§ Mr. Villiersinquired of the noble Lord the Secretary for the Colonies if he had received any report from the Governor of Ceylon as to the state of slavery in that colony? The reason that he had for asking the question was, its having been discovered that there were nearly 30,000 people there in that condition. A memorial was presented to the noble Lord the Member for London, who preceded the noble Lord at the Colonial-office, on the subject, who replied that before receiving the memorial he had requested the governor to make a report upon the state of slavery in that island, with the view to its extinction, and he wished to know if that report had been made, or whether the government had it in contemplation to issue any Order in Council on the subject.
Lord Stanleysaid, that not very long ago he had received from the Governor of Ceylon despatches expressing his regret that he was not prepared to furnish a detailed report on the subject to which the hon. Member lion. Member had alluded, but he stated that slavery had virtually been almost extinguished in the colony, and that he was about to introduce a new registration act, which he hoped would render the final abolition of slavery comparatively easy.