The Project Gutenberg EBook of The History of the Rise, Progress and
Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808), by Thomas Clarkson

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Title: The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808)
Vol. II

Author: Thomas Clarkson

Release Date: June 3, 2004 [EBook #12507]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE
HISTORY
OF THE
RISE, PROGRESS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENT
OF
THE ABOLITION
OF
THE AFRICAN SLAVE-TRADE
BY THE
BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

BY THOMAS CLARKSON, M.A.

1808.

CHAPTER I.

_Continuation from June 1788 to July 1789--Author travels to collect
further evidence--great difficulties in obtaining it--forms committees on
his tour--Privy council resume the examinations--inspect cabinet of African
productions--obliged to leave many of the witnesses in behalf of the
abolition unexamined--prepare their report--Labours of the committee in the
interim--Proceedings of the planters and others--Report laid on the table
of the House of Commons--Introduction of the question, and debate
there--twelve propositions deduced from the report and reserved for future
discussion--day of discussion arrives--opponents refuse to argue from the
report--require new evidence--this granted and introduced--further
consideration of the subject deferred to the next session--Renewal of Sir
William Dolben's bill--Death and character of Ramsay._

Matters had now become serious. The gauntlet had been thrown down and
accepted. The combatants had taken their stations, and the contest was to
be renewed, which was to be decided soon on the great theatre of the
nation. The committee by the very act of their institution had pronounced
the Slave-trade to be criminal. They, on the other hand, who were concerned
in it, had denied the charge. I