But any contract for the promotion of this trade must, in his opinion, have
been void from the beginning: for if it was an outrage upon justice, and
only another name for fraud, robbery, and murder, What pledge could devolve
upon the legislature to incur the obligation of becoming principals in the
commission of such enormities by sanctioning their continuance?
But he would appeal to the acts themselves. That of 23 George II. c. 31,
was the one upon which the greatest stress was laid. How would the House be
surprised to hear, that the very outrages committed in the prosecution of
this trade had been forbidden by that act! "No master of a ship trading to
Africa," says the act, "shall by fraud, force, or violence, or by any
indirect practice whatever, take on board or carry away from that coast any
Negro, or native of that country, or commit any violence on the natives, to
the prejudice of the said trade; and every person so offending, shall for
every such offence forfeit one hundred pounds." But the whole trade had
been demonstrated to be a system of fraud, force, and violence; and
therefore the contract was daily violated, under which the Parliament
allowed it to continue.
Pages:
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388