The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade

The History of the Rise, Progress
and Accomplishment of the
Abolition of the African Slave
Trade by the British Parliament
(1808) - Vol. II

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Title: The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the
Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808)
Vol. II
Author: Thomas Clarkson
Release Date: June 3, 2004 [EBook #12507]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE HISTORY OF THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE ABOLITION OF THE AFRICAN
SLAVE-TRADE BY THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
BY THOMAS CLARKSON, M.A.
1808.

CHAPTER I.
_Continuation from June 1788 to July 1789--Author travels to collect
further evidence--great difficulties in obtaining it--forms committees on
his tour--Privy council resume the examinations--inspect cabinet of
African productions--obliged to leave many of the witnesses in behalf
of the abolition unexamined--prepare their report--Labours of the
committee in the interim--Proceedings of the planters and
others--Report laid on the table of the House of
Commons--Introduction of the question, and debate there--twelve
propositions deduced from the report and reserved for future
discussion--day of discussion arrives--opponents refuse to argue from
the report--require new evidence--this granted and introduced--further
consideration of the subject deferred to the next session--Renewal of
Sir William Dolben's bill--Death and character of Ramsay._
Matters had now become serious. The gauntlet had been thrown down
and accepted. The combatants had taken their stations, and the contest
was to be renewed, which was to be decided soon on the great theatre
of the nation. The committee by the very act of their institution had
pronounced the Slave-trade to be criminal. They, on the other hand,
who were concerned in it, had denied the charge. It became the one to
prove, and the other to refute it, or to fall in the ensuing session.
The committee, in this perilous situation, were anxious to find out such
other persons, as might become proper evidences before the privy

council. They had hitherto sent there only nine or ten, and they had
then only another, whom they could count upon for this purpose, in
their view. The proposal of sending persons to Africa, and the West
Indies, who might come back and report what they had witnessed, had
been already negatived. The question then was, what they were to do.
Upon this they deliberated, and the result was an application to me to
undertake a journey to different parts of the kingdom for this purpose.
When this determination was made I was at Teston, writing a long
letter to the privy council on the ill usage and mortality of the seamen
employed in the Slave-trade, which it had been previously agreed
should be received as evidence there. I thought it proper, however,
before I took my departure, to form a system of questions upon the
general subject. These I divided into six tables. The first related to the
productions of Africa, and the disposition and manners of the natives.
The second, to the methods of reducing them to slavery. The third, to
the manner of bringing them to the ships, their value, the medium of
exchange, and other circumstances. The fourth, to their transportation.
The fifth, to their treatment in the Colonies. The sixth, to the seamen
employed in the trade. These tables contained together one hundred and
forty-five questions. My idea was that they should be printed on a small
sheet of paper, which should be folded up in seven or eight leaves, of
the length and breadth of a small almanac, and then be sent in franks to
our different correspondents. These, when they had them, might
examine persons capable of giving evidence, who might live in their
neighbourhoods or fall in their way, and return us their examinations by
letter.
The committee having approved and printed the tables of questions, I
began my tour. I had selected the southern counties from Kent to
Cornwall for it. I had done this, because these included the great
stations of the ships of war in ordinary; and as these were all under the
superintendence of Sir Charles Middleton, as comptroller of the navy, I
could get an introduction to those on board them.