niards, and the French, who were reported in this Houfe to have been on the start to outrace us in the fuppreffion of the Slave Trade, but who, by authorities which I have now in my hand, are actually foremost in the courfe for its continuance and extenfion. It is apparent, therefore, as I had the honour, on a former occafion, to remark to this House, that if we were difpofed to facrifice African Trade, other nations would not enter into fo ruinous a plan. The French, for inftance, depend greatly on their Weft India trade as a fource both of revenue and navigation (I have it not now in contemplation to expatiate on the fituation of St. Domingo; to that I shall presently advert); will they fuffer a trade, upon which their whole commerce turns, to languish? No; they would thank us for our mistaken ideas of humanity, and they would profit by them; the difadvantage would be our's; the advantage would be their's; and the condition of the African would be exactly the fame, whether he croffed the Atlantic in an English, or any other European bottom; and fhould we perfift in fo wild a project as Abolition, the Continent will foon be fupplied with Englifh houfes, Englifh fhips, and English capitals. Having ftated the prefent fituation of Europe, with regard to the African Trade, it does not, I think, require much penetration or judgment to detect and expofe the fallacious doctrine of thofe Sectaries, who would attempt to abolish what other nations encourage and protect. A portion of common sense, which in general contributes more to the public good than fophiftry or enthusiasm, and which frequently difperfes the mists which Eloquence, Prejudice, and Fanaticifm, endeavour to raife, to cover their own purposes, enables the majority of this House, and of this Country, to declare, that an Abolition on the part of England alone, will not abolish the trade in general. Unless a place of Congrefs fhall be appointed, and unless all the nations of Europe accede to fuch a propofition, and when their deputies fhall be affembled, enter fully into the project of Abolition; we only create difficulties and embarraffments for our own Merchants and Manufacturers, without effe&ting any other purpofe. Nay, perhaps our prefent wild, fanatical manner of conducting this fpeculation, may alienate the affec tions tions of our Colonists, who, through a deluge of blood, may work out for themselves another independence, or may throw them. felves into the arms of thofe confederated ftates, whofe conftitution tells us, that they have a facred regard for public faith, and private property. Though I fincerely wifh, for the honour of human nature, that an eternal veil could be drawn over the recent horrible transactions in St. Domingo, I cannot help noticing some cir cumftances, because they seem to originate in the ame principles and practices, which fome people in this Country have lately adopted, with regard to the Weft-India Islands. I fhall not attempt to defcribe the barbarities and horrors of those fcenes, which have been displayed at St. Domingo---a bare recital of which, would make an impreffion upon the hardest heart, and most inacceffible understanding, without the affiftance of pathetic eloquence, or laboured ingenuity. I fhall therefore turn the attention of the Committee from a contemplation of rapes, of maffacres, of conflagrations, of impaled infants, and acts of parricide, and endeavour to point out concifely, the impolicy, as well as danger, of our now pursuing the object of Abolition. Partial extracts of the debates of this House, and the garbled statements of evidence, which have been fo industriously circu`lated, both in this Country, and through all the Colonies, have created alarm and distrust throughout every Ifland in the WeftIndies; all the letters from that quarter of the Globe, fpeak mut forcibly of the mischiefs and dangers that may arise, and which actually threaten the white Inhabitants. I have within this laft week received a letter from a refpectable officer at Antigua, defcribing the fickly fituation of the King's troops, owing to the frequent detachments required from them, in order to awe or fupprefs infurrections amonft the Negroes, throughout the different Iflands. Government has been made acquainted with thefe circumftances, and the perils which confequently impénded, and to relieve the minds of the Colonifts, and to counteract the abfurd vote of the Minifter, that very Minifter has been compelled to fend a reinforcement of Infantry, and a Regiment of Light Drageons; the vote of this night may require additional troops, and if this chimerical project to be revived every year, the Army of England may be fu employed in the Weft Indies. On the fubject of the Petitions, which have been lately pr fented, I must beg leave to obferve, that though I entertain t highest respect and veneration for the Petitions of the people England, I cannot yield my admiration on the present occafio because I think that their fentiments have not been fairly co lected. The form and language of the Petitions bear too ftron a resemblance to each other, they appear to be the manufactur of the Sectaries of the Old Jury; and the fignatures do no ftamp them, in my mind, with any additional credit or autho rity. Unexpected and unfolicited letters have lately poured in upon me, from the moft refpectable individuals, in all parts of England, defcribing the various artful modes adopted for obtaining and creating Signatures, and to an honourable Member now in my eye, I am indebted for an extenfive correspondence, even in the remoteft