Lord> Broughammoved the third reading of the Slave Trade Suppression Bill and observed 1294 that when it had become law, the Legislature would probably have done all in its power for the extinction of slavery and the suppression of the slave-trade. He felt called upon to take this opportunity of paying a tribute to his noble Friend, the present Governor-general of India, for the manner in which he had put an end to slavery on taking possession of Scinde. He looked forward with sanguine hope to the abolition of slavery in the East Indies, a consummation not to be accomplished so much by legislation, or by doing violence to property, as by giving encouragement to the same method which Sir A. Johnstone had so beneficially pursued in Ceylon, and which had induced the native slave-owners themselves to declare all children free after a certain date.
§ The Earl of Aucklandsaid, the expression of such a hope was wholly unnecessary. No measure for the abolition of slavery in the East Indies was, he was happy to say, now required. While he was Governor-general an inquiry was instituted into the state and condition of slaves throughout our widely-extended dominions in India. The result of the inquiry was, that an act was prepared, the effect of which would have been to abolish the condition of slavery throughout those dominions, and to remove all the inconveniences and hardships to which slaves were subjected there. There was not time for that act to pass while he remained at the head of the Government; but the noble Lord who now held that post and the Government of Bengal had since passed an act by which slavery was abolished in the British dominions in India. [Lord Brougham: When was that act passed.] About eight or ten months ago. He did not, however, mean to say that some condition of servitude more or less painful, might not still exist, but at the same time, he had no doubt that measures would be carried into full operation that would put an end to all the practical as well as nominal evils of slavery.
Lord Broughamobserved, that no one had the least idea, until the noble Earl made this statement, that any act of a final nature had passed for the abolition of slavery in India. He could not help thinking that the act the noble Lord had spoken of must have passed more recently than eight or ten months ago.
§ Bill read a third time and passed.