tion, prafie, and homage, which all his reasonable creatures owe him? In this refpect, then, the advantage of early rising are manifeft.

With regard to focial duties, what more neceffary than early rifing? is it poffible for a man who dozes away the morning in his downy bed, and spends one-third of the day in the enervat ing embraces of death-like fleep, to discharge the duties either of private or public life, like the man who gets up betimes, fedulous to mind his business, and careful not to lose the balmy influence of the most early rays of the fun? The latter has the pleasure to see the most effential part of his bufinefs done before the other begins; the confequence of which is, that he has leifure to pursue new advantages, new schemes of utility both to himself and others; whereas, the fluggard, by the too liberal indulgence of his beloved fleep, difables himself from performing even the indifpenfable duties of his ftation; instead of having time to look out for additional happiness, he is not in a condition to make the best of that which he already poffeffes. Besides that excefs of fleep, instead of nourishing and refreshing, serves only to enervate the whole human frame; and actually difables thofe who indulge it from acting with that fpirit, refolution and vigour they would-otherwise do.

As to improving the mind in knowledge, the advantage of rifing early is no less evident. In the morning all the faculties of our foul are awake, fresh, and vigorous. What over-night defied our most diligent ftudy to find out, now voluntarily fubmits itself to our view; we fee, we comprehend, what formerly was thought above the reach of human understanding. Now as early rifing not only enables the mind to understand things more eafily and better, but likewife affords time for fetting about the study of them, it must be allowed to be highly Conducive to the attainment of knowledge.

Proceedings in Eurament.

HOUSE OF COMMOS

Abolition of the Slave Trade,

FEW objects of greater importance have ever come before Parliament than the prefent, whether it be confidered as an object of justice, of humanity, or of policy; and it according ly obtained a full and ample difcuffion. This bulineis originated in the laft Parliament, where, after many witneffes were examined at great length, and a tedious inveftigation, the queftion was ftill left undecided. Nor was the difcuffion of this important object confined to the Houfe of Commons; the people at large interefted themselves in the queftion, and many publications appeared on both fides as ufual, in fome of which the parties engaged with a warmth of zeal that is in fome meafure incompatible with the full elucidation of truth. The minds of parties were thus inflamed to a degree, that every perfon of cool reafon muft difapprove of, and mutual accufations and perfonal recriminations took place, that tended only to inflame the mind, and make the real object of difcuffion be loft fight of. Some tincture of this fort was even to be obferved in a few of the speeches in Parliament; but time having allowed thefe intemperate fallies to fubfide, the queftion received a fairer and cocler inveftigation on the prefent occafion.-Perhaps more time is ftill required, before men can be brought to view this fubject with all the coolnefs and impartiality it requires. In particular, more time than has yet been allowed feems to be neceffary to enable individuals to make themselves fully mafters of the important facts refpecting this bufinefs that came out in the evidence before the committee.-When this fhall be allowed, it is to be hoped that all parties will cordially agree in fome amicable mode of fettling this bufinefs, and not allow it to remain in fome meafure undecided, as at prefent, which by keeping in fufpenfe the minds of perfons interested, muft be productive of very dangerous confequences.

The bufinefs was introduced by Mr Wilberforce, who had taken the lead in it laft Parliament-Firft on Friday the 3d of December, when he announced that he fhould foon be able to name a day on which he meant to move for a renewal of the committee on the abolition of the flave trade, and next on Friday, December 10th, when he said, that after the notice he had given, he did not conceive that any thing more was neceflary than to move, "That the House should on that day refolve into a committee of the whole House, to confider of the African slave-trade, as a previous step to reviving the same sort of

committee that had been appointed to examine evidence last year."

Colonel Tarleton did not oppose the motion, nor did he blame the hon. gentleman for his perfeverance in a measure that he no doubt thought to be falutary, but which, if carried into effect, would, he said, be ruinous to a confiderable branch of British commerce, and wondered that while his Majefty's minifters were laying fresh duties on the fubject, they should, by the countenance they gave to this meafure, be labouring to diminish the

revenue.

Sir William Younge complained of the time that had been already spent in this difcuffion; and though he did not oppose the prefent motion, he intimated that if the bufinefs fhould be fpun out to great length, that he fhould make a motion to get rid of it-Agreed to.

The business after several adjournments came on at length,

February 4. 1791.

