My Lord, No. 3.-Copy of a Letter from Governor Ricketts to his I LOSE no time in acknowledging the receipt of your Grace's Letter, dated the 22d March, and of the Colonial Acts and other Documents referred to, and enclosed under a feparate cover. Thefe I fhall immediately lay before the Legiflature of this Ifland, and flatter myfelf they will lead to the introduction of fuch provifions and amendments as will accelerate and fecure the Negroes the Advantages which were in the contemplation of the Houfe of Commons, when the Refolution of the 6th April 1797 was voted. I have the honour to be, &c. G. P. Ricketts. No. 4.-Extract of a Letter from Governor Ricketts to his Grace the Duke of Portland; dated Barbadoes, 28th May 1799. (Two Enclofures.) IN addition to my Letter of the 6th inftant, in answer to your Grace's circular Letter of the 22d March, I have the honour to tranfmit, by this opportunity, a Copy of my Meffage to the House of Affembly of this Ifland, and their Reply; by which it appears, they had previously determined to take into immediate confideration the objects recommended to them in the Refolution of the House of Commons of the 6th of April 1797; and, I truft, they will profecute the fubject with that affiduity and attention which its importance requires. (1.)-In Governor Ricketts', of the 28th May 1799. The Governor's Meffage to the Houfe of Affembly of The Governor takes the firft opportunity of laying before the Houfe of Affembly an Extract of a Letter he has received from his Grace the Duke of Portland, accompanied with a Correfpondence between the Secretary of State and the Governors in the Weft Indies, in confequence of the Addrefs of the Houfe of Commons of the 6th April 1797, refpecting the Negroes in the Weft Indies; and he hopes the Affembly will take into their early confideration a bufinefs of fo much importance, and which has already engaged the attention of feveral of the neighbouring Colonies. (2.)-In Governor Ricketts', of the 28th May 1799. Reply of the Houfe of Affembly to his Excellency The House of Affembly refpectfully inform the Governor, that before his Excellency's Meffage was laid before the Houfe, a motion was made" to appoint "a Committee to take into confideration the prefent Slave Laws, and to prepare a "Bill for the confolidation of the faid Laws, and the amelioration of the condition "of the Slaves," which motion paffed unanimoufly, and a Committee was accordingly appointed. Houfe of Affembly, By Order of the House. Joshua Gittens, No. 5.-Extract of a Letter from his Grace the Duke of Portland to Governor Ricketts; dated Whitehall, 8th August 1799. FROM the manner in which the Affembly has taken up the subject of the Negroes, with a view to ameliorate the condition and promote the increase of this clafs of Perfons, and from the various Documents of which they are in poffeffion, and which cannot fail to affift and accelerate their proceedings, I have no doubt but that I fhall receive before or early in the next Seffion of Parliament, the Legiflative measures which have been adopted by the Ifland, for the attainment of the great and falutary object propofed by the Refolution of the House of Commons of the 6th of April 1797. My Lord, No. 6.-Copy of a Letter from Governor Ricketts to his I HAVE received the honour of your Grace's circular Letter of the 12th of July, accompanied by the copy of an Address to the King from the House of Commons, and fignifying His Majefty's commands, that I fhould cause to be prepared fuch an Account of the Negroes in this Ifland, as may be conformable to the terms of the faid Addrefs. I thall lofe no time in ufing my best endeavours to comply, as far as poffible, with His Majefty's directions; but as no Regifter is kept in any of the parishes of the births and deaths of Negroes, the account I fhall have the honour to tranfmit your Grace will not, I fear, be by any means accurate. I have the honour to be, &c. G. P. Ricketts. No. 7.-Extract of a Letter from Lord Seaforth to Lord (Two Enclosures.) YOUR Lordship will obferve, in the last day's proceedings of the Affembly, that the majority of the Houfe had taken confiderable offence at a Meffage of mine, recommending an Act to be paffed to make the murder of a Slave felony (at prefent the fine for that crime is only £.15. currency, or £.11. 4s. fterling.) (1.)-In Lord Seaforth's to Lord Hobart, of the 18th March 1802. Extract from the Minutes of the Council of the Ifland of The Governor's Meffage, The Governor wishes to fee the Legiflature of this Ifland dignify themfelves, by following the example of moft, if not all, of the neighbouring Ilands, by making the wilful murder of any perfon, free or flave, felony without benefit of clergy. An Act to this purpofe is not only loudly called for to protect the character of the Ifland, and to remove the astonishment of the Mother Country, that it has not long ago been done, but is felf evidently confiftent with honour, honefty, and chriftianity, for none but villains can be benefited by the want of fuch an Act. He trusts the present Assembly have too much real dignity to wish to continue to fhelter a crime, which no honeft man can be capable of committing. There are many other points which will occur to the Affembly in the investigation of this arduous fubject; the Governor will be at all times ready to contribute towards it, and he will alfo, when the Affembly fhall defire it, direct the crown lawyers to give every affiftance. 