Lords Sitting of 6 March 1833

MINUTES.
Petitions presented. By the Marquess of WEST-MINSTER, from certain Dissenters, for the Repeal of the Laws regulating the Observance of the Sabbath.—By the Earl of ROSSLYN, from the Presbytery of Kirkaldy—for the Better Observance of the Sabbath,—By Lord KING, from Kilrane and Ballynaslarney,—against Coercive Measures for Ireland.

ABOLITION OF SLAVERY—PETITIONS.
Lord Suffieldsaid, that he had several Petitions to present, on the subject of Slavery in the West-India colonies, but in the then thin state of the House (half a dozen peers at most were present), he should not feel justified in presenting the whole of them. He would, under the circumstances, therefore, limit himself to the presentation of two only, and the observations which he should offer on them would be very few. The first was from Weybridge, the second from a parish
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in the county of Wexford; they prayed for the total and immediate abolition of Slavery. He had in his possession many others to the same effect from populous towns and districts in the country, but those he should reserve till a future occasion; but he felt it to be his duty at once to state, for the information of the House and the country, that the great object of the majority of those who had hitherto thought proper to exert themselves for the abolition of Slavery, had been to leave the subject in the hands of Ministers, and to allow them full time and leisure to perfect those measures, which had been stated in another place to be in course of preparation, and which were described as likely to prove satisfactory to all parties concerned. Though the preparation of those measures had been protracted for a long period of time, yet the individuals to whom he had alluded were exceedingly unwilling to embarrass the Government by raising any questions in their Lordships' House, and, in consequence, exciting the public feeling on the subject, until the measures in question had been fully matured and presented to Parliament. There was, however, a rumour afloat—indeed, he need hardly to call it a rumour, for the fact was almost notorious, that the measures, brought at length to a state of maturity, had been submitted by Government to the consideration of the West-India proprietors, who had, most unadvisedly, as it appeared to him, thought proper to reject them. It was quite plain, therefore, that the delay in the settlement of this most important question no longer rested with his Majesty's Government, but was caused by the obstinate, and he might add, impolitic resistance on the part of the individuals connected with the West-India body. Under these circumstances, he thought that those persons, who, out of consideration to the Government, had hitherto been induced to forbear bestirring themselves actively in furtherance of the object in view, could no longer suspend their exertions; nor did he believe that the public would be disposed to bear the disappointment of the expectations which had been raised with any degree of patience. He wished to state distinctly, his conviction, and he believed the evidence would corroborate it, that a very strong feeling did exist throughout the kingdom on the subject of negro slavery. The forbearance which had hither-to

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been displayed he trusted would not be mistaken for apathy and indifference to the highly important subject of the emancipation of slaves. There was, he could confidently assure their Lordships, no such apathy or indifference in the public mind, and the delay in the settlement of the question was, he repeated, solely owing to the opposition made by the West-India body. He had heard it stated, with some degree of bitterness, that the Anti-slavery Society was the enemy of this body. The charge was most incorrect and unjustifiable. The society was far from considering the West-India body with vindictive feelings. Before he sat down, he would, however, offer this latter association one word of advice, which it would be well for them to attend to. Generosity, it was well known, was as strong a characteristic of the British public as the love of justice; but he would humbly suggest to the West-India body, and he did not speak without some reason, the policy of displaying a greater spirit of conciliation. The eager desire of the public for the enactment of a measure of conciliation was perfectly well known, and he was sure, that if that desire were attempted to be checked, it would increase till it became as irresistible as the call for Reform was last year. They were, at present, disposed to act liberally with the West-India body; he, therefore, warned that body against delay, as he was quite persuaded it would result in rendering the demands upon them much more extensive, and would cause those demands to be urged with more determination than ever. He counselled them to agree at once to the terms offered by Government, while those terms might yet be yielded to with propriety. The noble Lord, in conclusion, observed, that two days might not elapse before he might consider it his duty to call the attention of the House to the subject in a more specific way.
Petitions laid on the Table.