428 HISTOEY 



slaves in the British possessions, and the doing away with the slave-trade. 

 Although it became the object of the hatred and of the anathemas of slave 

 owners in the colonies, yet it bore an important part in the proscription of the 

 slave-trade, as well as in the improvement of the condition of the slaves 

 already in the colonies. 



Having met with success in the British Empire it was necessary for the 

 reformers, supported by the sympathies of the English people, to strike at the 

 same evil in other countries in order to make effective the abolition within 

 their own possessions. They went about their task in a masterful way and 

 before many years success attended their efforts. Treaties were formed with 

 the other European nations to put down the trade on the high seas, and 

 attempts were made to get each nation to proscribe it within the territories 

 and waters which it controlled. A nominal abolition of it was secured, but 

 some of the nations, as Spain and Portugal, were backward in strictly enforcing 

 the regulations made to destroy it within their own dominions. 



Eegisteation of the Slaves. 



The effective means by which it was hoped to finally stamp out the slave- 

 trade in the British colonies was the periodical registration of the slaves 

 already in their limits. In this respect, as in its whole program in the interest 

 of the slaves, the British Ministry, now dominated by the party of reform, 

 strove to set an example which the rest of Europe might imitate. Great 

 Britain had led in proscribing the commerce in slaves, she must also lead in 

 giving effect to the abolition of the system. Eegistration was first urged in the 

 imperial Parliament by Mr. Wilberforce and Lord Brougham, as a measure 

 that should be passed, and applied at once in order to forcibly exclude the 

 importation of slaves into the colonies by imperial regulations.' West Indian 

 planters and slave owners residing in the mother country were on the alert 

 immediately, calling upon those who supported their interests in Parliament 

 to obstruct such legislation by every means in their power. Eumors of the 

 proposals made to Parliament reached the colonies, where the feeling against 

 such action was unanimous on the part of the white population. Whatever 

 steps might be taken in the mother country to prevent the passing of such a 

 bill were sure to have their approval. The West Indian merchants and plant- 



" Ann. Reg., 1810, p. 145; 1815, p. 28 and pp. 87-88; 1817, p. 94. 



