GENERAL HISTORY. 



[109 



CHAPTER X. 



Motions respecting the condition and treatment of Slaves in the 



Colonies. 



ON April 22 Mr. JVilberforce 

 said, that he was now to 

 move for certain West India 

 papers, which would lay the 

 foundation of some farther steps. 

 After the abolition of the direct 

 slave trade, the next great object 

 was the alleviation of the miseries, 

 and the improvement of the con- 

 dition, of the slaves who had 

 been previously in the West In- 

 dies. He could with confidence 

 affirm, that the shutting out of all 

 external supplies of slaves, was 

 the surest mode of ameliorating 

 the condition of the slaves who 

 were there. It was upon this 

 principle that he had, two years 

 ago, proposed a bill of registra- 

 tion, which, indeed, was not his 

 own offspring, but that of an hon. 

 and learned friend. He entreated 

 the House to consider whether 

 any other method was likely to 

 prove so effectual ; and whether 

 ft was possible to accomplish the 

 end which all now professed to 

 have in view, without guarding in 

 the strictest manner against every 

 kind of evasion. With respect to 

 the argument, that the prosecu- 

 tion of the work had better be 

 left to the colonial legislatures, 

 he had not felt so sanguine as 

 many others in his expectations 

 from that quarter. He had, how- 

 ever, assented to the propriety 



of leaving it to them to make the 

 experiment. 



The object of his present mo- 

 tion was, to obtain information as 

 to what had been done in con- 

 formity with this arrangement. 

 It might be said, that these pro- 

 ceedings ought still to be left to 

 the voluntary zeal and efforts of 

 the affluent and liberal members 

 of the West India body ; but it 

 had ever been to him a subject 

 of deep regret, and continued 

 disappointment, to see that more 

 enlightened portion of the colo« 

 nial interest making common 

 cause with classes of a different 

 description. The House would 

 see, when the papers for which he 

 intended to move were presented, 

 what had been done ; and he 

 hoped they would remember that 

 it was their duty to watch over 

 the interests of a million and a 

 half of beings who were at length 

 recognized as being their fellow- 

 creatures. Their condition and 

 their claims were entitled to the 

 most serious consideration, and 

 required the exercise of the 

 utmost attention to the question, 

 whether it was possible to prevent 

 illicit importation by any other 

 means than the measure he had 

 recommended. He should con- 

 clude by suggesting, that our 

 own exertions in this cause in 6ur 

 negotiations 



