accomplished, and therefore all argumentative matter upon the subject would be irrelevant, nor would it have been introduced into these pages at all, but for the purpose of recording the opinion of the Duke of Clarence on the subjeet, who having been an eye-witness of all the dreadful atrocities committed upon the Blacks, the greater part of which were invented and hatched at the Quaker's meetings, was certainly well-fitted to instruct the parliament of his country on a subject, concerning which, the minds of the members of it were kept in a continual state of inflammation, by the extravagant falsehoods, which were industriously and incessantly circulated by the abolitionists, and to which the highest possible colour of atrocity and inhumanity was imparted.

Mr. Wilberforce succeeded in carrying his resolutions through the House of Commons, with the exception of the word gradual for immediate, and on these resolutions being brought before the House of Lords, Lord Grenville moved that their lordships should agree with the resolutions of the Commons.

It was on this occasion that the Duke of Clarence presented himself to the notice of the House, assuring them, that he had come down unprepared to enter upon the subject, as he was not aware that the question of the slave trade was to come under discussion on that day. He therefore threw himself upon the indulgence of their lordships, for independently of his want of preparation, he had to labour under those difficulties, which must naturally arise from his inexperience in public speaking, yet on a question of such high importance, he could not bring himself to be silent, as he considered that in the adoption of the resolutions of the Lower House, the very safety and integrity of our West Indian possessions were endangered. Having served for some time on the West Indian Station, he had had frequent opportunities of being an eye-witness of the treatment of the negro slaves, and he was able and ready to prove, whenever he was called upon, that the conduct observed towards the negroes was not contrary to any one principle of humanity and justice. From his own observa

tion, his Royal Highness declared, that in his conscience, he verily believed the greatest hardship of their slavery was in the word, and when occasion calls for it, he should be able to maintain that the slave trade is neither unjust nor inhuman; that it is contrary, neither to religion nor morality, and that its continuation is at present demanded upon principles of sound policy. He had seen negroes in a state of slavery, and he had seen free negroes; he had also seen his own countrymen in a state of slavery too, although called by another name, and had he the choice, he would prefer the condition of the former to that of the latter. If the resolutions of the House of Commons be carried, there can be but little doubt of their producing a total subversion of our West India Colonies. The short question which he put to the House, which he had then the honour of addressing, was, do you wish to produce such subversion? Those who say, that compared with a continuation of the slave trade, the subversion of the colonies, the ruin of the planters and merchants, the diminution of the number of our seamen, and the consequent enfeebling of our maritime force, are all put together, a mere trifle, those persons, will of course persevere in their endeavours to carry the present resolutions, but those, who think that the loss of the West India Islands, would go very far to cripple, ruin, and finally enslave these European Islands that we inhabit, will think twice before they vote once for the abolition of the slave trade. If the African trade be of the greatest magnitude to the welfare and prosperity of this kingdom, the abolition of the slave trade should ever meet with his most serious and unqualified opposition, and as a proof of the magnitude and importance of that trade, he could assure their Lordships, that to his knowledge, there were at that moment agents from other countries now in London, who were anxiously awaiting the decision of Parliament, and were ready to engage all the vessels that would be thrown out of employ, should the House agree to those resolutions, which would in effect tend to its abolition, but which the love, which he bore to his country made him sincerely wish he should never live to see.

His Royal Highness took this opportunity of observing that he totally disagreed with the policy of having negro regiments; it was teaching them a lesson, of which before long, those, who taught it them would feel the effects. A negro is a slave from his birth, but to have regiments of negroes stationed over their brethren, in slavery, was the height of impolicy and imprudence.

It was in consequence of these remarks so forcibly urged by his Royal Highness that Lord Stormant moved that the house do resolve itself into a committee to examine into the trade between this country and Africa, and between Africa and our West India Islands, and to inquire into the cultivation of sugar in our Islands.

In order to arrive at a speedy dicision of this important question Lord Grenville proposed as an amendment, that an open committee should be appointed above stairs. To this, however, the Duke of Clarence offered many valid objections and contended that the fullest inquiry ought to be instituted, that all those who were interested in the slave trade should be heard by counsel at their Lordship's Bar. The majority of the Lords being of the same opinion, the motion of Lord Stormont was carried.

