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THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

24 February 1807

His Lordship [Lord HOWICK] said, that he had seldom found himself under greater embarrassment than in rising to perform the duty imposed upon him on the present evening. So many details were pressing on him, that he should be fearful of trespassing at great length on the time of the House were it not that the subject was so well known, had been so often before the House, and had been so thoroughly investigated in all its points, and in all their bearings, that he hoped it would not be necessary for him to take up much of the time of the House in going into detail. At the same time the question was of such great importance, that he should be unwilling to let a discussion of it proceed, especially in this new Parliament, without stating the arguments, reasons and evidence, which ought to weigh with the House in contemplating this Bill. He was apprehensive of bringing forward too much, and much at a loss to know what parts to select, to save as much as possible the time of the House. The question, however, had recently received some very great disembarrassments; and, indeed, he was not aware at that moment that there was much disposition in any one to contest the necessity and propriety of the measure. He believed it was almost generally allowed that the traffic was fraught with cruelty and injustice, and that the results from it in Africa, were the most frightful miseries to the unhappy natives of that country. It had long been a source of encouragement to kidnapping and robbery, and had created incentives to the most barbarous murders; and, in every sense in which it could be viewed, it was a stain and a disgrace to civilized nations to continue it. From this part of the argument he was, therefore, in a great measure relieved: there was, however, one part of the question which deserved some observation, namely, that of carrying slaves to the West Indies, and it gave him great satisfaction to think, that the House had, on the present occasion, heard nothing from the Learned Counsel at the Bar, of the luxuries of the Middle Passage. These topics had now vanished, and he believed there was not a man in the House, who did not allow that the Middle Passage had been fraught with the most dreadful mischiefs. There had, he believed, been one or two individuals, who had differed from him on this subject; one of whom had even said, he was so well convinced of the propriety and policy of the Slave Trade, that he viewed it as a blessing to the Africans; and if there was no such traffic, he would himself propose to establish it. In another place it had been said, that it was justified by Scripture; but he was of opinion, that it was contrary to every principle of humanity, and every sentiment of the Christian religion. It could therefore, only be fairly said, that it existed in policy and justice, and not in humanity.

The introduction of the Slave Trade Abolition Bill by the government of Lord Grenville in 1807 marked the culmination of two decades of campaigning by reformers, notably William Wilberforce.

In that time, British merchants had trafficked more than 600,000 Africans as slaves. The riches to be made from the trade led to opposition to the Bill in the House of Lords from peers with sugar plantations in the Caribbean.

The debate in the Commons lasted 10 hours, and was led by the Foreign Secretary, Howick; as Earl Grey (of tea fame) he would become Prime Minister in 1830. Wilberforce was cheered when he took his place in the House and the Bill was passed by an unexpectedly large majority of 283 to 16 votes.

The Act prohibited the trading of slaves, but slavery itself was not abolished throughout the Empire until 1833 – after the sugar industry in the West Indies had begun its economic decline.

This report, with its mention of the slave trade being considered a blessing by some, reveals how much attitudes have changed in the centuries since, and the scale of the struggle faced by the abolitionists. The deferential tone of parliamentary reporting has also evolved.