Lord Broughamseeing his noble Friend, the Secretary for the Colonies, in his place, wished to ask whether any satisfactory information had been received respecting the termination of slavery in the Mauritius?
§ Lord Glenelgsaid, that in answer to the question of his noble Friend, he had sent a dispatch to the Governor of the Mauritius, requesting him to bring the termination of the apprenticeship system before the Council, with a view to have it put an end to by the 1st of February. He had not yet had an answer to that dispatch, but he had no doubt the Governor would bring it before the Council without delay, and as little doubt that the Council would accede to it. He had further to add, that if the Council did not accede to it he had taken a measure to effect the termination of the apprenticeships without the Council.
Lord Broughamsaid, that nothing could be more satisfactory to him; nor, he was Sure, to every person who took an interest in this question. But he wished to ask his noble Friend whether the dispatch had been so recently sent, that it was impossible now to have an answer, and also whether the measure which the noble Lord had adopted had been a conditional one.
§ Lord Glenelgsaid, that the dispatch had been sent out in July last. The measure he alluded to, was simply passing an order in Council enabling the Governor by proclamation to name a day for the termination of the apprenticeship system, if necessary, without the consent of the Council.