Page images
PDF
EPUB

of four bears in fact on the remaining fifteen, and is to be fo eftimated.

A fimilar inference occurs, on confideration of the dif proportion of fexes: when particular eftates are inftanced as having an equal or greater number of females than males, then the difproportion of fexes flated in the total, bears heavier on the remainder from the very circumftance of the cafes in exception mentioned.

One matter of notoriety hath in a great degree escaped the attention of the examinants, either of the Privy Council, or in your Committees, and which hath farther effect, in aggravating the difproportion of fexes. It is, that the numerous white fervants, and others ordinarily fent forth from the mother country in the ftate of apprenticeship, carry out no help-mate of their own colour, and certainly find no help-mate of their own colour, and as certainly take to themfelves a help-mate of any colour they can find: in calculating the proportion of fexes, we fhould take overfeers and other Europeans into confideration,-for they appropriate a confiderable number of negro females; and we may venture to fay, they appropriate thofe of but youth and form,-and who might otherwife become prolific wives to the negromen, and increase the numbers on the plantations.

All these circumftances fhould be fuper-added to the anfwers made to the 28th query, tranfmitted from the Privy Council to the Governors of the feveral iflands: that is, to the disproportion of two men to one woman in Grenada and St. Kitt's, and of four to three women in Jamaica, as affirmed in the teftimony of Mr. Hibbert, page 364 of the fecond volume of evidence. In the islands of Barbadoes and Antigua, where the answers returned leave the equality of fexes a matter of doubt, the fame circumftances will operate to ascertain a confiderable difproportion.

Moreover, a difproportion of young people to old, under prefent circumstances, obftrucls natural increase, and requires provifionary means of remedy, which Africa muft for a time. fupply. In fupport of the latter inference, it would be tedious even to recapitulate the mere names of witnesses, who have ftated the alteration of fyftem within late years; and have told our Committees, that in former times, by no means an equal attention was paid to the breeding of negroes as is now of course, the gradation of ages from a period back is not as yet duly filled, and a ftep of life is wanting on inoft eftates, leaving a chafm between childhood and mature man. This obfervation is of particular importance, confidered as applicable to the neceffity of a temporary importation of African flaves; that is, for fuch number of years as the fupply of youthful labourers fhall be wanted to VOL. XXIX.

LI

fill

fill the place of the aged or others, who drop off in the courfe of nature. The children in much the greater proportion born and reared within thefe twelve years paffed, have not reached the age and strength for labour on the plantations in fucceffion as that labour is called for: and I defire it may be remarked, that this juft ftatement and inference would have the full weight and effect in argument against immediate and unqualified abolition of the flave trade, even were the births equal to the deaths throughout the islands, and the fexes numbered in due proportion. Befides thefe natural impediments to Population, which time, and a partial affifiance from a flave trade may during that time remove, the neglect of marriage or permanent connection among the negroes, their diffolutenefs of morals, the practices of abortion, and the inattention to infants, are all evils to be overcome, and which cannot be overcome fuddenly.

The inference to be drawn from thefe ftatements is, that the negroes in our colonies do, and muft increase, until the measures dictated by benevolence and policy fhall have had time to operate; and that mean while, fupplies of flaves from Africa fhould be allowed in aid of fuch good and wife reform in the government and regulation of thofe actually on the plantations. If the planters, being without debts, and without engagements, were free to make a furrender of half the income of their eftates, and to let every other confideration give way to the fole object of encouraging the procreation and the rearing of infant negroes;-if the planters could direct their own views, and command their own time, in the making an experiment at their own lofs and hazard, of from how fmall a ftock, and under how many difadvantages, mankind may yet increase and multiply:-If no deeds of mortgage, no contrats of configniment, controled and directed their fuperintendance to other confiderations; - if, in a word, the planter was not generally the flave of the British creditor, he might do much for increase of the flaves he calls his own, and in many inftances, circumftanced even as his flaves are, might attain, in a number of years, the object he has in view, without importations from África.

But whilft twenty millions of debt prefs on the proprietary of the West Indies, as eftimated, page 386, of the second volume of evidence; whilft a full third of the property in the islands, that is, of feventy millions, according to the calculation of a noble Lord, moft converfant in commercial concerns, is engaged by mortgage to the merchants and others in the mother country; how can the planter, fpeaking generally, remit labour and industry on thofe grounds, where his own is but a refidue, and where fo great demands are previously to be fatisfied, and ere he can claim a mere fubfiftence

3

fubfiftence for himself? Under fuch circumstances, the flave trade being fuppreffed, and his negroes decreasing the first year, in the smallest per-centage, that decrease mult become progreffive, and accelerate from year to year; for, as his numbers became lefs, his labour becomes more, from time to time falling heavier on the negroes who remain.

How cruelly the measure of fuppreffing at once the trade for flaves from Africa, might operate in relation to the flaves actually on the plantations of the Weft Indies, is not readily to be conceived in all its extent of mifery, or not to be conceived without horror.

--

I could give colour to these fatal confequences, from the evidence of Mr. Francklyn, page 96; Sir Afhton Byam, page 116; Mr. Baillie, page 192; Mr. Gregg, page 226; Mr. Douglas, page 292; and Dr. Athill, who, page 304, of the fecond part of evidence, ftates, in addition to the general topics of too much labour, and too few labourers, the particular destruction to young negroes, from the mafter being in his neceffities driven to make them work in the fields ere their manhood is mature, and thus foon wear them out, and bring on early decrepitude, or death. As to the general effects of cutting off all fupplies of new negroes, they are defcribed in the petition from Demerary and Effequibo, in terins fo plain and true, that he who runs may read.