The conduct which the Duke of Clarence pursued on the subject of the slave trade raised up against him a host of enemies. He was branded as a lover of despotism and tyranny, as the advocate of cruelty and inhumanity, as a stranger to philanthropy and mercy, and the abolitionists went so far as to accuse him of being the bribed advocate of the slave dealers. They even degraded themselves by publishing a caricature in which his Royal Highness was represented leading a train of negroes in chains, whilst in the back ground were exhibited the various methods of inflicting punishment on the refractory slaves, especially on the women; the antiabolitionists retaliated and published a counterpart, representing Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Clarkson, and a few quakers drilling some negro recruits, and in the back ground were the insubordinates tied to the halberds, whilst the drummers were

lashing them most unmercifully, and underneath was written. "Look upon this picture and upon that." In fact a war raged between the abolitionists, similar to that of the allopaths and the hemopaths of the present day, and as is generally the case, the cause of neither party was promoted by the contest. There was indeed much to be said on both sides. Man is a progressive animal, and his advance towards improvement is a pleasurable state. Hope cheers his path, as he toils up the hill that leads him to something better than he has yet experi enced on its gay summit gilded with sun-shine. The labour of the ascent is a delight. But if he cannot help conceiving from a sense of grievance which he feels, something excellent to which he is prohibited by coercion from approaching, hope sickens, and ill humour succeeds to complacency. Hence arises a disagreement between the governed and the governors, and the governors being possessed of present power, use force and vigour to stifle the murmurs of complaint.Coercion but increases the ill-humour, which often lies latent like the fires of a volcano, for a considerable time, but at last bursts forth with irresistible fury. It is wise, therefore, as well as just, in all governors, who have a regard for any thing but their present and private interest, to encourage discussion, to seek improvement of the system, and to reject no reform proposed by great numbers, without a cool, a temperate, and a long deliberation. The people of this country, however, who were favourable to reform in our colonization system, and particularly in the slave trade, thought they beheld in the Duke of Clarence, a decided enemy to all reform-a thorough-bred slave of antiquated prejudices and aristocratic habits, and a very unfit person indeed to be the Prince of a free and liberal-minded people. These circumstances, combined with some others of a personal character, rendered the Duke of Clarence one of the most unpopular of the royal Princes, at the same time had the people investigated the character of some of the other branches of the royal family, they would have discovered that the character of the Duke of Clarence was purity itself, in comparison with that, which par

ticularly attached to his two elder brothers; the delinquencies of the latter had, however as yet, been confined to their own immediate circle, whereas, according to the opinion of a certain class of persons, the Duke of Clarence had sinned grossly against every principle of humanity, justice, philantrophy, and christian charity. A certain junta, ridiculously styling themselves the people, and vaunting that they were the organ of the nation, took upon themselves the not very creditable office of bespattering his Royal Highness with the feculent matter of their abuse, and not content with considering him in his politi cal character, they held themselves entitled to call him before their tribunal, on account of his private actions, which perhaps not being in reality fit to be tried by the rigid standard of morality, presented them with the means, unfortunately, of impugning his general character, and holding him up to the contempt and ridicule of the English people. Invective upon invective was poured upon him, and the amiable, peace-loving quakers declared interminable war against an individual, who had attempted to thwart them in one of their most favourite measures, and although the spirit did not move them to shew their hostility openly, yet by means of their willing, obsequious, and well-paid agents, the popularity of the Duke of Clarence was utterly destroyed, and the people taught to look upon him as the avowed enemy to all reform or improvement, which was founded on the principles of humanity and christian feeling.

On the 23d May, the country lost one of its brightest ornaments in the veteran Rodney, and on a motion made in the House of Lords, to bestow some memorial in honour of this gallant commander, the Duke of Clarence rose, and paid the following tribute of respect to the departed sailor, who had been seventy-two years in the service of his country, fifty of which was passed in actual service.

"I cannot give a silent vote on the present occasion. The services of the late Lord Rodney are so great, that, it did infinite honour to his Majesty's ministers to pay every respect to his memory, such services merited the highest rewards from