It was contrary to nature, and to every principle of justice, humanity, and religion.
Mr.Pelham stated, that he had very maturely considered the subject of the Slave Trade; and had he not known that the business was in the hands of an honourable member, (whose absence from the house, and the cause of it, no man lamented more sincerely than he did,) he should have ventured to propose something concerning it himself.

If it should be thought that the trade ought not to be entirely done away, the sooner it was regulated the better.

He had a plan for this purpose, which appeared to him to be likely to produce some salutary effects.

He wished to know if any such thing would be permitted to be proposed in the course of the present session.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said he should be happy, if he thought the circumstances of the house were such as to enable them to proceed to an immediate discussion of the question; but as that did not appear, from the reasons he had before stated, to be the case, he could only assure the honourable gentleman, that the same motives which had induced him to propose an inquiry into the subject early in the next session of parliament, would make him desirous of receiving any other light which could be thrown upon it.
The question having been then put, the resolution was agreed to unanimously.

Thus ended the first debate that ever took place in the Commons, on this important subject.