This document, to be found in part 6, of the Appendix of the Report of the Privy Council, is addreffed to the States of Holland and Friesland; it fays," that (in those "colonies) their annual diminution of flaves is five per 86 cent: this is little felt the first year; nineteen remaining "negroes hardly perceive that they do the work, which the "preceding year employed twenty: but the second year, "the fame work falls to eighteen; and if another year "paffes, without an augmentation by purchase, seventeen "must do the work first allotted to twenty: this must give "rife to difcontent, defertion, or revolt; or if the negroes "put up patiently with the furcharge of labour, illness, and "an earlier death, must be the confequence."

I cannot quit the fubject of too much labour, and too few labourers, without one farther reference to the evidence of Mr. Ottley, Chief Juftice in St. Vincent's. It is but giving juft and due weight to the teftimony of that gentleman, when I ufher it in, by declaring the pleasure I take in faying, on my intimate knowledge of him, from youth upwards, that the beft feelings have ever conftituted him a common friend of mankind, without diftinction of colour or condition; and that natural and acquired powers of mind have fitted him to execute, as to conceive, what is for the benefit

L12

benefit of all around him. This fhort digreffion will be excused, when I ftate, that it is made in juftice to one who anticipated the views of British benevolence, and was framing colonial acts for the fecurity, comfort, and happinefs of the flaves in St. Vincent's, before our first regulatory bill was even opened in this country, or the flave trade in any way made a queftion in this Houfe. Mr. Ottley hath given you the cleareft ftatement of the refult to the negroes on the plantations, derivative from a fudden fuppreffion of the trade to Africa for flaves. Page 167, of the latt volume of evidence, he fays, "that eftates in the West Indies, in "general, are deeply mortgaged; that in many inftances,

where there is fuch incumbrance and weight of debt, the "greatest exertion of labour, and worst fupply of food, are "the confequences; that on fuch eftates fo circumftanced as "to be defective in their natural increafe, the proprietors, "who are obliged to anfwer the preiling demands of their

creditors, would (he feared) in many inftances, be induced "to work their gangs beyond their ftrength; and that a "fudden unqualified abolition of the trade for flaves to "Africa, would thus eventually prove oppreffive to many

flaves in the Weft Indies." Sir, all thefe confequences of furcharge of labour, and of the wretchednefs of the flave keeping pace with the ruin of his owner, are obvious. But do the mifery and mifchief end here, even in regard to the flave? No, Sir; merchants of the firft eminence, men who can fpeak to the intent of creditors, (for themselves are creditors) tell you, "that, in cafe of the flave trade being abolished, the merchants, mortgagees, and others, muft "withdraw their indulgence hitherto granted to debtors, "and forclofe." Look to page 397 of the fecond volume of evidence, and generally to the evidence of Meffrs. Baillie, Rucker, Hankey, and Hibbert.

The effect of the creditor preffing on the planter, will be fatal to the flave in a yet farther point of view. In page 173, of the laft or fourth volume of evidence, you are told by the Chief Juftice of St. Vincent's, "that flaves are liable to feizure for debts, in default of other goods and chattels; and that in a fale of flaves, under fuch circumftances, "there is no provision to guard against the separation of families, excepting in relation to the mother and infant child." Doth not fuch feparation conftitute a principal fhare of that very extreme of outrage on the rights and feelings of human creatures, which the honourable gentleman fo ftrongly deprecates in Africa? Why inftitute new causes of fuch feparation in the Weft Indies?

The honourable gentleman, again, deprecates the temporary confinement in a flave fhip; why give farther oc

cafion to confinement in a West Indian prifon? where, under a diftrain for debt of the mafter, the poor flave may linger for double, for treble the time of a Middle Paffage. but even these horrors apart, is it nothing to excite a general fyftem of process and fales by the Provoft Marfhal, which muft at least tear the poor Creole flave from his old habitation? Says the Rev. Mr. Davies, in page 188, of the 4th volume of evidence, "There have been inftances of flaves "pining away, removed from their habitations, and old "ipots of ground:" but the feparation too is, from his wife, from his child.

Sir, I have faid enough of the confequences of the abolition. of the flave trade, fo far as it may operate on the fituation of the flave in Africa, or of the flave in the West Indies. I have fhewn that the caufe of humanity is no gainer by fuch precipitate undertaking. None can gain. What lofs may refult from the meafure it is not eafy to eflimate, taking into confideration the many and intricate dependencies on the queftion, adverting to commerce, navigation and revenue.

I must here, Sir, recall to your mind, that I have adduced a body of evidence incontrovertibly, fetting afide all pretenfions to the finding a substitute for the flave trade, in the improved civilization, manufactures, and culture of Africa: fuch were ftated by my honourable friend as the alternatives of a flave trade, the expectancy was held out to us as refulting from a fuppreffion of the flave trade, but Great Britain hath no power to fupprefs that trade: fhe may quit her share of it indeed; but I have fhewn that fuch fhare fo abandoned, will be quickly feized by others, and the flave trade be carried on with new exertions and rivalship on every part of the coafts of Africa.

The African trade, which we are called upon to furrender at once and without preparation, and with no indemnification of commerce whatever, is, in its connections at least, a matter of the greatest concern.

As to the traffic for flaves in itself, and refting on its own. grounds, whether confidered as a trade of export, or as a carrying trade, or as part of our navigation, I declare most explicitly that I cannot be its advocate, on any one question even of national expediency: but as a refource, I hope and truft a temporary refource, to our Weft Indian Colonies, it derives from its connection with them an importance touching the very exiftence of the British empire. Should the motion of this night be adopted, I prefume not to measure the extent of ruin in the islands, and decay in their commerce, as dependant for a time on that with Africa. How little in fuch cafe the Weft Indian commerce might become, I dread to think of how great that commerce actually is, I will,

fhew

« PreviousContinue »