William Dillwyn,     Thomas Knowles, M.D. 
George Harrison,     John Lloyd,
Samuel Hoare,        Joseph Woods.

[Footnote A:  The Quakers, as a public body, kept the subject alive at their yearly meeting in 1784, 1785, 1787, &c.]

The first meeting was held on the seventh of July, 1783.  At this “they assembled to consider what steps they should take for the relief and liberation of the Negro slaves in the West Indies, and for the discouragement of the Slave-trade on the coast of Africa.”

To promote this object they conceived it necessary that the public mind should be enlightened respecting it.  They had recourse therefore to the public papers, and they appointed their members in turn to write in these, and to see that their productions were inserted.  They kept regular minutes for this purpose.  It was not however known to the world that such an association existed.

It appears that they had several meetings in the course of this year.  Before the close of it they had secured a place in the General Evening Post, in Lloyd’s Evening Post, in the Norwich, Bath, York, Bristol, Sherborne, Liverpool, Newcastle, and other provincial papers, for such articles as they chose to send to them.  These consisted principally of extracts from such authors, both in prose and verse, as they thought would most enlighten and interest the mind upon the subject of their institution.

In the year 1784 they pursued the same plan; but they began now to print books.  The first, was from a manuscript composed by Joseph Woods, one of the commitee.  It was entitled, Thoughts on the Slavery of the Negroes.  This manuscript was well put together.  It was a manly and yet feeling address in behalf of the oppressed Africans.  It contained a sober and dispassionate appeal to the reason of all without offending the prejudices of any.  It was distributed at the expense of the association, and proved to be highly useful to the cause which it was intended to promote.

A communication having been made to the commitee, that Dr. Porteus, then bishop of Chester, had preached a sermon before the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, in behalf of the injured Africans, (which sermon was noticed in the last chapter,) Samuel Hoare was deputed to obtain permission to publish it.  This led him to a correspondence with Mr. Ramsay before mentioned.  The latter applied in consequence to the bishop, and obtained his consent.  Thus this valuable sermon was also given to the world.

In the year 1785 the association continued their exertions as before; but I have no room to specify them.  I may observe, however, that David Barclay, a grandson of the great apologist of that name, assisted at one of their meetings, and (what is singular) that he was in a few years afterwards unexpectedly called to a trial of his principles on this very subject.  For he and his brother John became, in consequence of a debt due to them, possessed of a large grazing