1835.

ADDRESS TO THE KING.

373

thought vastly fine, but I was singular in that opinion. The clergy are desperately sulky with me for my Church speech."

On the 12th of May, 1835, Mr. Buxton laid the results of his investigation before Parliament. He proved that though, at the congress of Vienna, Spain and Portugal had received more than a million of money from England, on engaging to give up their traffic in men, yet that they were still carrying it on to as great an extent as ever; no less than 264 vessels, avowedly engaged in the Slave Trade, having sailed from the single port of Havannah between January 1. 1827, and October 30. 1833, — this being but a small part of that detestable commerce. He moved for an address, suggesting the consolidation of all the treaties on this subject with various powers, into one great league, which was to contain, amongst other clauses, a proposal for extending the right of search, for giving the right of seizure in the case of vessels equipped for the Slave Trade, though not actually having slaves on board, and for declaring the trade in slaves to be piracy. This address was agreed to.

"I now feel," he said on the following day," as if the session was over. Let me see, what is there more for me to do? There is the Apprenticeship, 16th June; Aborigines, 14th July; Irish Education; and I must have another little touch at the Church, which they have so vilified me about."

Except that from time to time he brought the subject before the House, no further step could be taken for the present upon the Slave Trade question; but it continued to occupy his thoughts, and to be a source of continual solicitude.

ACCOUNTS

CHAPTER XXIII.

1835, 1836.

FROM WEST INDIES.

INQUIRY.

CORRESPONDENCE.

WRITINGS, JANUARY, 1836. –

COMMITTEE ON APPRENTICESHIP, MARCH, 1836.

LETTER FROM MR. JOHNSTON.

LETTERS. IRISH CHURCH QUESTIONS.

SPEECH ON IRISH TITHE BILL, JUNE, 1836.

OF

THE best news continued to arrive from the West Indies, of the industry and excellent behaviour of the Negroes, during the period to which the preceding chapter refers. Crime had rapidly diminished; marriages had considerably increased; education and religion were progressing. "The accounts from the West Indies are capital," writes Mr. Buxton, March 7. 1835, "this puts me into excellent spirits. The truth is, my spirits rise or fall according to the intelligence from that quarter."

To his Sister, Miss Buxton, Northrepps Cottage.

"House of Commons, March 16. 1835. "I must give you a taste of the good news which I have received within this hour. Lord Aberdeen said yesterday, that every thing was going on marvellously well in the West Indies. The Negroes quiet, dutiful, diligent. It is quite amazing, it is contrary to reason, it cannot be accounted for, but so it is!* Just now Stanley came over to me, saying, he had a letter from Lord Sligo to-day, dated the 29th January. He read me the greater part of it, and most gratifying it was.

*He had often expressed his distrust of the Apprenticeship system; see p. 333

1835.

GOOD ACCOUNTS FROM WEST INDIES.

375

The Christmas holidays had gone off more quietly than for many years. No case of riot had been reported, and the Negroes had all returned to their work in good humour. The produce of the crop sent to England would be a good average one. Lord Sligo had recalled all his troops and vessels (which had gone out to quell possible disturbances), because everything was perfectly quiet. In short,' said Stanley, ́it is impossible that matters can be better than in the focus of danger - Jamaica; except it be,' he added, in Antigua.' Is not that something like good news? It makes me two inches higher for pride."

To Zachary Macaulay, Esq.

"Northrepps Hall, 1835. "Now as to Jamaica, I send you copies of Lord Sligo's letters. It is curious that I have before me at this moment letters from him and Lord Mulgrave, in which they unite in saying, that so far from having exaggerated, we have never told a tithe of the horrors of slavery. What an honour, and what a privilege, to have had part in overturning such an abomination."

The following is one of the letters from Lord Sligo, referred to above:

66

To T. Fowell Buxton, Esq.

My dear Sir,

"Mansfield Street, 8th April. "In reply to your inquiries, whether my opinions on slavery had undergone any change while I was in Jamaica, I beg to say, that when I went out there, I thought that the stories of the cruelties of the slave owners, disseminated by your society, were merely the emanations of enthusiastic and humane persons; rather a caricature, than a faithful representation of what actually did take place. Before, however, I had been very long in Jamaica, I had reason to think, that, the real state of the case had been far understated, and that, I am quite convinced, was the fact. I was an ardent supporter

of emancipation before I went out, but after being there a short time, I was shocked at ever having held different opinions.

My dear Sir, most truly yours,

"The news from every part of the slave colonies is most excellent. I hear this from a variety of quarters — friends, enemies, colonial bishops, and the Secretary of State. I saw a letter from the Bishop of Jamaica to the Bishop of London, saying everything that we used to say; I recollect one expression, the industry of the Negroes when working for wages, has so entirely belied the apprehensions of the planters here, that I have not a doubt of the entire success of the emancipation measure.' In short, we have every reason to be happy and to be thankful.”

This was one of the last letters addressed by Mr. Buxton to his excellent coadjutor and friend. Lord Suffield was thrown from his horse on the 30th of June, 1835, and died a few days afterwards from the injuries he had received. "Every day since the event happened," writes Mr. Buxton, "I have felt more and more strongly what a calamity it is, and what a loss we have all sustained."

It was, indeed, a time when Lord Suffield's cooperation was particularly missed. The favourable accounts from the West Indies were chequered by intelligence of the occasional ill-treatment of the apprentices by their masters, who could not divest themselves of the habits formed under the system of slavery.

On the 19th of June, Mr. Buxton moved for a select committee to inquire whether the conditions

1835.

LETTER TO AN ABOLITIONIST.

377

on which the twenty millions had been granted, for the abolition of slavery, had been complied with; but upon receiving an assurance from the Government that the most vigilant measures had been taken and would continue to be taken, on behalf of the newly emancipated people, he consented to withdraw his motion.

For so doing he was severely blamed by some of the more vehement abolitionists. He thus replies to one of those who had expressed himself with great warmth on the subject:

September 11. 1835. "You think it right to say that you could see no reason for my withdrawing my motion, except it was a wish to please the ministers. I am conscious of a thousand defects in the management of our great question, but I do not and cannot charge myself with having, at any time, sacrificed one iota of our cause to please any set of men. You add, that I should have gained public confidence, by pressing my motion to a division.' I hope you do not do me the injustice to suppose, that a momentary popularity with you, or with those worthy and faithful men who think with you, would be bait enough to allure me to do that which I thought likely to prejudice the cause or impair the prospects of the Negro. I should be still more unworthy than I am to be the advocate of that afflicted and oppressed race, if I were to be biassed by any such considerations; or if I sacrificed opinions, formed deliberately, with the whole facts before me, and with an earnest desire to be directed aright, to the wishes of friends, or foes, or ministers of the Crown.

"I have thought it right to enter thus at length into my views, that you may not be prevented from taking any steps in order to secure a division, when the subject comes to be debated in Parliament. Think of me as you please; I think you an honest man, a true friend to the Negro, a faithful advocate of freedom; but I give you this unequivocal warning,