received the FROM the manner in which the Legislature of Refolution of the Houfe of Commons of the 6th April 1797, relative to the Negroes in His Majesty's Plantations in the Weft Indies, I have the fulleft confidence, that both the Council and Affembly will have entered upon and profecuted the fubject with that affiduity and attention which its importance requires. The knowledge and information of the individuals who compofe the Legislature peculiarly qualify them to investigate the fubject, and to afcertain the best means to be purfued for obtaining the object propofed by the Refolution; an object which embraces the great and permanent Interests of the Ifland, and the fecuring them against all poffible contingencies. A confideration of fuch moment will of courfe direct and lead the wisdom of the Legislature, as a body, to make a minute inveftigation into the caufes which at prefent retard the population of Negroes in the West Indies, and to the adoption of thofe means which are most likely to counteract and prevent thofe effects in future: under this conviction, when I first called the attention of the Legiflature to the Refolution in queftion, I refrained from accompanying it with any fuggeftions of my own. But, as there are some points which appear to me to have a tendency very materially to promote the ends propofed, I will tranfmit them herewith for your ferious confideration, and in order that you may communicate them to fuch of the principal Members of both branches of the Legiflature as poffefs your confidence; and who, from their acquaintance with the temper and difpofition of their Colleagues, and refident Proprietors of the Island, may be beft enabled to advise and co-operate with you in regard to the measures which it may be judged expedient to bring forward, with a view to their being carried into effect. I am willing to believe, that the wifdom and energy of the Legislature may have already led them to the confideration of fome of the propofitions I have fuggefted, as well as to others of a fuperior efficacy; but I notwithstanding hold it to be my duty, in the course of the proceeding, to lay before you whatever appears to me effentially to promote the wife and benevolent intentions which dictated the Refolution of the Houfe of Commons, confiding in your judgment and difcretion as to the time and mode of bringing them forward, and to your perfonal exertions, and thofe of your friends, in difpofing the Affembly to give them a favourable reception; which I am perfuaded they cannot fail to meet with, when they come to be duly confidered, and are found to have no other fource than the making a folid and certain provifion for the regular cultivation of the Inland. The Letters to Jamaica, Barbadoes, and I am, &c. Portland. (1.)—In Circular Letters. Inclofure in N° 2. (1.) — In Circular from the Duke of Portland to the Gover- Whitehall, 23d April 1798. 1. In order to obtain the fulleft information with refpect to the prefent fituation of the Negroes, and, at the fame time, to decide with propriety and effect on the future measures to be taken, it will be effential to review and report the proceedings of the Legislature of the Ifland of on this fubject, during the laft ten years; to state the caufes which are fuppofed to have retarded the Increafe of the Slaves; the measures that have been taken; and thofe that, in the opinion of the Council and Affembly respectively, may be taken, with a profpect of fuccefs, for the purpose of obviating thofe caufes. 2. What has been, during the last ten years, the annual importation of Negroes into the Inland? How many of them have been re-exported (to which lift ought to be added the number tranfported off the Inland under judicial fentences, the number executed for crimes, and the number of thote who have been flolen, pirated, or kidnapped): what has been, on a comparison of Births and Deaths, the annual difference between them? What proportion of the numbers imported has been wanted for the fupply of the Eftates actually fertled, and what for the annual increase of cultivation, as far as the fame can be afcertained? 3. As the diffolute manners of the Negroes have been given in evidence as a principal cause of their deficient population, it would be effential to afcertain whether the Legiflature of the fland cannot hold out fome encouragement to Marriage, which may tend to counteract that difpofition which leads the young Women to proftitution; fuch as, directing that the firft eftablishment of married Negroes, to a certain extent to be fpccified, fhall be made at the expence of the Mafter, and beltowing fome marks of diftinction or favour, fuch as à difference of drefs, or fome pecuniary annual rewards on fuch Parents as fhall have reared a Child; thofe rewards to increase with the number of children: and whether it may not be advantageous to hold out rewards and encouragement to fuch Individuals as fhall have been particularly fuccefsful in bringing Children into the world, and in treating and directing the treatment of them for the first fortnight after their birth: Should not pregnant Women be exempted from field labour during a certain period,-fay the kt fix weeks or two months of their pregnancy, and from all labour except taking tare of their Children, for the fame time after delivery? To multiply and rear the human Species, there mult be a Marriage, or fomething to that effect; a contract of this kind is actually neceffary. At the time of delivery, the Mother can only take care of the Child, and requires the affiftance of the Father to take care of herself. 