Slavery.- House of Commons. The Debate on a Motion for the Abolition of the Slave-Trade..., first edition, variant with "and of such" at end of line 3 p.60 and with 3 references to Pitt on p.125, half-title (browned), wear to final leaf causing small holes not affecting text (repaired), bookplate of Ronald Hirst, later cloth, manuscript paper label to spine, spine faded, [Goldsmiths' 14987; Sabin 19094], 8vo, W.Woodfall, 1791.

⁂ Important report of the parliamentary debates on William Wilberforce's abortive Abolition Bill of 1791 including an account of Wilberforce's legendary speech in favour of abolition. "On April 18, in a four-hour speech that showed his mastery of the evidence and arguments, he [Wilberforce] moved for leave to bring in an Abolition Bill. Subsequent debate was lively and extended over two evenings, but when the house divided at 3.30 on the morning of 20 April Wilberforce was defeated by 163 to 88. The outbreak both of revolution in France and, early in 1791, of a slave rebellion in the French colony of San Domingo (Haiti) had heightened insecurities and led the majority of M.P.s to oppose a measure that they perceived as potentially destabilizing." (John Wolffe in ODNB).