Lords Sitting of 12 February 1810

ABOLITION OF SLAVE TRADE.
Lord Hollandremarked, that it was now about three years since their lordships, having abolished the disgraceful African slave trade, carried up an address to his Majesty, beseeching his Majesty to use such measures, in his wisdom, as might conduce to the abolition of that traffic on the part of those powers in amity with his Majesty. He particularly alluded to America, and to Spain and Portugal. The first of these powers, from

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the circumstance of the treaty negociated with her by the noble lord(Auckland) and himself, not having proved permanent, and from the slate of intercourse since that time, was not certainly placed in a situation in which much could be expected to be done with her by us on such a subject. But Portugal and Spain were situated differently, and we had possessed all the means of friendly communication and persuasion with those powers. He was therefore extremely desirous of knowing explicitly what steps had been taken in furtherance of the meaning and spirit of that Address.
The Earl of Liverpoolassured their lordships that he felt every desire to furnish every possible information respecting the question put by the noble lord, He might take it upon him to say, that in pursuance of the directions of parliament his Majesty's ministers at the different courts in amity with his Majesty, had been instructed to make representations on this head to the courts at which they respectively resided; that such representations had been made to the government of the United States; and also to that of Spain and of Portugal, or rather of the Brazils; but that these countries were now differently situated, both with regard to Great Britain and with relation to one another from the circumstances in which they were placed when the representation had first been made. Our relations were not now on a footing with America, to allow us immediately to recommend or follow up that sort of arrangement. The situation of Spain and of Portugal were also very different: and in the present situation of both, it could not be expected that any thing definitive could be ultimately arranged. At the same time he might assure the noble lord, that the proper instructions to that effect had been given to the British minister at the Brazils, and to the minister in Spain, as far as that country, under its present relations with its colonies, could be able to examine and decide the question.
Lord Hollandsaid, that the answer was, to him, quite unsatisfactory. The object of the Address was not, he reminded noble lords, the negotiating with foreign powers to create for us every facility for our abolition of this disgraceful and inhuman traffic, but the persuading of other powers, our friends and allies, to follow the glorious example we had set them, and co-operate with us in putting an end
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to it altogether. He was most anxious to know what had been done since. If the object of that Address had not been attended to, it might become his duty to move a censure on those men who had neglected it. He concluded by giving notice of a motion on the subject for Thursday se'nnight.