Page:Copley 1844 A History of Slavery and its Abolition 2nd Ed.djvu/355

mation was not satisfactory, to bring forward a motion soon after the recess. That minister, in a despatch to the Governor of Jamaica, had informed him, that the slave law passed in that island had been disallowed by the crown, and fully and ably stated the reasons of that measure. On this occasion, however, in reply to Mr. Brougham's appeal, Mr. Huskisson gave a more favourable account of the improvements that had resulted from the suggestions of government in 1823. That some improvements had been made was fully admitted, but that they were very inadequate to the necessities of the case, the expectation of the British public, and the intentions of government, was equally obvious, and that they fully confirmed the memorable words of that enlightened statesman, Mr. Canning (now no more)—"Trust not," said he, "the masters of slaves in what concerns legislation for slavery. However specious their laws may appear, depend upon it, they must be ineffectual in their operation. It is in the nature of things that they should be so."—"Let, then, the British house of commons do their part themselves. Let them not delegate the trust of doing it to those who cannot execute that trust fairly. Let the evil be remedied by an assembly of free men, by the government of a free people, and not by the masters of slaves. Their laws can never reach, can never cure, the evil."—"There is something in the nature of absolute authority, in the relation between master and slave, which makes despotism, in all cases, and, under all circumstances, an incompetent and unsure executor, even of its own provisions in favour of the objects of its power."