N° 1.-Letter from Mr. Prefident Matfon to his Grace the Duke of Š ̃ P· 3. ́E. 19th July 1797 - ibid. N° 2.-Extract Minutes of the Houfe of Affembly; N° 4-Duke of Portland to Governor Johnstone; No 6.—President Ma:fon to the Duke of Portland; (Three Enclofures) (1.) The Prefident to the Affembly 18th Oct. 1798 21ft March 1799 ibid. ibid. 16th June 1799 - p. 5. E. (2.) The President and Council to the Commander in Chief - N° 7.-Another; dated 22d June 1799: With Three Enclosures. N° 8.-Another; dated 20th July 1799: With Four Enclosures. PP. 6, 7. E. PP. 7-17. E. E. DOMINICA. ¡Copy.) N° 31. BY My Lord, N° 1.-Copy of a Letter from Mr. Prefident Matson to his Y the packet which arrived yesterday I had the honour to receive your Grace's circular duplicate Letter of the 6th of May, accompanied with a Refolution of the House of Commons, of the 6th of April last, respecting the Negroes in His Majesty's *See p.11.A. plantations in the Weft Indies. I will not fail to avail myfelf of the earlieft opportunity of obeying His Majefty's commands, by communicating the Refolution to the Council and Affembly of this Ifland, and recommending to their particular attention and confideration the formation of fuch a fyftem of measures as may appear to them best suited to the attainment of the feveral important objects which are therein fpe cified. Your Grace may rest affured, that while I remain in this Government, I will not omit to tranfmit to your Grace, from time to time, accounts of the proceedings of the Legislature of this Ifland, in confequence of the above communication. I have the honour to be, &c. His Grace the Duke of Portland, &c. &c. &c. (Copy.) J. Matfon. N° 2.-Extract from the Minutes of the Houfe of Affembly A Meffage from the Commander in Chief. Mr. Prefident and Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker and In obedience to his Majefty's commands, fignified to me in a Letter which I have Government House, 13th July, 1797. "Jovis, 6° die Aprilis 1797. "Refolved, That an humble Addrefs be prefented to His Majefty, requesting that His Majefty will be graciously pleased to give directions to the Governors of His Majefty's Plantations in the Weft Indies, to recommend to the refpective Councils and Affemblies of the faid Plantations to adopt fuch meatures as hail appear to them beft calculated to obviate the caufes which have hitherto impeded the natural increafe of the Negroes already in the Inlands, gradually to diminish the neceffity of the Slave 119. Trade, Dominica. "Trade, and ultimately to lead to its complete termination; and particula ly, with a "view to the fame effect, to employ fuch means as may conduce to the Moral and Re"ligious Improvements of the Negroes, and fecure to them, throughout all the British "Weft India Inlands, the certain, immediate, and active protection of the Law, and at "the fame time affuring His Majefty that this Houfe will concur in fuch meafures as "fhall appear requifite to be taken by this Houfe for the attainment of the fa.ne b.ect." Ordered, That the following Meffage be fent to his Honour the Commander in Chief. The Speaker and Houfe of Affembly to his Honour the Commander in Chief. The House have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honour's Meffages of the 13th and 19th inftant; beg leave to affure you, that they will take the fame into their ferious confideration, and in the mean time will endeavour to get every neceffary information refpecting the important matters recommended to the Houfe, fo that fuch measures may be adopted as may be deemed neceffary to enfure our internal tranquillity, and, as far as poffible, to protect us against the future efforts of the enemy. Charles Winston, Houfe of Affembly, 19th July 1797. (Copy.) N° 11. My Lord Duke, Speaker. N° 3.-Copy of a Letter from Governor And. C. Johnstone, to his Grace the Duke of Portland; dated Dominica, 5th June 1798. YOUR Grace's Circular Letter of the 23d April, marked Secret, I had the honour of receiving this day; and likewife the Paper enclofed, upon the subject of Negroes. No steps have as yet been taken by the Legiflature of this Colony, in confequence of the Refolution of the Houfe of Com.nons, dated the 6th of April 1797. It is a fubject which I own has much engaged my attention, but, from the jarring interefts of this Colony, I have never, fince my arrival, found a proper moment for bringing forward the difcuffion of this tubject. I affure your Grace, that I fhall not fail to take the first proper opportunity of recommending to the Legiflature the subject matter of the wife and benevolent propofitions fuggefted by your Grace. His Grace the Duke of Portland, &c. &c. &c. I have the honour to be, &c. Andrew Cochrane Johnstone. N°4.-Extract of a Letter from his Grace the Duke of Portland to Governor the Honourable Andrew Cochrane Johnftone; dated Whitehall, the 18th October 1798. IT is with infinite regret I obferve from your Letter (N° 11.) that no steps have been yet taken for improving the condition of the Slaves in Dominica, with a view to increase their population, in purfuance of the Refolutions of the House of Commons on that fubject. (Copy.) No. 15. Sir, No. 5.-Copy of a Letter from his Grace the Duke of Whitehall, 21ft March 1799. In obeying His Majefty's commands, to lay before the Houfe of Commons the further correfpondence which has paffed between me, and the Governors in the West Indies, in confequence of the Addrefs of that Houfe of the 6th of April 1797, re fpecting |