Page:Substance of the speech of His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, in the House of Lords.djvu/53

 which before was an universal and established custom. In confirmation of my remark, I must refer your Lordships to Mr. President Thompson of St. Kitt's, who, in his Letter to the Duke of Portland, says—

"I have the satisfaction to observe to your Grace, that one sentiment seemed to pervade the whole of the Members who composed the General Council and Assembly, which was a sincere desire to adopt such measures as they thought would tend to make the Negroes happy and contented, and thereby promote the desired object of increasing their numbers by propagation."

I must bear my public testimony to the character of Mr. Thompson, who is an active, popular, and intelligent servant of the Crown. I trust, therefore, my Lords, that I have said enough to prove the superior good treatment of the British Planter to his slaves, when compared with that of foreign nations.