His honourable friend (Mr. Jenkinson) had insinuated, that any act for the abolition would be evaded.  But if we were to enforce this act with all the powers of the country, how could it fail to be effectual?  But his honourable friend had himself satisfied him, upon this point.  He had acknowledged, that the trade would drop of itself, on account of the increasing dearness of the commodity imported.  He would ask then, if we were to leave to the importer no means of importation but by smuggling; and if, besides all the present disadvantages, we were to load him with all the charges and hazards of the smuggler, would there be any danger of any considerable supply of fresh slaves being poured into the islands through this channel?  The question under these circumstances, he pronounced, would not bear a dispute.

His honourable friend had also maintained, that it would be inexpedient to stop the importations immediately, because the deaths and births in the islands were as yet not equal.  But he (Mr. Pitt) had proved last year, from the most authentic documents, that an increase of the births above the deaths had already taken place.  This then was the time for beginning the abolition.  But he would now observe, that five years had elapsed since these documents were framed; and therefore the presumption was, that the black population was increasing at an extraordinary rate.  He had not, to be sure, in his consideration of the subject, entered into the dreadful mortality arising from the clearing of new lands.  Importations for this purpose were to be considered, not as carrying on the trade, but as setting on foot a Slave Trade, a measure which he believed no one present would then support.  He therefore asked his honourable friend, whether the period he had looked to was now arrived? whether the West Indies, at this hour, were, not in a state in which they could maintain their population?

It had been argued, that one or other of these two, assertions was false; that either the population of the slaves must be decreasing, (which the abolitionists denied,) or, if it was increasing, the slaves must have been well treated.  That their population was rather increasing than otherwise, and also that their general treatment was by no means so good as it ought to have been, were both points which had been proved by different witnesses.  Neither were they incompatible with each other.  But he would see whether the explanation of this seeming contradiction would not refute the argument of expediency, as advanced by his honourable friend.  Did the slaves decrease in numbers?—­Yes.  Then ill usage must have been the cause of it; but if so, the abolition was immediately necessary to, restrain it.  Did they, on the other hand, increase?—­Yes.  But if so, no further importations, were wanted.  Was their population (to take a middle course) nearly stationary, and their treatment neither so good nor so bad as it might be?—­Yes.  But if so, this was the proper period for stopping further supplies; for both the population and the treatment would be improved by such a measure.