But notwithstanding all he had said, he allowed that there was room for improvement; and particularly for instilling into the slaves the principles of religion.  Where this should be realized, there would be less punishment, more work, more marriages, more issue, and more attachment to masters.  Other improvements would be the establishment of medical societies; the introduction of task-work; and grants of premiums and honorary distinctions both to fathers and mothers, according to the number of children which they should rear.  Besides this, Negro evidence should be allowed in the courts of law, it being left to the discretion of the court or jury to take or reject it, according to the nature of the case.  Cruel masters also should be kept in order in various ways.  They should he liable to have their slaves taken from them, and put in trust.  Every instrument of punishment should be banished, except the whip.  The number of lashes should be limited; and the punishment should not be repeated till after intervals.  These and other improvements should be immediately adopted by the planters.  The character of the exemplary among them was hurt by being confounded with that of lower and baser men.  He concluded by stating, that the owners of slaves were entitled to compensation, if, by means of the abolition, they should not be able to find labourers for the cultivation of their lands[A].

[Footnote A:  Mr. Vaughan declared in a future stage of the debate, that he wished to see a prudent termination both of the Slave Trade and of slavery; and that, though he was the eldest son of his father, he never would, on any consideration, become the owner of a slave.]

Mr. Henry Thornton conceived, that the two last speakers had not spoken to the point.  The first had described the happy state of the slaves in the West Indies.  The latter had made similar representations; but yet had allowed, that much improvement might be made in their condition.  But this had nothing to do with the question then before them.  The manner of procuring slaves in Africa was the great evil to be remedied.  Africa was to be stripped of its inhabitants to supply a population for the West Indies.  There was a Dutch proverb, which said, “My son; get money, honestly if you can—­but get money:”  or, in other words, “Get slaves, honestly if you can—­but get slaves.”  This was the real grievance; and the two honourable gentlemen, by confining their observations to the West Indies, had entirely overlooked it.

Though this evil had been fully proved, he could not avoid stating to the House some new facts, which had come to his knowledge as a director of the Sierra Leone Company, and which would still further establish it.  The consideration, that they had taken place since the discussion of the last year on this subject, obliged him to relate them.

Mr. Falconbridge, agent to the Company, sitting one evening in Sierra Leone, heard a shout, and immediately afterwards the report of a gun.  Fearing an attack, he armed forty of the settlers, and rushed with them to the place from whence the noise came.  He found a poor wretch, who had been crossing from a neighbouring village, in the possession of a party of kidnappers, who were tying his hands.  Mr. Falconbridge, however, dared not rescue him, lest, in the defenceless state of his own town, retaliation might be made upon him.