A Petition of Joseph Marryat, esq. agent for the island of Trinidad, was presented to the house, and read; setting forth, "That the petitioner observes, with inexpressible concern, that a bill is now depending before the house for the Abolition of the Slave Trade; and that the operation of such a measure, if passed into a law, will inevitably ruin many British subjects, who have embarked their property in the island of Trinidad, confiding in the encouragement held out by his majesty's ministers; and that the whole of the sugar estates in the said island are in a state of infancy, all of them having been cleared and put into cultivation since the year 1784, and many of them Since the year 1797, when the island was surrendered to the British arms; and that, in consequence of the encouragement held out to British subjects by his majesty's ministers, purchases were made from the 830 Spaniards of those estates which had been settled under the cedula of Spain, at the very high prices of from 50l. to 60l. sterling per acre, and large sums of money have been expended in erecting works and buildings upon the different plantations, for the manufacturing of sugar and distillation of rum, upon an expectation that the planters would be able, as their capitals increased, to acquire by gradual purchases a sufficient number of negroes to cultivate their estates to advantage; and that none of the estates in the island are as yet sufficiently stocked with negroes; and, if this bill should pass into a law, the lands thus cleared and purchased, and the buildings thus erected, would become of little or no value, from the impossibility of cultivating the one, or making the intended use of the other; and that the government of Spain has lately issued cedulas inviting settlers to the Spanish main, by the offer of liberal grants of land, an open trade with all nations, the free importation of slaves, and exemption from taxes and from duties on imports and exports for ten years, advantages which, from the facility of the communication between the adjacent Continent and Trinidad will, after the abolition of the Slave Trade, be powerful temptations to the inhabitants of that island to emigrate with their negroes to the opposite coast, and thus to depopulate a British settlement to aggrandize those of the enemy; and therefore praying, on the part of his constituents, that the said bill may not pass into a law; and that he may be heard by counsel at the bar of the house, and may be permitted to give evidence in support of the case of his constituents."
A Petition of the planters, merchants, mortgagees, annuitants, and others, interested in the British West India colonies, whose names are thereunto subscribed, was presented to the house, and read; setting forth, "That the petitioners observe, with the deepest concern and alarm, that a Bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade has passed the house of lords, and is now depending before this house; and that the trade to Africa for labourers has been, for a great number of years, sanctioned, approved, and encouraged by royal charters and proclamations, and by repeated acts of the British legislature, which declare, in the strongest terms, a most anxious desire to regulate, extend, secure, and preserve this trade, pronounced by par 831 liament to be highly advantageous to Great Britain, and necessary for supplying her plantations and colonies with a sufficient number of negroes; and that the British West India colonies were settled, and have ever been cultivated, under the solemn faith of those charters and proclamations, and of those laws which have confirmed the West India colonists in the most perfect assurance and confidence that they should continue to obtain supplies of negroes from Africa; and that the cultivation of those colonies cannot be carried on without supplies of African negroes; and that the settling of the interior of those islands, which is greatly conducive to their safety, cannot he promoted, if the slave trade shall be abolished; and that, if the bill should be passed into a law, the worst consequences will ensue from it, destructive not only to the properties of the British planters, and of their creditors, whose fortunes have assisted in cultivating the plantations in the West Indies, and are now secured upon them, but also deeply injurious to the interests of the British empire at large, as all descriptions of property in this kingdom must suffer most severely by the effects of a plan that shall operate to destroy the great capital invested in the British West India colonies, and to cut off a commerce which pays in duties annually to Great Britain upwards of three millions, employs more than sixteen thousand seamen, contributes one third to her whole exports, and one third to her imports, consumes annually of her manufactures and produce six millions, and which is preeminently distinguished as the most secure and independant source of national prosperity, and a principal support of the naval superiority of this country; and that this measure, if it should be carried into effect, must diminish, in a very few years, the property invested in the British West