St. "moiety of which fines for killing, gelding, or difmembering a Slave, fhall be to the Christopher's "ufe of His Majefty, His Heirs and Succeffors, to be paid into the public treasury "of this Ifland, to be employed towards repairing the forts and fortifications of "this Island, and the other half to the informer profecuting therefore." And whereas, from the alteration of times and circumftances fince the paffing of the above recited Act, it is become neceffary that the faid two Claufes thereof fhould be repealed, we therefore, Your Majefty's most dutiful, loyal, and obedient fubjects, the Commander in Chief of Your Majefty's Leeward Charibbee Islands, and the Council and Affembly of this Your Majefty's Inland Antigua, humbly pray your Moft Excellent Majefty, that it may be enacted and ordained, and be it, and it is hereby enacted and ordained by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid fortieth and forty-firft Claufes of the above recited Act, fhall be and are hereby declared to be repealed and made null and void, to all intents and purposes whatsoever, as fully and effectually as if the fame never had been made. And whereas, in obedience to the Divine Law, and from principles of justice, humanity, and policy, it is right that whofoever is guilty of the wilful murder, or of wilful maiming or wounding a fellow creature, whether a free perfon or a Slave, in any fuch manner as is not excufable by the common or ftatute law of England, fhould fuffer the pains and penalties of death, or fuch other punishment as by the faid laws fuch Perfons are made liable to fuffer for the faid crimes; Be it therefore enacted and ordained by the Authority aforefaid, That from and after the publication of this Law, every white or other free perfon, who fhall be charged with the murder, or with the maiming or wounding a Slave, whether belonging to himself or to herself, or to any other person or perfons whatever, and whether the fame be by exceffive punishment or otherwife, every fuch person so charged, fhall be proceeded against and tried in the fame manner as he or she would have been proceeded against and tried for the murder, or for the maiming or wounding a free perfon, and upon being convicted thereof shall fuffer death, or fuch other punishment by the laws of England fuch perfons would be fentenced to fuffer for the murder, or for the maiming and wounding a free perfon: Provided always, that such conviction fhall not extend to the corrupting the blood, or the forfeiture of lands or tenements, goods or chattels; any law, cuftom, or ufage to the contrary thereof notwithstanding. Dated at Saint Chriftopher's the 28th day of Dec. in the the thirty-eighth. (Signed) Paffed the Council the 28th day John Burke, Speaker, pro tempore. Paffed the Affembly this 28th day of (Signed) Wm Mathews. John Hill, Clerk of the Assembly. Published this 10th day of Jan. 1798. (Signed) John Roberts, Dep' Provoft Marshall. No. 5.-Extract of a Letter from Prefident Thomson to his Grace the Duke of Portland; dated St. Chriftopher's, March 15th 1798. AGREEABLE to the Return of the Writs iffued for convening the General Council and Affembly, they met in this Inland on the first day of this month, when I delivered to them the Speech, of which there is a Copy enclosed, and alfo Copies of their Addreffes, by way of anfwer to it. I flatter St. I flatter myself your Grace will be pleased, when you obferve by thefe Addreffes how much they are difpofed to enter upon the arduous and important bufinefs which Chriftopher's I have laid before them, and earnestly recommended to their most serious confideration; and your Grace may be affured, that I fhall not fail to watch over and promote, by every means in my power, the advancement of a work which has humanity and benevolence for its objects. I hope they will continue their Sittings from day to day, till the whole bufinefs be completed. (1.) In Letter from Mr. Prefident Thomson to the Duke of Portland, Extract from the Speech of Prefident Thomson to the IN compliance with the wishes and folicitations of the feveral Legislatures within this Government, I have called you together to take into your confideration, and to concert the beft means for carrying into effect the objects contained in the Refolution of the Houfe of Commons, entered into on 6th day of April laft, which I have di- . rected to be laid before you. You will find in that Refolution, Gentlemen, objects of the first importance to the British Sugar Colonies, which, by the wifdom of Parliament and His Majesty's most gracious condefcenfion, are now fubmitted to a body of men, whose local knowledge and experience are beft adapted to form fuch wife and falutary measures, as, I have no doubt, will produce the happieft effects.. The increase of our Negroes by propagation rather than by importation, is an object to be wished for by us all, who know the fuperior value of Creole Negroes to thofe imported from Africa; and furely, to every humane