gratitude the endeavours which his Majesty has been pleased to use, in compliance with the wishes of Parliament, to induce Foreign Nations to concur in relinquishing that disgraceful commerce; this House has to express its deep regret, that those efforts have been attended with so little success.

"That this House does most earnestly beseech his Majesty to persevere in those measures which may tend to induce his Allies, and such other Foreign States as he may be enabled to negociate with, to co-operate with this country in a general Abolition of the Slave Trade, and to concur in the adoption of such measures as may assist in the effectual execution of the Laws already passed for that purpose.

"That this House has learnt with the greatest surprise and indignation, that certain persons in this country have not scrupled to continue, in a clandestine and fraudulent manner, the detestable traffic in Slaves.

"And that this House most humbly prays his Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to cause to be given to the commanders of his Majesty's ships and vessels of war, the officers of his Majesty's Customs, and the other persons in his Majesty's service, whose situation enables them to detect, and suppress those abuses,

such orders as may effectually check practices, equally contemptuous to the authority of Parliament, and derogatory to the interests and honour of the country."

No sooner had the present session of Parliament commenced, than the Directors resumed the consideration of the measures which it might be expedient to propose to the Legislature, on the subject of the Slave Trade.

After mature deliberation, it was resolved, that a Bill should be introduced, which, without anticipating or interfering with any ulterior measures of regulation, might mark the trafficking in Slaves as a crime, and affix to that crime a suitable punishment. The general nature of the measure may be collected from the following Resolutions of the Directors, viz.

Resolved, "That it would be proper to propose to Parliament, to make any direct act of dealing in Slaves a clergiable felony, and punishable as such with transportation, not exceeding fourteen years, or imprisonment and hard labour, at the discretion of the judge, for not less than three years, nor exceeding seven years.

"That this punishment shall be considered to attach upon any owner, part owner, factor or agent, freighter or shipper, captain, mate, supercargo or surgeon, knowingly and wilfully employed in fitting out or navigating for the

purpose of the Slave Trade any ship, or vessel, or craft, or boat, whether British or Foreign, although no actual dealing in Slaves shall have taken place; also to all persons residing in any British Fort, Settlement, or Factory, or within the jurisdiction of the British laws, and to all British subjects wheresoever residing or being, who shall kidnap, carry off, or procure, whether by fraud, violence, or purchase, or who shall forcibly confine, any person, for the purpose of selling or employing the same as a Slave, contrary to the provisions of the Acts of Parliament, already passed for abolishing the Slave Trade.

"That all persons knowingly and wilfully aiding or abetting in any such transaction, as petty officer or seaman on board any ship so employed as aforesaid; or otherwise knowingly and wilfully assisting or promoting any such transaction; and all persons knowingly and wilfully insuring, or causing to be insured, any Slaves or Slave ships, or any ships or goods to be employed in the Slave Trade; or knowingly and wilfully lending or advancing money, for any such purpose, by bottomry, respondentia, or otherwise, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and not as accessaries to the felony, and shall be punished with fine and imprisonment."

A Bill founded on these Resolutions has been brought into the House of Commons, and has passed through several of its stages without having encountered the smallest opposition.

And here the Directors would pause for one moment, to express the exultation which they feel in contemplating the revolution that has been produced in the public sentiment respecting this great question. The nature and magnitude of the change can be duly estimated by those only who had an opportunity of observing the difficulties with which the leaders in the cause of Abolition had to contend, at the commencement and in the progress of their undertaking; and who have now the satisfaction of seeing them supported with unexampled unanimity in Parliament, as well as of hearing the Slave Trade almost universally reprobated, and the efforts which have been made to effect its abolition as universally extolled.

The members of the Institution may well feel encouraged, by such an example, not to relax their efforts, but to persevere actively and unremittingly in the cause in which they have embarked. An extensive field lies before them ; and benefits of the most momentous kind to Africa and to the world can hardly fail to crown their persevering exertions.

The Directors need hardly point out to

C

the meeting, the many advantages which are likely to flow from the operation of the Bill lately brought into Parliament, should it pass, as they have no doubt it will, into a law *.

It is obvious, that, while the punishment of trading in Slaves is confined to confiscations and pecuniary mulcts, the only consideration with the individuals who are still unprincipled enough to embark in it will be, whether the profits of their crime be more than adequate to the pecuniary loss which they risk by the commission of it.

This view of the subject has been exemplified on a variety of occasions, and it is strikingly confirmed in a letter received a few weeks since from Mr. Smith, the acting Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone, dated 12th December, 1810. This gentleman expresses himself as follows:

"I have had my hands pretty full of Admiralty business lately; but it appears to me, that hardly any thing will put a stop to this abominable traffic. The profits are so extremely high, that if they save one cargo out of three, they will still make money.'

Such being the case, it became necessary that a punishment of a very different nature should be attached to this crime. And the Di

*See Appendix T.