Query VIII.

as 1 1 to 10. Un- der the mild treatment our flaves experience, and their wholefome, though coarfe food, this blot in our country increafes as faft, or fafter, than the whites. During the regal government, we had at one time obtained a law, which impofed fuch a duty on the importation of flaves, as amounted nearly to a prohibition, when one inconfi- derate affembly, placed under a peculiarity of circumftance repealed the law. This re- peal met a joyful fanftion from the then fovereign, and no devices, no expedients, which could ever after be attempted by fub- fequent aflemblies, and they feldom met without attempting them, could fucceed in getting the royal affent to a renewal of the duty. In the very firft feffion held under the republican government, the affembly paffed a law for the perpetual prohibition of the importation of flaves. This will in fome meafure fl:op the increafe of this great political and moral evil, while the minds of our citizens may be ripening for a complete emancipation of human nature.