s in the face, or acted with energy as a delegate, as on
former occasions.

The hearing of evidence continued to go on in behalf of the abolition of
the trade. No less than twenty-four witnesses, altogether, were heard in
this session. And here it may not be improper to remark, that, during the
examination of our own witnesses as well as the cross-examination of those
of our opponents, no counsel were ever employed. Mr. Wilberforce and Mr.
William Smith undertook this laborious department; and as they performed it
with great ability, so they did it with great liberality towards those, who
were obliged to come under their notice in the course of this fiery ordeal.

The bill of Sir William Dolben was now to be renewed. On this occasion the
enemies of the abolition became again conspicuous; for on the twenty-sixth
of May, they availed themselves of a thin house to propose an amendment, by
which they increased the number of the slaves to the tonnage of the vessel.
They increased it too, without taking into the account, as had hitherto
been done, the extent of the superficies of the vessels, which were to
carry them. This was the third indecorous attempt against what were only
reasonable and expected proceedings in the present session. But their
advantage was of no great duration; for, the very next day, the amendment
was rejected on the report by a majority of ninety-five to sixty-nine, in
consequence, principally, of the private exertions of Mr. Pitt. Of this
bill, though it was renewed in other years besides the present, I shall say
no more in this History; because it has nothing to do with the general
question. Horrible as it yet left the situation of the poor slaves in their
transportation, (which the plate has most abundantly shown) it was the best
bill, which could be then obtained; and it answered to a certain degree the
benevolent wishes of the worthy baronet, who introduced it: for if we could
conclude that these voyages were made more comfortable to the injured
Africans, in proportion as there was less mortality in them, he had
undoubtedly the pleasure of seeing the end, at least partially, obtained;
though he must always have felt a great drawback from it, by reflecting
that the survivors, however their sufferings might have been a little
diminished, were reserved for slavery.

The session was now near its close; and we had the sorrow to find, though
we had defeated our opponents in the three instances which have