stated to be a reason for preventing the House
from agreeing to the motion before them; on the contrary, that the
abolition itself would lay the foundation for the more solid improvement of
all the various interests of those colonies.

In doing this he should apply his observations chiefly to Jamaica, which
contained more than half the slaves in the British West Indies; and if he
should succeed in proving that no material detriment could arise to the
population there, this would afford so strong a presumption with respect to
the other islands, that the House could no longer hesitate, whether they
should, or should not, put a stop to this most horrid trade.

In the twenty years ending in 1788, the annual loss of slaves in Jamaica
(that is, the excess of deaths above the births,) appeared to be one in the
hundred. In a preceding period the loss was greater; and, in a period
before that, greater still; there having been a continual gradation in the
decrease through the whole time. It might fairly be concluded, therefore,
that (the average loss of the last period being one per cent.) the loss in
the former part of it would be somewhat more, and in the latter part
somewhat less, than one per cent.; insomuch that it might be fairly
questioned, whether, by this time, the births and deaths in Jamaica might
not be stated as nearly equal. It was to be added, that a peculiar
calamity, which swept away fifteen thousand slaves, had occasioned a part
of the mortality in the last-mentioned period. The probable loss,
therefore, now to be expected was very inconsiderable indeed.

There was, however, one circumstance to be added, which the West India
gentlemen, in stating this matter, had entirely overlooked; and which was
so material, as clearly to reduce the probable diminution in the population
of Jamaica down to nothing. In all the calculations he had referred to of
the comparative number of births and deaths, all the Negros in the island
were included. The newly imported, who died in the seasoning, made a part.
But these swelled, most materially, the number of the deaths. Now as these
extraordinary deaths would cease, as soon as the importations ceased, a
deduction of them ought to be made from his present calculation.

But the number of those, who thus died in the seasoning, would make up of
itself nearly the whole of that one per cent., which had been stated. He
particularly pressed an attention to this circumstance; for the com