HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



145 



to that effect early in the ensuing 

 aession. But he earnestly hoped 

 that, in the mean time, the House 

 would leave nothing unattempted 

 that might tend to diminish the 

 great evils complained of, and to 

 give effect to one of the most holy 

 of our laws. He concluded with 

 moving an humble address to his 

 Majesty, acknowledging with gra- 

 titude his Majesty's endeavours to 

 induce foreign nations to concur 

 in relinquishing the disgraceful 

 African slave-trade, regretting 

 that those efforts had been at- 

 tended with so little success; and 

 beseeching his Majesty to perse- 

 vere in those measures which 

 might tend to induce his allies, 

 and such other foreign states as he 

 might be able to negociate with, 

 to co-operate with this country in 

 a general abolition of the slave- 

 trade, and to concur in the adop- 

 tion of such measures as might 

 assist in the effectual execution of 

 the laws already passed for that 

 purpose ? stating, that certain per- 

 sons in this country had continued 

 in a clandestine and fraudulent 

 manner the detestable traffic in 

 slaves, and humbly praying his 

 Majesty to cause to be given to 

 the commanders of his Majesty's 

 ships and vessels of war, the offi- 

 cers of his Majesty's customs, and 

 the other persons in his Majesty's 

 service, whose situation enabled 

 them to detect and suppress those 

 abuses, such orders as might ef- 

 fectually check practices equally 

 contemptuous to the authority of 

 parliament, and derogatory to the 

 interests and honour of the coun- 

 try.— All the members who spoke 

 on this occasion supported the 

 principle of the motion. Mr. 

 Vol. LH. 



Maryatt, the colonial agent for 

 Trinidad, as well as an eminent 

 West India merchant, condemned 

 the slaev-trade, on principles of 

 humanity and justice, in a very 

 strong and impressive manner. 

 Mr. Hibbert, also an eminent 

 West India planter and merchant, 

 though he had at another time ob» 

 jected lothe abolition of the slave- 

 trade on the ground of its inexpe-- 

 diency and impracticability, knew 

 what was his duty in deference to 

 what was now the law of the 

 country. He reminded the House, 

 however, that the proposition be- 

 fore them showed, that hitherto 

 experience had only confirmed his 

 opinion ; for we had no reason, 

 he said, to reckon on those fa- 

 vourable events which had given 

 us as it were almost an entire con/- 

 trol over the intercourse between 

 Africa and the West Indies — The 

 Chancellorofthe Exchequer high- 

 lyapprovedtheleadingsentiments 

 in the speech of Sir Samuel Ro- 

 railly, and the measure he had 

 proposed, which should always 

 have his sincere and zealous sup- 

 port. There was only one pas- 

 sage in the address proposed which 

 he could not so entirely approve 

 as he did of all the rest, viz. that 

 which went to pledge the House 

 to the adoption of seme measure 

 next sessions. Even that general 

 engagement to adopt some mea- 

 sure on the subject, could not be 

 quite regularly, in point of form, 

 inserted in an address from that 

 House to his Majesty. The ad- 

 dress, if amended in that point, 

 should have his most hearty sup- 

 port. Mr. Stephen agreed that it 

 would be better to keep that part 

 out of the address, and put it into 

 L ' 



