Mr.Orde spoke in the strongest terms of the misconduct of managers.

The fact was, that these in general sought to establish their characters by producing large crops at a small immediate expense; too little considering how far the slaves might suffer from ill-treatment and excessive labour.

The pursuit of such a system was a criterion for judging of their characters, as both Mr.Long and Mr.Ottley had confessed.
But he must contend, in addition to this, that the object of keeping up the stock of slaves by breeding had never been seriously attended to.

For this he might appeal both to his own witnesses, and to those of his opponents; but he would only notice one fact.

It was remarkable that, when owners and managers were asked about the produce of their estates, they were quite at home as to the answer; but when they were asked about the proportion of their male and female slaves, and their infants, they knew little about the matter.