Mr Wilberforce rofe to make a motion for the Houfe to refolve itself into a committee, to fit above ftairs on the flavetrade, agreeable to the notice he had previously given, and concluded with moving "That the fpeaker leave the chair."

Mr Cawthorne complained of the long pretraction of the examination before the former committee of enquiry, and faid, to avoid a fimilar delay at prefent, he meant to oppofe the motion, and take the fenfe of the Houfe upon it; but this he would decline, if the Hon. gentleman would ftate the specific time the committee might reafonably be fuppofed to bring their enquiries to a conclufion.

Mr Wilberforce faid, it was impoffible for him to make any fuch compromife, as he could not prevent any gentleman in the committee from putting what questions they might incline. For his own part, he fhould make no delay that could be avoided.

Mr Cawthorne was not satisfied with this anfwer, and faid the enquiry had already undergone fufficient difcuffion, and if carried farther, could only tend to injure the interefts of the mercantile and manufacturing part of the community.

Mr Montague gave reafons to fhow it could not be expected that any gentleman could ascertain the duration of fuch a committee.

Mr W. Smith attributed the former delays to the opposers of the abolition, as fifty-feven days had been occupied on their part out of 87. The gentlemen employed for the Liverpool merchants had employed twenty-one days in crofs examinations. Colonel Tarleton complained of the injury already done to the numerous merchants, manufacturers, and planters, concerned in a trade that had been engaged in, and carried on for many years under the fanction of Parliament, in confe

quence of the protraction that had already attended the inqui ries of former committees. He faid there was abundance of room for the exertion of philanthropy in examining the ftate of the poor laws, and our infant fettlement of South Wales.He concluded with giving notice, that he would on that day fix weeks move the queftion of the abolition of the flave trade.

Mr Burke differed entirely from his hon. friend who had juft fat down-He thanked Mr Wilberforce for prudently declining to tie himfelf down to any fpecific term, and for his laudable perefverance and the committees that had fat hitherto, for their fuccefsful efforts; and he declared, that if the end of their labours fhould be the proof of the policy, as well as the humanity of the abolition of the slave trade, there was not, he was perfuaded, a man in the House who would not rejoice and feel happy.

Mr Martin, faid, he fhould regret that any fort of perfons fhould be fufferers; but the negro flaves were fo numerous, and the hardships they underwent fo great, that no confideration of prejudice in favour of individuals ought to ftand in the way of relief to fo numerous a fet of fufferers.

Colonel Tarleton rofe to explain.

The queftion was then put and carried.

Committee of the whole Houfe.

The Speaker having left the chair, Mr Elliot took his place at the table.

Mr Wilberforce then moved, "That in order to facilitate the progrefs of the committee in the matters referred to them, the House will be pleafed to appoint a committee for the purpofe of taking the examination of fuch witneffes as fhall be found neceffary to be examined, touching the said matter.

"That the several petitions that were presented to the House in the last Parliament, relating to the flave trade, be referred to the faid committee.

"That the minutes of the evidence taken in the laft feffion, together with all reports, accounts, and papers, which were laid before the Houfe, be referred." Ordered.

The committee to meet on the 18th.

A Card

MR JOSEPH BRODIE returns thanks to Dr Anderfon, for the obliging manner in which he has inferted the letter concerning the Bell-rock.-Mr B. is well convinced of the valuable qualities of Larch-wood, and should adopt the hint were any wood to be employed in constructing that beacon, but as it is intended to be entirely of hammered-iron, he cannot avail himself of it on the present occafion.

THE BEE,

OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER

FOR

WEDNESDAY, November 23, 1791.

On the Pronunciation of the Latin and Greek Languages, by Abbé Tourner, Teacher of the Italian Language in Edinburgh, Author of the Anecdotes of Pope Ganganeli. To the Editor of the Bee.

SIR,

Of all the people of different nations whom I have heard either read or fpeak Latin, the leaft intelligible I have found to be the English. Notwithstanding the clipping mute E of the French, their perpetual ftrefs on the last fyllable of all their words, of which they cannot be cured, whatever other language they learn, and their nafals; notwithstanding the gutturals of the Germans, their often changing the 6 into p, the d into t, the v into f, yet, on the whole, they do not pronounce the Latin exactly according to the rules of the pronunciation of their own respective languages, as it happens with the English. If it be allowed that each of the five Vowels in the English language has two diflinct founds,. a long and a fhort, I doubt whether an Englishnan, who pronounces them in the Latin as he does in the

VOL. VI.