rose up, and animadverted severely on the character of Mr. Ramsay, one of the evidences in the privy council report, during his residence in the West Indies.  This called up Sir William Dolben and Sir Charles Middleton in his defence, the latter of whom bore honourable testimony to his virtues from an intimate acquaintance with him, and a residence in the same village with him, for twenty years.  Mr. Molyneux spoke also in angry terms of the measure of abolition.  To annihilate the trade, he said, and to make no compensation on account of it, was an act of swindling.  Mr. Macnamara called the measure hypocritical, fanatic, and methodistical.  Mr. Pitt was so irritated at the insidious attempt to set aside the privy council report, when no complaint had been alleged against it before, that he was quite off his guard, and he thought it right afterwards to apologize for the warmth into which he had been betrayed.  The Speaker, too, was obliged frequently to interfere.  On this occasion no less than thirty members spoke.  And there had probably been few seasons, when so much disorder had been discoverable in that house.

The result of the debate was, a permission to those interested in the continuance of the Slave Trade to bring counsel to the bar on the 26th of May, and then to introduce such witnesses, as might throw further light on the propositions in the shortest time:  for Mr. Pitt only acquiesced in this new measure on a supposition, “that there would be no unnecessary delay, as he could by no means submit to the ultimate procrastination of so important a business.”  He even hoped (and in this hope he was joined by Mr. Fox) that those concerned would endeavour to bring the whole of the evidence they meant to offer at the first examination.

On the day appointed, the house met for the purposes now specified; when Alderman Newnham, thinking that such an important question should not be decided but in a full assembly of the representatives of the nation, moved for a call of the House on that day fortnight.  Mr. Wilberforce stated that he had no objection to such a measure; believing the greater the number present the more favourable it would be to his cause.  This motion, however, produced a debate and a division, in which it appeared that there were one hundred and fifty-eight in favour of it, and twenty-eight against it.  The business of the day now commenced.  The house went into a committee, and Sir William Dolben was put into the chair.  Mr. Serjeant Le Blanc was then called in.  He made an able speech in behalf of his clients; and introduced John Barnes, Esquire, as his first witness, whose examination took up the remainder of the day.  By this step they who were interested in the continuance of the trade, attained their wishes, for they had now got possession of the ground with their evidence; and they knew they could keep it, almost as long as they pleased, for the purposes of delay.  Thus they, who boasted, when the privy council examinations began, that they