4. Whether it would not be for the intereft of the Planter, as much as for that of the Negroes, that the Mother of five or fix Children fhould be exempted from all labour whatever, excepting that of attending to her family; and whether fome Legifiative provifion could not be made, whereby the affeffinent of certain taxes now paid might be proportionably increafed, where they fall on unmarried Negroes only? fuch a provifion would hold out a ftill further encouragement to Proprietors of Eftates to promote the encreafe of their Negroes by marriage: and whether fuch provifion may not be ftill further extended, by exempting all Negroes Children from any taxes they are at prefent liable to, until they are of age to labour, and, by progreffively encreafing the amount of fuch taxes in proportion to the encreafing difference between the number of Negroes and the number of Children on any 119. B Whether Circular Letters. Inclosure in N° 2. 5. Whether, in confequence of the A&t paffed laft Seffion, whereby the laws are repealed which made Negroes chattels for the payment of debts, the Legiflature would be difpofed to fecure the Negroes on a plantation from being liable to be feized for any future debt of their Mafters contracted after paffing a Law for that purpose, and to fubftitute, in favour of the Creditor, fome other fecurity, equally fummary and efficacious; would not fuch a Law, its effe&t being merely profpective, be beneficial to the Creditor, the Debtor, and the Negro? and whether allo, if the Legiflature was by its authority unalienably to attach the plantation Negroes to the foil, thereby putting them as nearly as pofiible in a flate of villenage, or as (adjcripti Glebe) a fpecies of tenure which fill exifts in many parts of Europe, fo that it might not be lawful to remove them, except by their own confent, fuch a measure would not tend effentially to the happinefs and welfare of the Negro? 6. As the inftruction of Negroes is of the utmost confequence, it would be important to know whether the Legiflature of the land has in view any particular modes of effecting this purpofe, and what fpecies and degree of encouragement it would be difpofed to hold cut to fuch Miffionaries as might be found properly qualified for that purpofe, and who would undertake that duty, either by enacting that fuch Miffionaries fhould procure, in favour of the effate where they are employed, certain privileges, immunities, and advantages, or in what other manner their fervices fhould be rewarded by the Inland? This would lead to the general eftablishment of the Chriftian Religion amongst the Negroes, and would eftablith marriages; it would reftrain promifcuous intercourfe; and imprefs their minds in a fimple, yet forcible manner, with the great truths of morality. 7. As the inftruction of Negroes is a principal measure towards the attainment of the great object propofed in thefe fuggeftions, and as the docility of young Negroes will render it much more ealy to inftruct them than thofe more advanced in years, would it not be of great advantage to the ifland, to lay tech a tax on the importation of all Negroes above 20 or 25 years of age, as would not fail to operate as a premium on the importation of thofe under that age? (fuch an A&t has just been paffed in Jamaica) or, if it was thought proper, a premium might be granted on the importation of Negroes under the above-mentioned age, at the fame time a tax was laid on the importation of fuch as exceeded it. 8. Whether it would not be important that the Veftry Courts fhould be established for the protection of Slaves, by an Act of the Legiflature, fimilar to that which has been paffed in the inland of Grenada, whereby perfons of character and property in the feveral parishes are appointed as Infpectors or Vifitors to fuperintend and enforce all the regulations enacted in favour of the Negroes? (2) In Letter from the Duke of Portland to the Whitehall, 23d April. 1799. . In order to obtain the fulled Information with refpect to the p refont Guation of the Negroes, and, at the fame time, to decide with propriety and effect on the fature measures to be taken, it will be effential to review and report the proce dings of the Legislature of the island of Jamaica on this fubject, during the last ten years; to ftate the caufes which are fuppofed to have retarded the increafe of the Slaves; the meatures that have been taken; and thole that, in the opinion of the Council and Affembly refpectively, may be taken, with a profpect of fuccefs, for the purpose of cbviating thofe caufes. 2. What has been the annual importation of Negroes into the Ifand in the courfe of the last ten Years? How many of them have been re-exported? to which Lift ought to be added (if it can be done) the number tranfported off the land under judicial fentences; the number executed for crimes; and the number of thofe who have been ftolen, pirated, or kidnapped: What has been, en a comparifon of Births and Deaths, the annual difference between them? Can it be afcertained what proportion of the numbers imported has been wanted for the fupply of the Eitates actually fettled, and what for the annual increafe of cultivation ? 