India islands, and open the means of hastening the progress of rival colonies; must forbid the supply of losses of negro population, which general causes, or accidents, or diseases peculiar to the climate, occasion, and which humane and provident management is unavailing to prevent; must stop the completion of establishments already begun, at a great expence, and put an end to the increase of small settlers in the interior of the islands, so necessary for their security; and, in short, must inflict extreme present injury, and eventual decay and ruin, upon 832 those colonies; and that an immediate consequence of the abolition will be the loss of the white population of the colonies, at present composing the militia, the principal defence of the country, by taking away the hope and the means of bettering their fortunes, their only inducement for venturing to those islands; and that many persons in the West India colonies, already settled and attached to the soil, will, from the same causes, emigrate to countries where they will meet with more encouragement and protection; and that those who must, from necessity, remain, will be left exposed to all the calamities attendant upon revolt and insurrection; and that the operation of the bill, if it shall pass into a law, will be to violate the system of colonial law, relative to property, the provisions of families, and the securities of creditors; and that the petitioners assure the house, that their statements are founded on the basis of truth; that they are advanced by those, whose local knowledge, and whose due and fair regard to their own welfare, afford them the best opportunities of forming correct conclusions, and that they can be established by evidence; and that the agitation of the question of an abolition of the slave trade is at all times pregnant with great mischief; and that the petitioners must view, with peculiar alarm, a renewed discussion of that question, at a period when the existence of a black power, in the neighbourhood of the most important British island in the West Indies, affording a memorable and dreadful lesson, recorded in characters of blood, of the issue of doctrines intimately, constantly, and inseparably connected with the abolition of the slave trade, ought most powerfully to have inculcated the necessity of discountenancing all such discussions, which tend to alienate the minds of the negroes in the British West India colonies from a state of subordination, and which hold forth no prospect whatever of real good, but, on the contrary, if persevered in, will be a fruitful source of enormous evil; and that the petitioners shrink, with horror, from a contemplation of those scenes, which that country has frightfully exhibited; and that confiscation cannot be authorized without proof of delinquency; and that the characters of the petitioners have been traduced, but delinquency has never been proved; and that the petitioners, duly weighing these considerations, and apprized of the constant exer 833 tions displayed by the commons in parliament assembled, in raising this country to its present state of power and security, are desirous of expressing their reliance, that the wise interposition of the house will reject a measure, which cannot be adopted without occasioning so great a sacrifice of the national resources, at a juncture when those resources are more than ever necessary to enable the country to make head against the most formidable enemy it ever had to contend with; and therefore praying, that the said bill may not pass into a law; and that they may be heard, at the bar of the house, by themselves, or their counsel, against the same, and that they may be permitted to produce evidence."
A Petition of Edmund Pusey Lyon, esq. agent for the island of Jamaica, was also presented to the house, and read; setting forth, ?That the petitioner observes with the deepest concern and alarm, that a bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade has passed the house of lords, and is now depending before this house; and that the fatal tendency of the measure of abolishing the slave trade, and the destructive consequences which must result from its accomplishment, have impelled the petitioner's constituents to instruct him to give the most strenuous opposition to this bill; and that the trade to Africa for labourers has been for a great number of years sanctioned, approved, and encouraged, by royal charters and proclamations, and by repeated acts of the British legislature, which declare in the strongest terms a most anxious desire to regulate, extend, secure, and preserve this trade, pronounced by parliament to be highly advantageous to Great Britain, and necessary for supplying her plantations and colonies with a sufficient number of negroes; and that the British West India colonies were settled, and have ever been cultivated under the solemn faith of those charters and proclamations, and of those laws which have confirmed the West India colonists in the most perfect assurance and confidence, that they should continue to obtain supplies of negroes from Africa; and that the cultivation of the island of Jamaica cannot be carried on without