done, the extent of the superficies of the vessels which
were to carry them. This was the third indecorous attempt against what
were only reasonable and expected proceedings in the present session.
But their advantage was of no great duration; for the very next day, the
amendment was rejected on the report by a majority of ninety-five to
sixty-nine, in consequence, principally, of the private exertions of Mr.
Pitt. Of this bill, though it was renewed in other years besides the
present, I shall say no more in this _History_; because it has nothing
to do with the general question. Horrible as it yet left the situation
of the poor slaves in their transportation, (which the plate has most
abundantly shown,) it was the best bill which could be then obtained;
and it answered to a certain degree the benevolent wishes of the worthy
baronet who introduced it: for if we could conclude, that these voyages
were made more comfortable to the injured Africans, in proportion as
there was less mortality in them, he had undoubtedly the pleasure of
seeing the end, at least partially, obtained; though he must always have
felt a great drawback from it, by reflecting that the survivors, however
their sufferings might have been a little diminished, were reserved for
slavery.

The session was now near its close; and we had the sorrow to find,
though we had defeated our opponents in the three instances which have
been mentioned, that the tide ran decidedly against us, upon the general
question, in the House of Commons. The same statements which had struck
so many members with panic in the former sessions, such as that of
emancipation, of the ruin and massacre of the planters, and of
indemnification to the amount of seventy millions, had been
industriously kept up, and this by a personal canvass among them. But
this hostile disposition was still unfortunately increased by
considerations of another sort. For the witnesses of our opponents had
taken their ground first. No less than eleven of them had been examined
in the last sessions. In the present, two-thirds of the time had been
occupied by others on the same side. Hence the impression upon this
ground also was against us; and we had yet had no adequate opportunity
of doing it away. A clamour was also raised, where we thought it least
likely to have originated. They (the planters), it was said, had
produced persons in elevated life, and of the highest character, as
witnesses; whereas we had b