After many other arguments, he concluded with a motion, "That the Chairman be directed to move for leave to bring in a Bill for preventing the further importation of African negroes into the British colonies and plantations." The debate was continued, and adjourned until the next day--when the battle _pro_ slavery or its abolition waxed fierce; but when it came to a decision, the numbers were--for the motion, 88; against, 163--majority against the abolition, 75. * * * * * 1792 opened, as we would fain have our financial years open now-a-days, with an increase of revenue over the preceding year of £300,000, and a surplus of more than £900,000, besides paying the annual million in reduction of the national debt. Pitt repealed £200,000 of burdensome taxes, added £400,000 to the million to extinguish the debt, and discreetly kept the balance in hand for eventualities. Trade had vastly increased, as we may see from the following figures:--In 1783 the exports were valued at £14,741,000; and, in 1791, they had risen to £20,120,000. On 2nd April, the House of Commons being in Committee, Mr. Wilberforce again brought forward the question of the slave trade, and, after an eloquent speech, wound up with the motion:--"That it is the opinion of the Committee, that the trade carried on by British subjects, for the purpose of procuring slaves from Africa, ought to be abolished." After a debate, Mr. Secretary Dundas moved as an amendment, to insert the word "_gradually_" immediately before the word "abolished." This was carried by a majority of 68, and the motion, so altered, being put, the numbers were--Ayes, 230; Noes, 85--majority for the motion, 145. The Chairman was then ordered to move the House for leave to bring in a Bill, pursuant to the said resolution. England could not but be affected by the French Revolution. At the commencement of the movement there was some sympathy shown by the Whigs to a people who were struggling to free themselves from the trammels of despotism, but that sympathy rapidly grew cold, and faded, on witnessing the excesses committed by the people of Paris, and some other large cities, until the capture, and imprisonment of the Royal family, turned it to absolute loathing, and hatred. There was great uneasiness throughout the country as to whether the tide of anarchy might not reach us, especially as numbers of fugitives were daily reaching our shores. Take, for example, two instances quoted in the _Annual Register_, both of the date 12th September:--