adequate remedy for its injustice and cruelty; neither could it be
deemed a compliance with the general wishes of the people, as expressed
in their numerous and urgent petitions to Parliament; and they resolved
lastly, that the interval in which the Slave Trade should be permitted
to continue, afforded a prospect of redoubled cruelties and ravages on
the coast of Africa; and that it imposed therefore an additional
obligation on every friend to the cause to use all constitutional means
to obtain its immediate abolition.

At a subsequent meeting they voted their thanks to the right honourable
Lord Muncaster, for the able support he had given to the great object of
their institution by his _Historical Sketches of the Slave Trade, and of
its Effects in Africa_; addressed to the people of Great Britain; and
they elected the Rev. Richard Gifford, and the Rev. Thomas Gisborne,
honorary and corresponding members; the first on account of his
excellent sermon before-mentioned, and other services; and the latter on
account of his truly Christian and seasonable pamphlet, entitled
_Remarks on the Late Decision of the House of Commons, respecting the
Abolition of the Slave Trade_.

On the 23rd of April, the House of Commons resolved itself into a
committee of the whole House, to consider the subject again; and Mr.
Beaufoy was put into the chair.

Mr. Dundas, upon whom the task of introducing a bill for the gradual
abolition of the Slave Trade now devolved, rose to offer the outlines of
a plan for that purpose. He intended, he said, immediately to abolish
that part of the trade, by which we supplied foreigners with slaves. The
other part of it was to be continued seven years from the 1st of January
next. He grounded the necessity of its continuance till this time upon
the documents of the Negro population in the different islands. In many
of these, slaves were imported, but they were re-exported nearly in
equal numbers. Now, all these he considered to be in a state to go on
without future supplies from Africa. Jamaica and the ceded islands
retained almost all the slaves imported into them. This he considered as
a proof that these had not attained the same desirable state; and it was
therefore necessary, that the trade should be continued longer on this
account. It was his intention, however, to provide proper punishments,
while it lasted, for abuses both in Africa and in the Middle Passage, He
would take care, as far as he could, t