THE SLAVE-TRADE QUESTION.
Early in this session, Mr. Wilberforce, who had continued to devote time, life, fortune, and talent to the great subject of the slave-trade, moved that the house would resolve itself into a committee of the whole house, to take that trade into consideration. This motion was agreed to; and on a subsequent day he moved and carried the appointment of a special committee for the examination of witnesses. Wilberforce was himself one of the most active members of this special committee; but nothing further was done during this session beyond hearing of evidence; every mode of procrastination being resorted to on the part of the slave-merchants and planters. The bill of Sir William Dolben, for limiting the number of slaves to be transported in each slave-ship, was renewed for another year; and the further consideration of the subject was adjourned till next session.
DISPUTES WITH SPAIN.
Although both Pitt and Dundas had so recently spoken confidently of the long continuance of peace, yet, on the 5th of May, a royal message was delivered, announcing circumstances which indicated the approach of war. The circumstances from whence this message originated were briefly these:—In his last voyage of discovery, the celebrated navigator, Captain Cook, had touched at Nootka, or Prince William, on the Western coast of North America, where his crew purchased some valuable furs, which they disposed of to great advantage in China. In consequence of the recommendation of Captain King, who published the last volume of “Cook’s Voyages,” some mercantile adventurers from the East Indies, with the consent of the governor-general, undertook to supply the Chinese with fur from these regions. For this purpose they fitted out two small vessels; and the trade proved so advantageous, that, in 1788, the adventurers resolved to form a permanent settlement. A spot of ground was accordingly procured from the natives at Nootka Sound, and a regular establishment was formed, which was defended by a slight fortification. This was, however, regarded by the Spaniards as an encroachment of their exclusive right of sovereignty; and two Spanish ships of war arrived in the sound, seized two English vessels with the crews, and then took possession of the settlement. The British flag was removed; the Spanish commandant declaring, that the whole line of coast from Cape Horn to the 60th degree of north latitude, belonged to the King of Spain. These incidents were notified to the court of Great Britain by the Spanish ambassador; who, at the same time, requested that measures might be taken for preventing his Britannic majesty’s subjects from frequenting those coasts, and from carrying on their fisheries in the seas contiguous to the Spanish continent, they being, it was stated, the rights of the Spanish crown. The claims of Spain, in reference to her right of dominion and sovereignty in America, were wholly chimerical; and the notification and request of the Spanish ambassador, therefore, were met by a demand of satisfaction for the insults offered to the British nation, and reparation to the individuals who had suffered in property and person. This satisfaction had not been given; and intelligence having also been received that armaments were fitting out in the Spanish ports, his Britannic majesty judged it right to prepare on his side for supporting the rights and interests of his kingdom. Such were the circumstances related in his majesty’s message to the house of commons; and he requested that they would enable him to make such an augmentation of force as necessity seemed to require. At the same time the king expressed an earnest wish that the satisfaction due might yet be given, and that the affair might terminate without recourse to arms, or any interruption of the friendship and harmony which subsisted between the two nations. The message being taken into consideration, the commons unanimously voted an address to the king, assuring his majesty of their determination to afford the most zealous and effectual support in maintaining the dignity of his crown, and the essential interests of his dominions. This was followed by a vote of credit for £1,000,000, for the purpose of making the necessary warlike preparations. Fox gave his warm support to the address and vote of credit, but he blamed ministers for their exultation on the prospect of peace, when a war with Spain had so long been threatened: though from Pitt’s explanation it did not appear that they knew anything of the preparations in the Spanish ports till a very few days since. Subsequently, motions were made in both houses, by opposition, for the production of papers to illustrate the grounds of this dispute; but these were successfully resisted, on an established rule of policy, prohibiting all documents relating to a negociation with a foreign power from being produced while such negociation was still pending.
GEORGE III. 1789-1791
IMPEACHMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS.
The trial of Warren Hastings re-commenced on the 10th of February, on which day Mr. Anstruther went through the charge relating to the corrupt receipt of presents. Disputes instantly arose about the evidence proper to be admitted, and their lordships took another walk to their chamber in order to debate and consult. Fresh objections were then made by the counsel acting for Hastings, who said that the matter which, the managers brought forward was neither set down nor made a charge of in the articles of impeachment. On this their lordships adjourned again, and after long consultation, the objections made on the part of the defendant were held to be valid. The managers and the public by this time seemed to consider that the trial would never be finished, and Burke, on the 11th of May, called the attention of the house of commons to its protracted continuance; and moved the two following resolutions:—1. “That this house, taking into consideration the interruptions occasioned by the occupations of the judges and the house of lords, as also the impediments which have occurred, or may occur, in the course of the trial of the impeachment of Warren Hastings, Esq., doth, without meaning to abandon the truth or importance of the charges, authorize the managers of their said impeachment, to insist only upon such and so many of the said charges as shall appear to them the most conducive to the obtaining speedy and effectual justice against the said Warren Hastings. 2. That the commons of Great Britain in parliament assembled, from a regard to their own honour, and from the duty which they owe to all the commons of Great Britain, in whose name, as well as in their own, they act in the public prosecutions by them carried on before the house of lords, are bound to persevere in their impeachment against Warren Hastings, Esq., late governor-general of Bengal, until judgment may be obtained upon the most important articles in the same.” The first of these resolutions was adopted, but the latter was dropped as unnecessary. In supporting them the managers attributed the delay to Hastings himself, to his counsel, and to the house of lords. A day or two after, however, Major Scott, published a letter containing a review of the trial, and strictures upon the managers, whom he accused of being guilty of a great crime in instituting the prosecution, and of a still greater crime in not having brought it to a close long ago. Long and angry debates took place on the publication of this document, the result of which was that Major Scott was reprimanded, sitting in his place, for the violation of his duty as a member of the house of commons. In the meantime the impeachment still went but slowly forward. The court of peers only sat thirteen days during the session, and did not get beyond the charge which Anstruther had opened. After Fox had summed up and commented upon the evidence, on the 9th of June their lordships agreed to postpone the trial till the first sitting in the next session of parliament.