parts of Scotland. In fome villages and towns, mendicant physicians, and itinerant clergymen, have exercised almost unexampled zeal and industry, and difplayed the ingenuity of Scapin to extort names from the fick, the indigent, and the traveller: in others, the grammar-fchools have received ceremonious vifits, from the indefatigable miffaries of the Abolitionists; and the boys have been indulged with the gladfome tidings of a holiday, provided they would fign their own, and the names in the neighbourhood; and, when on examination, the Inhabitants could not furnish Signatures, fufficiently numerous, they have been defired to employ their imagination, to give to "airy 66 nothing, a local habitation and a name !" Colonel Tarlton then adverted to the Letters in his poffeffion, to fupport what he had just advanced, and amongst them read the following extracts: " SIR, Warrington, March, 1792. "Having with pleasure frequently observed, that you are the Champion for the Trade of Liverpool, I beg leave to communicate to you a piece of intelligence I lately pick'd up, on my return from a journey to Manchester, relative to the mode purfued by the Partizans for the Abolition, in order to to procure as many names as they can to their Petitions. I fell in company with a very refpe&table Tradefiman of Warrington, who told me he had a fon just returned from school at Bolton; where a Petition to Parliament for the Abolition had been industriously handed about, to obtain the fignatures of all ranks of people, from the highest to the lowest; and that in order to procure all the names they poflibly could, real or imaginary, they waited on the school-boys, and not only got them to fign their own names, but also as many more names of their neighbours as they could recollect; fome of the arch boys (of lefs retentive memories) perceiving that thofe boys who could recollect most names met with the greatest applause, in order to receive a proportionable share of praise, first signed their own names with others they did recollect; after that they invented new names, and put them down alfo.-Any comments I could make on fuch Petitions being confidered as the fenfe of the people of Bolton, &c. to you would be fuperfluous--I only give you the fact, which I confider as my duty, as a well-wisher to the Merchants and Trade of Liverpool, to inform you of: therefore hope you will pardon the liberty I now take. I am, With the greatest respect, SIR, Your moft obedient, humble Servant, Colonel Tarlton has the original Letters in his poffeffion, but does not feel authorized to publish the names of the Writers, "HONOURED SIR, “ Chester, March 30, 1792. Knowing there was a Petition carried on here for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, signed by a number of names, a great number of which I thought was very improper fhould be fent to that Honourable Houfe of which you are a Member, as it was chiefly children belonging to the different fchools in this city; amongst the reft, it was brought to the schoel of which I am a fcholar, and was figned (by defire of my mater) by every boy in the school that could write his name, myself excepted. Your's refpe&fully, Relative to the fignatures of the boys, the Colonel referred to the following paffage in a letter from Sheffield. "You have time to establish the "truth of it by enquiry, before the matter is difcuffed, or by a line ad"dreffed to The Rev. CHARLES CHADWICK, mafter of the grammar"fchool. "Rev. MATTHEW PRESTON, English grammar fchool. JOHN EADON, mafter of the free writing school. "Or most of the other writing school-mafters in this place." The The Colonel obferved, that he would not tire the patience of his hearers by reading letters in his poffeffion written by refpectable individuals refident at the following places : Portsmouth Ipfwich St. Andrew's Carlisle Dorchester Swanfea Culrofs Hull Chefter, &c. &c. &c. The Magiftrates of the places whence thefe extraordinary Petitions have originated, have feldom been approached. The Town Halls have ftill more rarely had thefe Petitions difplayed in them, in order to await the deliberation, the decifion, or the fignatures of the grave, refpectable, and informed part of the community. No, Sir, parts of the flimfy hearfay evidence, which for a length of time oppreffed and difgraced the table of this Houfe, were mutilated, diftorted, and reduced to the fize of pamphlets, in order to promote their circulation throughout all the ale-houfes and excife-offices in this kingdom, where the unwary and uninformed were tricked out of their humanity, by inflammatory extracts; and from fuch fources moft of the petitions, which, I had almost said difgraced, the figners and the receivers, have been produced! Great God, Sir, is this á decent, honourable, or decorous manner of learning, or fhowing to the world the fentiments of the people of this country? No, Sir, it is equally an infult and mockery upon the people and Parliament of England. I cannot help faying a few words at this moment on the difference of the evidence brought before the Privy Council, and the Select Committee of the House, by both parties, previous to the difcuffion of last year. I need not ftigmatize the Abolitionists, by mentioning the names of the generality of their evidences: nor need I fay any thing more in eulogy of the principal evidences brought forwards by the Merchants and Planters, than merely repeat the names of Lord Shuldham, Admiral Barrington, Admiral Arbuthnot, Admiral Edwards, Admiral Hotham, Commodore Gardner, Lord Macartney, Lord Rodney, Sir Ralph Payne, |