Earl Grosvenorpresented Petitions from the Dissenters of Welsh Pool and Gillingham, in the counties of Chester and Dorset, praying for the abolition of West-India Slavery. Their Lordships were aware that certain regulations had been in existence for eight years past, having for their object to prepare the population of the West-Indies for the entire abolition of the system of slavery. Unfortunately, these had not been attended with all the beneficial consequences which were expected to result from them. The present Government 1303 had taken steps, however, towards enforcing them, and he was willing to wait for a time, to see what effect their proceedings would produce. But in case the stops which the Government had taken should fail of success, it would then be necessary to call the attention of Parliament to the subject, with the view of at last resorting to measures which could not fail of producing the desired effect.
§ Petitions to lie on the Table.