Russell succeeded Mr. Montagu. He said, that although slavery
was repugnant to his feelings, he must vote against the abolition as
visionary and delusive. It was a feeble attempt, without the power, to
serve the cause of humanity. Other nations would take up the trade.
Whenever a bill of wise regulation should be brought forward, no man
would be more ready than himself to lend his support. In this way the
rights of humanity might be asserted without injury to others. He hoped
he should not incur censure by his vote; for, let his understanding be
what it might, he did not know that he had, notwithstanding the
assertions of Mr. Fox, an inaccessible heart.

Mr. Stanley (agent for the islands) rose next. He felt himself called
upon, he said, to refute the many calumnies which had for years been
propagated against the planters, (even through the medium of the pulpit,
which should have been employed to better purposes,) and which had at
length produced the mischievous measure, which was now under the
discussion of the House. A cry had been sounded forth, and from one end
of the kingdom to the other, as if there had never been a slave from
Adam to the present time. But it appeared to him to have been the
intention of Providence, from the very beginning, that one set of men
should be slaves to another. This truth was as old as it was universal.
It was recognised in every history, under every government, and in every
religion. Nor did the Christian religion itself if the comments of Dr.
Halifax, Bishop of Gloucester, on a passage of St. Paul's epistle to the
Corinthians were true, show more repugnance to slavery than any other.

He denied that the slaves were procured in the manner which had been
described. It was the custom of all savages to kill their prisoners; and
the Africans ought to be thankful that they had been carried safe into
the British colonies.

As to the tales of misery in the Middle Passage, they were gross
falsehoods; and as to their treatment in the West Indies, he knew
personally that it was, in general, indulgent and humane.

With regard to promoting their increase by any better mode of treatment,
he wished gentlemen would point it out to him. As a planter he would
thank them for it. It was absurd to suppose that he and others were
blind to their own interest. It was well known that one Creole slave was
worth two Africans; and their interest, therefore, must suggest to them,
that the propagation of slave