He fostered it in its infancy. If, in his
public situation, he had then set his face against it, where would have
been our hope? He upheld it also in its childhood; and though in this state
of its existence it did not gain from his protection all the strength which
it was expected it would have acquired, he yet kept it from falling, till
his successors, in whose administration a greater number of favourable
circumstances concurred to give it vigour, brought it to triumphant
maturity.
Lord Grenville and Mr. Fox, having been called to the head of the executive
government on the death of Mr. Pitt, the cause was ushered into parliament
under new auspices. In a former year His Majesty had issued a proclamation,
by which British merchants were forbidden (with certain defined exceptions)
to import slaves into the colonies, which had been conquered by the British
arms in the course of the war. This circumstance afforded an opportunity of
trying the question in the House of Commons with the greatest hope of
success. Accordingly Sir A. Pigott, the attorney-general, as an officer of
the crown; brought in a bill on the thirty-first of March 1806, the first
object of which was, to give effect to the proclamation now mentioned.
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