riley 's father had plantations in the west indies , and several hundred slaves to work them , while laurence 's own father was a firm supporter of wilberforce and clarkson , and had made several very cutting speeches in the lords against the trade , on one occasion even mentioning riley 's father by name in a list of slave-holding gentlemen who , as he had mildly put it , `` disgrace the name of christian , and blight the character and reputation of their country . ''