supplies of African negroes; and that the settling of the interior of that colony, which is greatly conducive to its safety, cannot be promoted if the slave trade shall be abolished; and that if the bill should be passed into a law, the worst consequences will en 834 sue from it, destructive not only to the properties of his constituents, and the proprietors of the other British West India colonies, and of their creditors, whose fortunes have assisted in cultivating the plantations in the West Indies, and are now secured upon them, but also deeply injurious to the interests of the British empire at large, as all descriptions of property in this kingdom must suffer most severely by the effects of a plan that shall operate to destroy the great capital invested in the British West India colonies, and to cut off a commerce which pays annually in duties upwards of three millions to Great Britain, employs more than sixteen thousand seamen, contributes one third to her whole exports, and one third of her imports, consumes annually of her manufactures and produce six millions, and which is pre-eminently distinguished as the most secure and independent source of national prosperity, and a principal support of the naval superiority of this country; and that this measure, if it should be carried into effect, must diminish in a very few years the property invested in Jamaica, and the other British West India islands, and open the means of hastening the progress of rival colonies, must forbid the supply of losses of negro population, which general causes, or accidents or diseases peculiar to the climate occasion, and which humane and provident management is unavailing to prevent; must stop the completion of establishments already begun at a great expence, and put an end to the increase of small settlers in the interior of the islands, so necessary for their security; and, in short, must inflict extreme injury and eventual decay and ruin upon those colonies; and that an immediate consequence of the abolition will be, the loss of the white population of the colonies, at present composing the militia, the principal defence of the country, by taking away the hope and the means of bettering their fortunes, their only inducement for venturing to those islands; and that many persons in the British West India colonies, already settled and attached to the soil, will from the same causes emigrate to countries where they will meet with more encouragement and protection; and that those who must from necessity remain, will be left exposed to all the calamities attendant upon revolt and insurrection; and that the operation of the bill, if it should pass into a 835 law, will be to violate the system of colonial law relative to property, the provisions of families, and the securities of creditors; and that the petitioner assures the house, that his statements are founded on the basis of truth, that they are the result of the full and mature consideration of his constituents, whose local knowledge, and Whose due and fair regard to their own welfare, afford them the best opportunities of forming correct conclusions; and that they can be established by, evidence; and that the agitation of the question of the abolition of the slave trade is at all times pregnant with great mischief; and that the petitioner must view with peculiar alarm the renewed discussion of that question, at a period when the existence of a black power in the neighbourhood of the island of Jamaica, affording a memorable and dreadful lesson recorded in characters of blood, of the issue of doctrines intimately, constantly, and inseparably connected with the abolition of the slave trade, ought most powerfully to have inculcated the necessity of discountenancing all such discussions, which tend to alienate the minds of the negroes in the British West India colonies from a state of subordination, and which hold forth no prospect whatever of real good, but on the contrary, if persevered in, will be a fruitful source of enormous evil; and that the petitioner shrinks with horror from a contemplation of those scenes which that country has frightfully exhibited; and that confiscation cannot be authorized without proof of delinquency; and that the characters of the petitioner's constituents have been traduced, but delinquency has never been proved; and that the petitioner, duly weighing these considerations, and apprized of the constant exertions displayed by the commons in parliament assembled, in raising this country to its present state of power and security, is desirous of expressing his reliance, that the wise interposition of the house will reject a measure, which cannot be adopted without occasioning so great a sacrifice of the national resources, at a juncture when those resources are more than ever necessary to enable the country to make head against the most formidable enemy it ever had to contend with; and the petitioner therefore prays, that the said bill may not pass into a law: and that he may be heard at the bar of the house, by himself or his counsel, against the same; and that he may be per 836 mitted to produce evidence in support of the case of his constituents."
