charge Mr. Wilberforce, because he proposed the hearing of them, with the
intention solely of delay? Yes. Such persons were found, but, happily, only
among the friends of the Slave-trade. Mr. Wilberforce, in replying to them,
could not help observing, that it was rather extraordinary that they, who
had occasioned the delay of a whole year, should charge him with that, of
which they themselves had been so conspicuously guilty. He then commented
for some time on the injustice of their motion. He stated too, that he
would undertake to remove from disinterested and unprejudiced persons many
of the impressions, which had been made by the witnesses against the
abolition; and he appealed to the justice and honour of the house in behalf
of an injured people; under the hope, that they would not allow a decision
to be made till they had heard the whole of the case. These observations,
however, did not satisfy all those, who belonged to the opposite party.
Lord Penrhyn contended for a decision without a moment's delay. Mr.
Gascoyne relented; and said, he would allow three weeks to the
abolitionists, during which their evidence, might be heard. At length the
debate ended; in the course of which, Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox powerfully
supported Mr. Wilberforce; when the motion was negatived without any
attempt at a division.

The witnesses in behalf of the abolition of the Slave-trade now took
possession of the ground, which those in favour of it had left. But what
was our surprise, when only three of them had been heard, to find that Mr.
Norris should come forward as an evidence! This he did to confirm what he
had stated to the privy council as to the general question; but he did it
more particularly, as it appeared afterwards, in the justification of his
own conduct: for the part, which he had taken at Liverpool, as it related
to me, had become a subject of conversation with many. It was now well
known, what assistance he had given me there in my pursuit; how he had even
furnished me with clauses for a bill for the abolition of the trade; how I