A lawyerly pamphlet addressed to the chief justice that examines the legal basis for holding enslaved people in England, prompted by a prominent habeas corpus decision. It reviews precedent and opinions relied on in court, critiques the sufficiency of returned causes for detention, and argues that the domestic enforcement of slavery must rest on positive law rather than natural-law inference. The text rebuts common objections and contemporary published arguments, appends notes and a copy of the disputed judgment, and combines legal analysis with moral reflection to clarify ownership claims, procedural points, and the limits of importing foreign practices into the national legal system.