A petition of the planters, merchants, and others of the city of Glasgow, connected with the island of Trinidad, was also presented to the house, and read; setting forth, that the petitioners were induced to invest their capital in the settling of lands in the said island of Trinidad, upon the faith of the assurances held out by his majesty's government, when it was ceded to this country, that they would be allowed to clear and cultivate the property in the manner usually practised in the West India islands, by the labour of negro slaves, which alone is adapted for that purpose; and that, by the bill now pending for abolishing the slave trade, the importation of negroes into this new colony is prohibited; and, if it should pass into a law, the interest of the petitioners will be most materially affected, the capital sunk in the improvement of the lands will be greatly diminished, if not altogether lost, and the time and labour already consumed in the prospect of future and distant returns will be totally misspent; the petitioners therefore repose in the good faith of his majesty's government, upon which his subjects have always had the surest grounds to rely, and upon which the petitioners in particular acted with the most unlimited confidence when embarking on this business, that such consequences will be averted, and that the interest of the settlers in this colony will be preserved; and therefore praying, that the house will give permission to import negro slaves into the said island until the lands actually granted have been duly and sufficiently supplied, or to permit the petitioners to be heard, by counsel at the bar, for their special interest, or to take such other means for their relief as to the houfe may seem meet."
A petition of John Anderson and Alexander Anderson, of Philpot Lane, London, merchants, proprietors of Bance Island, in the river Sierra Leone, on the windward coast of Africa, was also presented to the house, and read; setting forth, "that by an act, made in the 25th year of his late majesty, intituled, "an act for the application of a sum of money therein mentioned, granted to his majesty, making compensation and satisfaction to the Royal African Company of England;? "that whereas it appears, that a certain island, situate in the river Sierra Leone, on the said coast 837 of Africa, called Bance Island, with a fort and buildings thereon, having been formerly in the possession of the said Royal African Company, was, in the year 1728, deserted by the said company and their agents; and the said fort has been some time in the possession of Alexander Grant, John Sargent, and Richard Oswald, of London, Merchants, who have disbursed a considerable sum in the preservation and improvements of the said island and fort, for which it is just and reasonable they should have a recompence: Be it therefore enacted, that the said Alexander Grant, John Sargent, and Richard Oswald, shall be at liberty, notwithstanding the present act, to continue in the quiet possession of the said island, fort, and buildings thereon, and that the same shall henceforth continue and be absolutely vested in them, their heirs and assigns;" and that upon the faith and right granted, and the protection afforded to them by the said act, the said Alexander Grant, John Sargent and Richard Oswald, established large factories upon the said island, called Bance Island, with many dependent factories in the neighbourhood, and laid out and invested a very great capital therein; and that the petitioners afterwards purchased the right and interest of the persons entitled to the said island, with the slaves and other property thereon, and are now the sole proprietors thereof; and that in the year 1794, by an invasion of American and French subjects, the property of the petitioners, in the said island alone, to the amount of 20,000l. sterling, and upwards, was destroyed, and the petitioners have since replaced, and laid out, the amount of such property so destroyed; and that the petitioners have, at great risque and labour, and at an immense expence, established a great trade at the said island, called Bance Island; and that the Petitioners did so upon the assurance and belief that, by the said act, the property of the said island was as perfectly vested in, and secured to them, as any other species of property which the subjects of these realms possess under the sanction and protection of the law; and that the petitioners apprehend the bill now depending in parliament, to put an end to the slave trade, will render their property on Bance Island of no value, and likewise prevent their being able to collect the debts due to them, as the people on the coast of Africa 838 have no other means of making payment but by slaves; and therefore praying, that the said act may not pass into a law, and that they may be heard by counsel, and they hope their prayer will not seem unreasonable, considering they hold the property under an act of parliament, in which is acknowledged the justice of recompence to the proprietors, for the money disbursed in the preservation and improvement of the said island."—And the said petitions were severally ordered to lie upon the table, until the engrossed bill from the lords, intituled "an act for the abolition of the Slave Trade," be read a second time; and that the petitioners be then heard by their counsel, agents, and witnesses, against the said bill, upon their petitions, if they think fit.