three thousand copies of
these also.

During these sittings, the chairman was requested to have frequent
communication with Dr. Porteus, bishop of London, as he had expressed
his desire of becoming useful to the institution.

A circular letter also, with the report before mentioned, was ordered to
be sent to the majors of several corporate towns.

A case also occurred, which it may not be improper to notice. The
treasurer reported that he had been informed by the chairman, that the
captain of the Albion, merchant ship, trading to the Bay of Honduras,
had picked up at sea, from a Spanish ship, which had been wrecked, two
black men, one named Henry Martin Burrowes, a free native of Antigua,
who had served in the royal navy, and the other named Antonio Berrat, a
Spanish negro; that the said captain detained these men on board his
ship, then lying in the river Thames, against their will; and that, he
would not give them up. Upon this report, it was resolved that the cause
of these unfortunate captives should be espoused by the committee. Mr.
Sharp accordingly caused a writ of habeas-corpus to be served upon them;
soon after which he had the satisfaction of reporting, that they had
been delivered from the place of their confinement.

During these sittings the following letters were read also:

One from Richard How, of Apsley, offering his services to the committee.

Another from the Reverend Christopher Wyvill, of Burton Hall, in
Yorkshire, to the same effect.

Another from Archdeacon Plymley, (afterwards Corbett,) in which he
expressed the deep interest he took in this cause of humanity and
freedom, and the desire he had of making himself useful as far as he
could towards the support of it; and he wished to know, as the Clergy of
the diocese of Lichfield and Coventry were anxious to espouse it also,
whether a petition to parliament from them, as a part of the Established
Church, would not be desirable at the present season.

Another from Archdeacon Paley, containing his sentiments on a plan for
the abolition of the Slave Trade, and the manumission of slaves in our
islands, and offering his future services, and wishing success to the
undertaking.

Another from Dr. Sharp, prebendary of Durham, inquiring into the
probable amount of the subscriptions which might be wanted, and for what
purposes, with a view of serving the cause.

Another from Dr. Woodward, bishop of Cloyne, in which he approved of the
institution of