§ Mr. Fowell Buxtonpresented 499 Petitions from various parts of the country, praying for the Abolition of Slavery. One of them was from the Society of Friends. He said, that he had great pleasure in presenting the petition from this body, as they had been the very first persons in the country who had promulgated the doctrine, that the buying, or selling, or holding of Slaves, was contrary to the doctrines of the Christian religion. Forty years ago they had presented the first petition for the abolition of the Slave-trade, and ten years ago they had presented the first petition for the abolition of Slavery. He also presented a similar Petition from Glasgow, signed by 19,500 of its inhabitants; and to that petition he attached considerable weight, as it came from a place more closely connected with our settlements in the West Indies than any other town in the kingdom.
Mr. Wilkssupported the prayer of the petitions, and confirmed the statement that the Quakers were the first who petitioned against Slavery.
§ Mr. Buckdenied that the Quakers were the first to petition for the abolition of the Slave-trade, The first petition to that 1145 effect came from the Colonial Assembly of Jamaica. It had been presented to the King in Council; but its prayer had been rejected.
§ Mr. Goulburn,in looking at the list of the names of places from which these petitions came (a list which occupies three closely printed folio pages), said, that he observed, that two of the petitions came from persons who styled themselves "The Inghamites of Greyrigge," and "The Inghamites of Pear-tree Chapel." He should like to know who these persons were, for he had never heard of them before.
§ Mr. Fowell Buxtonconfessed his inability to answer the question, but had no objection to have their petition read.
§ Sir C. Wetherell.—Are they a Corporate body, or what?
§ Petitions laid on the Table.