(Copy.) Circular. Sir, No. 3.-Copy of a Circular Letter from the Duke of Whitehall, 22d March 1799. MY former correfpondence with you upon the ftate and condition of the Negroes, will fufficiently enable you to judge of the fatisfaction it gave me to lay before the Houfe of Commons the Acts which have been paffed by the refpective Legiflatures of the Leeward Inlands and Grenada, to promote the natural encrease of that defcripton of perfons, and generally to improve and meliorate their condition in those Minds; alfo, the meafures which have been propofed for the fame falutary purpoles the joint committee of the Council and Houfe of Affembly of Tobago, and the rifions of an Act paffed in the island of Jamaica, for limiting the importation of Negroes into that land to fuch as are of the age of twenty-five years or under, for fecuring to them the advantages of moral and religious inftructions. Thefe proceedings must be particularly acceptable to the Houfe of Commons, from their conformity to the Refolution of that Houfe of the 6th of April 1797; and from their having been evidently taken by the feveral Colonial Legiflatures for the exprefs purpose of carrying into effect the humane and benevolent objects pointed tut by that Refolution. Barbadoes The confideration of thefe proceedings, in addition to the fuggeftions I tranfmitted to you in my Letter of the 23d of April laft, will, I am perfuaded, induce the Legiflature of St. Vincent's to adopt measures of a fimilar nature, together with the troduction of fuch provisions and amendments as may be most likely to accelerate d fecure the advantages which muft neceffarily refult from the attainment of the cojects which were in the contemplation of the Houfe of Commons, when the Refoution of the 6th of April 1797 was voted; and which Refolution appears to have had fo beneficial and falutary an influence on the determination of the Legislatures of thofe Iflands whofe conduct I have stated to you. The Colonial Acts, and other documents referred to in this Letter, you will receive by this conveyance, enclosed under a feparate cover. I have the honour to be, &c. Circular The Acts referred to are with the Correspondence the refpective Inlands.] (Signed) Portland. ENCLOSED I tranfmit to you, by the King's command, the Copy of an humble Addrefs of the Houfe of Commons to His Majefty on the 11th inftant, requetting that His Majefty would be graciously pleased to give directions to the Governors of His Majefty's Inlands and Plantations in the Weft Indies to tranfmit an account, fpecifying, as far as the fame can be made up, the total number of Negroes now in fuch Iflands and Plantations refpectively, and the total number of Births and Deaths on an average of the last three years; diftinguifhing what proportion of thofe that died were born within fuch Inland or Plantation, or had been imported more than three years before, and what number of thofe that died had been imported within three years of the time of their deaths, together with the documents on which fuch accounts fhall be founded; and I am to fignify to your Lordship His Majefty's fpecial commands, that you do, with all poffible difpatch, caufe to be prepared in and for the Inland under your Government, fuch an account as above fpecified, in conformity to the terms of the said Address; and that you do transmit the fame to me, without lofs of time, in order that it may be laid before the Houfe at the opening of the next Seffion. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Portland. ADDRESS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. RESOLVED, Jovis, 6° die Aprilis 1797. "THAT an humble Addrefs be prefented to His Majefty, requesting "that His Majesty will be graciously pleased to give Directions to the Governors " of His Majesty's Plantations in the Weft Indies, to recommend to the refpec" tive Councils and Affemblies of the faid Plantations to adopt fuch Measures as fhall appear to them best calculated to obviate the Caufes which have " hitherto impeded the natural Increase of the Negroes already in the Islands, "gradually to diminish the neceffity of the Slave Trade, and ultimately to lead " to its complete termination; and particularly, with a view to the fame effect, "to employ fuch means as may conduce to the Moral and Religious Improvement of the Negroes, and fecure to them throughout all the British West India "Islands, the certain, immediate, and active protection of the Law; and, at "the fame time, affuring His Majefty, that this Houfe will concur in fuch "Measures as fhall appear requifite to be taken by this Houfe for the attainment "of the fame object." |