Lords Sitting of 12 January 1807

ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE.
On the motion of lord Grenville, the second reading of the bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was appointed for Friday se'nnight, for which day the lords were ordered to be summoned.
Lord Hawkesburyadverted to the two resolutions adopted by the house last session; the one declaring that the Slave Trade ought to be abolished; and the other, to address his majesty to make such communications to Foreign powers as his majesty should deem advisable, with the view of procuring the Abolition of the Slave Trade. With respect to the second of these resolutions, he thought the house ought to be informed of what had been done in pursuance of it, or whether any thing had been done. This information he conceived not only those noble lords who were hostile to the abolition, but also those who were friendly to that measure, would wish to have. There were five powers who were materially interested in the Slave Trade, namely, Portugal and the United States of America, France, Spain, and Holland; Denmark and Sweden had also some interest in the trade, but it was of a subordinate nature. With respect to Spain and Holland, he could readily conceive that there had been no means of making any communication on the subject to these powers. As to France, he did not know whether, during the late negociation with the government of that country, there was any communication upon this subject made, and this was a point upon which he thought the house ought to be informed. So also with respect to the United States of America, and Portugal, communications
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might have been made, of which the house ought to be in possession previous to the second reading of the bill. His lordship concluded by moving an address to his majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to order to be laid before the house, copies of all communications which had passed between his majesty and foreign powers respecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, in consequence of the address of that house.
Lord Grenvillesaid, he was not aware of any material objection to the noble lord's motion. With respect to France, the fact was, that during the late negociation with the government of that country, communications on this subject did take place, to the production of which he saw no objection. As to Spain and Holland, the noble lord had justly supposed that no communications had taken place. With respect to Portugal, it was not thought expedient to make any communication on the subject during the negociation with France; and the fact was that none had since been made. With respect to the United States of America, communications had certainly passed during the negociation between the plenipotentiaríes of this country and the United States; and this subject actually formed one of the articles of the treaty which had been signed by those plenipotentiaries. The only difficulty he had in acceding to the noble lord's motion was, that this article could not be produced, as it was well known that a treaty signed by plenipotentiaries could not regularly be laid before parliament until ratified by the respective governments.—The motion was then agreed to.