He was desirous, therefore, of doing something in the course of the
present session, by which the miseries of the trade might be diminished
as much as possible, while it lasted, or till the legislature could take
up the whole of the question. This desire he mentioned to several of his
friends; and as these approved of his design, he made it known on the
twenty-first of May in the House of Commons.
He began by observing, that he would take up but little of their time.
He rose to move for leave to bring in a bill for the relief of those
unhappy persons, the natives of Africa, from the hardships to which they
were usually exposed in their passage from the coast of Africa to the
colonies. He did not mean, by any regulations he might introduce for
this purpose, to countenance or sanction the Slave Trade, which, however
modified, would be always wicked and unjustifiable. Nor did he mean, by
introducing these, to go into the general question which the house had
prohibited. The bill which he had in contemplation, went only to limit
the number of persons to be put on board to the tonnage of the vessel
which was to carry them, in order to prevent them from being crowded too
closely together; to secure to them good and sufficient provisions; and
to take cognizance of other matters, which related to their health and
accommodation; and this only till parliament could enter into the
general merits of the question.
Pages:
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493