and 31r. Barham moved as 

 an amendment to that part of the 

 motion, which implored the Re- 

 gent to obtain from the French 

 government some diminution of 

 the term allowed for the traffic, 

 *' That an immediate renunciation 

 of the Slave Trade may be effected 

 in return for any cession, con- 

 sistent with the honour cf this 

 country, which may be agreed on 

 by his Majesty's government in 

 concurrence witji his Majesty's 

 aUies." This amendment, how- 

 ever, was withdrawn, and the mo- 

 tion for the address was agreed to, 

 nem. con. 



In the House of Lords, on 

 June 27th, Lord Grenville rose, 

 and introduced a motion on the 

 subject in an eloquent speech, 

 which has been published in the 

 form of a separate pamphlet, and 

 therefore can admit of no abridg- 

 ment compatible with the limits 

 allowable in this work. Its main 

 scope, however, was the inculpa- 



tion of the ministry for having 

 consented to a treaty permitting 

 the carrying on of the Slave Trade 

 for five years, when its immediate 

 and total abolition might have 

 been obtained if pursued with zeal. 

 After having placed the horrors of 

 the trade, and the blame of having 

 neglected an opportunity for its 

 abolition, in the strongest lights, 

 and urged them upon the House 

 with all the force of language, his 

 Lordship moved, " That an hum- 

 ble address be presented to his 

 Royal Highness, the Prince Re- 

 gent, praying that he will be gra- 

 ciously pleased to direct, that 

 there be laid before this House 

 copies of such representations as 

 have been made by his Majesty's 

 ministers in the late negociations 

 for peace, in consequence of the 

 unanimous address of this House 

 for the immediate and total aboli- 

 tion of the Slave Trade, together 

 with the answers returned thereto ; 

 and also extracts from such parts 

 of the dispatches of his Majesty's 

 ministers as relate to the same 

 subject." 



The Earl of Liverpool, in reply, 

 said that one great mistake ran 

 through the whole of the noble 

 Baron's argument, founded upon 

 a misconception of the right which 

 a country has to dictate to ano- 

 ther and independent nation on a 

 subject like the present. Such 

 risrht must be founded either on 

 general principles, or on particu- 

 lar circumstances, ^yith respect 

 to the first, it would scarcely be 

 contended, that any government 

 would be justified either in going 

 to war, or in continuing it, for the 

 purpose of imposing upon another 

 country a moral obligation, how- 

 ever solemn or sacred. In these 



