It had been said by Mr. Stanley that the pulpit had been used as an instrument of attack on the Slave Trade.  He was happy to learn it had been so well employed; and he hoped the Bishops would rise up in the House of Lords, with the virtuous indignation which became them, to abolish a traffic so contrary to humanity, justice, and religion.

He entreated every member to recollect, that on his vote that night depended the happiness of millions; and that it was then in his power to promote a measure, of which the benefits would be felt over one whole quarter of the globe; that the seeds of civilization might, by the present bill, be sown all over Africa:  and the first principles of humanity be established in regions where they had hitherto been excluded by the existence of this execrable trade.

Lord Carysfort rose, and said, that the great cause of the abolition had flourished by the manner in which it had been opposed.  No one argument of solid weight had been adduced against it.  It had been shown, but never disproved, that the colonial laws were inadequate to the protection of the slaves; that the punishments of the latter were most unmerciful; that they were deprived of the right of self-defence against any White man; and, in short, that the system was totally repugnant to the principles of the British constitution.

Colonel Phipps followed Lord Carysfort.  He denied that this was a question in which the rights of humanity and the laws of nature were concerned.  The Africans became slaves in consequence of the constitution of their own governments.  These were founded in absolute despotism.  Every subject was an actual slave.  The inhabitants were slaves to the great men, and the great men were slaves to the prince.  Prisoners of war, too, were by law subject to slavery.  Such being the case, he saw no more cruelty in disposing of them to our merchants, than to those of any other nation.  Criminals, also, in cases of adultery and witchcraft, became slaves by the same laws.

It had been said, that there were no regulations in the West Indies for the protection of slaves.  There were several; though he was ready to admit that more were necessary; and he would go in this respect as far as humanity might require.  He had passed ten months in Jamaica, where he had never seen any such acts of cruelty as had been talked of.  Those which he had seen were not exercised by the Whites, but by the Blacks.  The dreadful stories which had been told, ought no more to fix a general stigma upon the planters, than the story of Mrs. Brownrigg to stamp this polished metropolis with the general brand of murder.  There was once a haberdasher’s wife (Mrs. Nairne) who locked up her apprentice girl, and starved her to death; but did ever any body think of abolishing haberdashery on this account?  He was persuaded the Negroes in the West Indies were cheerful and happy.  They were fond of ornaments; but it was not the characteristic of miserable persons to show a taste for finery.  Such a taste, on the contrary, implied a cheerful and contented mind.  He was sorry to differ from his friend Mr. Wilberforce, but he must oppose his motion.