d that he had
rendered great services to the government during the last war, by his
provision of that article. But here the Lord Chancellor Thurlow reserved
himself for an effort, which, by occasioning only a day's delay, would,
in that particular period of the session have totally prevented the
passing of the bill. He suggested certain amendments for consideration
and discussion which, if they had agreed upon, must have been carried
again to the lower House, and sanctioned there before the bill could
have been complete. But it appeared afterwards, that there would have
been no time for the latter proceeding. Earl Stanhope, therefore,
pressed this circumstance peculiarly upon the lords who were present. He
observed that the king was to dismiss the parliament next day, and
therefore they must adopt the bill as it stood, or reject it altogether.
There was no alternative, and no time was to be lost: accordingly, he
moved for an immediate division on the first of the amendments proposed
by Lord Thurlow. This having taken place, it was negatived. The other
amendments shared the same fate; and thus, at length, passed through the
Upper House, as through an ordeal as it were of fire, the first bill
that ever put fetters upon that barbarous and destructive monster, the
Slave Trade.

The next day, or on Friday, July the 11th, the king gave his assent to
it, and, as Lord Stanhope had previously asserted in the House of Lords,
concluded the session.

While the legislature was occupied in the consideration of this bill,
the lords of the council continued their examinations, that they might
collect as much light as possible previously to the general agitation of
the question in the next session of parliament. Among others I underwent
an examination: I gave my testimony first, relative to many of the
natural productions of Africa, of which I produced the specimens. These
were such as I had collected in the course of my journey to Bristol and
Liverpool, and elsewhere. I explained, secondly, the loss and usage of
seamen in the Slave Trade. To substantiate certain points, which
belonged to this branch of the subject, I left several depositions and
articles of agreement for the examination of the council. With respect
to others, as it would take a long time to give all the data upon which
calculations had been made, and the manner of making them, I was desired
to draw up a statement of particulars, and to send it to the council at
a fut