humanity to all mankind. But
they also owed justice to those, who were interested in the event of the
question, and had embarked their fortunes on the faith of parliament. In
fact, he did not like to see men introducing even their schemes of
benevolence to the detriment of other people; and much less did he like to
see them going to the colonies, as it were upon their estates, and
prescribing rules to them for their management. With respect to his own
speculative opinion, as it regarded cultivation, he had no objection to
give it. He was sure that sugar could be raised cheaper by free men than by
slaves. This the practice in China abundantly proved. But yet neither he
nor any other person had a right to force a system upon others. As to the
trade itself, by which the present labourers were supplied, it had been
considered by that house as so valuable, that they had preferred it to all
others, and had annually voted a considerable sum towards carrying it on.
They had hitherto deemed it an essential nursery for our seamen. Had it
really been such as had been represented, our ancestors would scarcely have
encouraged it; and therefore, upon these and other considerations, he could
not help thinking that they would be wanting in their duty, if they
abolished it altogether.

Mr. William Smith would not detain the house long at that late hour upon
this important subject; but he could not help testifying the great
satisfaction he felt at the manner, in which the honourable gentleman who
opened the debate (if it could be so called) had treated it. He approved of
the propositions as the best mode of bringing the decision to a happy
issue. He gave Mr. Fox great credit for the open and manly way, in which he
had manifested his abhorrence of this trade, and for the support he meant
to give to the total and unqualified abolition of it; for he was satisfied,
that the more it was inquired into, the more it would be found that nothing
short of abolition would cure the evil. With respect to certain assertions
of the members for Liverpool, and certain melancholy predictions about the
consequences of such an event, which others had held out, he desired to lay
in his claim for observation upon them, when the great question should come
before the house.

Soon after this the house broke up; and the discussion of the propositions,
which was the next parliamentary measure intended, was postponed to a
future day, which was sufficiently distant