119. 3 B The The bufinefs is arduous and laborious, but the Governor trufts that, if due attention is given to the fubject, and if it is followed up with perfeverance, a Code may be formed that fhall fecure the peace and happiness, and reflect honour on the Island, than which nothing would more contribute to the gratification of the Governor's own ambition and happiness. (2). In Lord Seaforth's to Lord Hobart, of the 18th March 1802. Extract from the Proceedings of the General Affembly of the Island of Barbadoes, held the 13th Day of October 1801. Mr. Treasurer rofe, and, after ftating that the Meffage which the Governor had sent to the House at the laft Meeting, embraced many very important subjects, which merited fomething more than a hafty difcuffion, moved. That an open Committee be appointed to take the feveral objects of his Excellency's Meffage into confideration, and that the Council be requested to appoint a Committee of their Board, to join a Committee of this House. Mr. Attorney General feconded the motion, expreffing himself as follows: "The Governor's Meffage contains objects of the greatest moment to this country, particularly where he alludes to the Law which relates to the punishment to be inflicted upon a white man for killing a Slave. There may be a difference of opinion between Gentlemen how far that punishment fhould be extended, but with refpect to the Law, as it now ftands, it is impoffible that there can be two opinions. No man can ferioufly think the prefent punishment fufficient. A Law which empowers a Proprietor to make a flaughter-houfe in his Plantation, and to butcher in cold blood as many of his Slaves as he may think proper, without fuffering any other punishment than paying a fum not equal to what he muft pay for killing his neighbour's bull or his ox, must be a difgrace to any community. I believe this is now the only country where the life of a fellow creature is commuted for money. For my own part I do not hesitate to fay, that I think the man who wantonly and in cold blood kills a Slave, ought to fuffer death. The man who can think the payment of fifteen pounds, a fufficient punishment for the murder of a Slave, must be void of religion, of morality, and common humanity. I entirely agree with the honourable member, that fomething ought to be done, and I think it highly proper to appoint a Committee of this Houfe, and to afk the Council to appoint a Committee of their Board, to meet together and confult upon fuch an Act for the confolidation of the Slave Laws, as may appear to them proper to be recommended to the Houfe of Affembly. The Houfe will not be bound by fuch recommendation, but may afterwards model it as they think proper, I therefore fecond the motion." The motion was oppofed by Robert James Haynes, efquire, who, after fome introduction, in which, among other points, he maintained the danger of the European Governor's interference between the white inhabitants of the Inland and their Slaves, moved for a Committee of the whole Houfe to prepare an answer to the Governor's Meffage of the 28th of July, an anfwer moderate and refpectful, but calculated to repel infult, and evince that the Houfe understands its interefts, and afferts its rights. Whereupon a debate took place, which ended, the queftion was put on Mr. Treasurer's motion, and carried in the negative by a majority of three voices; the Members voting as follows, viz. For the Motion, 8.-Against it, 11. No. 8.-Extract of a Letter from the Right honourable Lord Hobart, to the Right honorable Lord Seaforth; dated Downing Street, 6th Sept. 1802. "I cannot reflect upon the proceedings of the Affembly, upon your Meffage of the 28th of July, without confiderable anxiety. Aware that Barbadoes stood amongst the Weft India Iflands almoft a folitary inftance, where the Law itfelf place the Negro in a condition not to be contemplated without the most painful fenfations, I could fcarcely have conceived, that the Reprefentatives of the people, a liberal and enlightened body, would at this period deliberately have refused to turn their attention to a point, in which not only the fubftantial interefts, but the reputation of the Colony are fo deeply concerned. Whilft the rigorous fyftem laid down for the trial and punishment of Slaves by the earlier Laws of Barbadoes, feems heretofore to have been very generally adopted as a model by the other Iflands; thefe, particularly Jamaica, Dominica, and Grenada, have in later times taken the lead, and fet an example truly worthy of imitation, by revifing and correcting the harshness of their ancient Codes, and providing more effectually for the protection of their Slaves, and the amelioration of their condition in all its circumstances. However mild and lenient the adminiftration of the Laws may be in Barbadoes, it certainly is not creditable to the feelings of the Legiflature, that, in tracing the liberal fpirit of the prefent time, and obferving its effects in the humane difpofition which has elsewhere been manifested, to make a serious and effectual reform for the advantage and comfort of the Negroes, we find the most revolting Provisions of the former Acts of Barbadoes remaining in force. I cannot therefore but highly approve of your intention to fubmit this matter to the cool and difpaffionate confideration of the Affembly, and I trust their views will be extended to all the points which you have fo properly adverted to in your difpatch." |