3. As the diffolute manners of the Negroes have been given in evidence as a principal caufe of their deficient population, it would be effential to afcertain whether the Legislature of Jamaica cannot hold out fome encouragement to Marriage, which may tend to counteract that difpofition which leads the young Women to proflitution; fuch as, directing that the firft eftablishment of married Negroes, to a certain extent to be fpecified, fhall be made at the expence of the Maker, and belowing fome marks of diftinction or favour, fuch as difference of drefs, and lome pecuniary annual rewards on fuch Parents as thall have reared a Child; thofe rewards to increafe with the number of Children: and whether it may not be advantageous to hold cut rewards and encouragement to fuch Midwives as fhall have been particularly fuccefsful in bringing Children into the world, and in treating and directing the trea ment of them for the first fortnight after their birth: Should not pregnant Women be exempted from field labour during a certain period, fay the latt fix weeks or two months of their pregnancy, and from all labour, except taking care of their Children, for the fame time after delivery? To multiply and rear the human Species there muft be a Marriage, or fomething to that effect; a contract of this kind is actually neceffary. At the time of delivery, the Mother can only take care of the Child, and requires the aid and affiftance of the Father to take care of herfelf. 4. Whether it would not be for the intereft of the Planters, as much as for that of the Negroes, that the Mother of five or fix Children, in lieu of the modified exemptions mentioned in the 36th claufe of the Confolidated Act, fhall be fpecifically exempted from all labour whatever, excepting that of attending to her Family; and whether, by fome alteration in the affeffment of the poll and deficiency taxes, fo as to throw their principal burthen on the unmarried Negroes only, the Proprietors of Eftates would not be ftill further encouraged to promote the increase of their Negroes by Marriage? and whether this, for inftance, might not be effected by exempting all Children, till they are of age to labour, from the poll or deficiency tax, and subjecting married Negroes to a lefs proportion than unmarried, and by progreffively increafing the amount of those taxes in proportion to the difference between the number of Negroes and the number of Children on any Eftate. 5. As it has been objected that the Veftry Courts appointed as Courts of Protection under the Confolidated Act, are deficient in activity, it would be important to know, whether the Legislature of Jamaica would have any objection to add to that Act a 119. Claufe, Circular Letters. Jochofere ia N° z. Circular Inclofure in N° 2. Claufe, appointing Perfons of character and property in the feveral parishes as Infpectors or Vifitors, whofe duty it might be to fuperintend and enforce all the Regulations enacted in favour of the Negrees? 6. As the 6th Article of the Consolidated A&t directs, that all Mafters, &c. fhall, as much as in them lies, pay their attendance to the Inftruction of their Slaves, &c. it would be important to know, whether the Legislature of Jamaica, in enacting that Claufe, had in view any particular modes of effecting this purpofe, and what ipecies or degree of encouragement they would be difpofed to hold out to fuch Miffionaries as might be found properly qualified, and would undertake that duty, either by enacting that fuch Miffionaries fhould fave to each Eflate on which they fhould be employed, a certain number of deficiencies or otherwife. This would lead to the general eftablishment of the Chriftian Religion amongst the Negroes; it would eftablifh marriages; it would reftrain promifcuous intercourfe; and imprefs their minds in a fimple, yet forcible manner, with the great truth of morality. 7. What would be the effect with regard to the Negroes, of the repeal of what are called the Credit Laws? If a law were fo framed as to give the Creditor a fummary remedy for the recovery of his debt by a fequeftration under the authority of the Grand Court of Jamaica, would not fuch a Law, fuppofing its effect merely profpective, and to apply to debts contracted after the paffing thereof, be beneficial to the Debtor, the Creditor, and the Negro? Would the Legislature of Jamaica be difpofed to adopt fome fuch Law, now that the obftacles to it arifing from British Acts of Parliament are removed, in confequence of the Act paffed lait Seffion, whereby the Laws are repealed which made Negroes chattels for the payment of debts; and whether allo, if the Legiflature was by its authority unalienably to attach the Plantation Negroes to the foil, thereby putting them as nearly as possible in a state of villenage or (adfcripti Gleba) a fpeices of tenure ftill exifting in many parts of Europe, fo that it might not be lawful to remove them except by their own confent, fuch a measure would not tend effentially to the happiness and welfare of the Negroes? |