Slave Trade: Return to an Address to the Honourable House of Commons, Dated 12th March 1827, for Copy of Any Further Reports Made to His Majesty's Government by

Excerpt from Slave Trade: Return to an Address to the Honourable House of Commons, Dated 12th March 1827, for Copy of Any Further Reports Made to His Majesty's Government by Thomas Moody, Esquire, and John Dougan, Esquires, or Either of Them In point of religious knowledge and moral improvement, these negroes appeared to us much on a par with those belonging to the Winkel Establishment in Berbice, on whom we have already made our report to your Lordship. Most of them are natives of Barbadoes, and are decidedly the most intelligent of any we had yet seen, which is no doubt to be attributed to their constant intercourse with Europeans, and a more perfect knowledge of the English language; and it is no more than justice to state, that in the examination of those persons, we found in many instances that considerable attention had been bestowed by their former owners on their religious instruction. As to their future disposal, we are not aware that the males can now be placed in any situation where they would be more likely or better able to earn their own living than in Demerara; but we should be inclined to recommend, that in all future cases where young creole boys are to be placed out with masters, they should be apprenticed to some useful mechanical trade, instead of being brought up as domestics. With respect to the females, we must confess ourselves at a loss to say what would be most advisable to recommend to His Majesty's Government for adoption. Many of these, who are creoles of Barbadoes, expressed a strong desire on their examination to return to their native country, where they have numerous relations; and even went so far as to say, that they would rather go back to be slaves than remain in their present condition: and it is proper to bring to your Lordship's notice, that in some of the cases brought before us, children appear to have been separated from their families, not only against their own wish, but without the con sent of their parents; and it will be for the consideration of His Majesty's Govern ment, under the circumstances herein set forth, how far it may be advisable to send those persons back to the colony which permitted their illegal exportation. We would therefore submit, whether their own benefit, not to say happiness, would not be best promoted by their being allowed to return to Barbadoes; where it is but fair to presume, that with their own industry and the assistance of their rela tives, they could not fail to support themselves without the risk of becoming burthen some to that community. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.