fending
part of the human race.

Mr. Martin complimented Mr. Pitt in terms of the warmest panegyric on
his noble sentiments, declaring that they reflected the greatest honour
upon him both as an Englishman and as a man.

Soon after this the house divided upon the motion of Sir William Dolben.
Fifty-six appeared to be in favour of it, and only five against it. The
latter consisted of the two members for Liverpool and three other
interested persons. This was the first division which ever took place on
this important subject. The other blanks were then filled up, and the
bill was passed without further delay.

The next day, or on the 18th of June, it was carried up to the House of
Lords. The slave-merchants of London, Liverpool, and Bristol,
immediately presented petitions against it, as they had done in the
lower house. They prayed that counsel might open their case; and though
they had been driven from the Commons on account of their evidence, with
disgrace, they had the effrontery to ask that they might call witnesses
here also.

Counsel and evidence having been respectively heard, the bill was
ordered to be committed the next day. The Lords attended according to
summons. But on a motion by Dr. Warren, the Bishop of Bangor, who stated
that the Lord Chancellor Thurlow was much indisposed, and that he wished
to be present when the question was discussed, the committee was
postponed.

It was generally thought that the reason for this postponement, and
particularly as it was recommended by a prelate, was that the Chancellor
might have an opportunity of forwarding this humane bill. But it was
found to be quite otherwise. It appeared that the motive was, that he
might give to it, by his official appearance as the chief servant of the
crown in that house, all the opposition in his power. For when the day
arrived which had been appointed for the discussion, and when the Lords
Bathurst and Hawkesbury (afterwards Liverpool) had expressed their
opinions, which were different, relative to the time when the bill
should take place, he rose up and pronounced a bitter and vehement
oration against it. He said, among other things, that it was full of
inconsistency and nonsense from the beginning to the end. The French had
lately offered large premiums for the encouragement of this trade. They
were a politic people, and the presumption was, that we were doing
politically wrong by abandoning it. The bill ought not to have been
broug