mind, it must prove a fubject of the most pleasing contemplation, to behold his gang thriving and increafing under his foftering hand; I am therefore purfuaded, you will devote your attention to the removal of every kind of impediment that may appear to you to ftand in the way of accomplishing so desirable an object. The moral and religious improvement of our Negroes, by introducing more order and regularity in our gangs, you must be fenfible will, anong other good and advantageous purpofes, contribute to the increase of the fpecies; for it must be obfervable by all, that a failure in this refpect is not fo much owing to oppreffive labour, as to the licentious manners and habits of the Slaves. If the Legislature of the Parent State have wifely abandoned the idea of a forced and abrupt abolition of the Slave Trade, and wifh to fee whether it can be gradually accomplished by natural means, let us, on our part, do every thing that is in our power to try the experiment fairly. It is with the greatest pleasure and fatisfaction that I have obferved, during forty years refidence in this country, a gradual improvement and melioration in the condition of the Slaves, and feveral laws paffed in the different Iflands, to protect them from cruelty and oppreffion; I am fully perfuaded, it will be your inclination to extend these bleffings to that race of people, as far as you shall deem them confiftent with that fubordination which has of late, more than ever, been evinced to be fo effential to the prefervation of peace and good order in fociety. I am fure I fhall meet your wishes, Gentlemen, in recommending to you a revifion of all the laws which have been paffed, and are now in force in the different Inlands of this Government, relating to Slaves, adopting all the wholefome regulations, and rejecting thofe which, on certain exigencies, might have been deemed proper, but from a change of times and circumftances are no longer necessary, and may appear to you to be harsh and oppreffive, and form an entire new code, anfwerable to all the beneficial purposes of our fyftem of Slavery, in which, no doubt, among other things, the food and clothing of the Negroes will appear to you to be objects highly worthy of attention, (2.) In St. Christopher's (2.) In Letter from Mr. Prefident Thomfon to the Duke of Portland; dated 15th March 1798.. Extract from the Addrefs of the General Council of the Leeward Inlands to Prefident Thomfon, &c. &c. &c.; dated 2d March 1798. WE are highly fenfible of the goodness that induced your Honour, in compliance with the wifhes and folicitations of the feveral Legislatures within this Government, to call us together, to deliberate on the best means for carrying into effect the objects contained in the Refolution of the House of Commons, entered into on the 6th day of April last, which you have been pleased to direct to be laid before us. We beg leave to affure you, that we will cheerfully enter upon the duties of our prefent ftation, and give that ferious attention to the important objects you have fubmitted to our confideration, which they demand. We hope your Honour will believe, that, in fpite of the various calumnies which have been for many years pait heaped on His Majefty's faithful fubjects in the Weft Indies, we view with the fame pleasure and fatisfaction which you have been pleased to exprefs, the gradual improvement and melioration in the condition of the Slaves in the different Islands of this Government, and the protection afforded to them by laws at once juft and humane; and we look forward with the moft pleafing fenfations, to the opportunity we now have of eftablishing a fyftem, which, by further improving their condition, by introducing more order and regularity among them, and by promoting their improvement in morality and religion, as far as it may be poffible, may tend to increafe their propagation, and enable us to diminish the number of Africans to be hereafter imported. But we conceive that the Weft India Inlands never could have been, nor ever can be cultivated to effect, without the right, of which we truft no power will endeavour to deprive us, of obtaining la bourers from Africa; a right under which our ancestors were induced to fettle in these Colonies, which hath been fanctioned by repeated Acts of the British Parliament, and the violation of which must be confidered as an act of the greatest oppreffion. (3.)-In Letter from Mr. Prefident Thomson to the Duke of Portland, of the 15th March 1798. Extract from the Addrefs of the Members of the General Affembly of the Leeward Ifands to Prefident Thomfon; dated 2d March 1798. WE, the Members of the General Affembly of the Leeward Islands, beg leave to exprefs the grateful fenfe we entertain of your attention to the different parts of your Government. The objects contained in the Refolution of the Houfe of Commons of the 6th of April laft, naturally impreffed the different Legislatures with the neceffity of mature and speedy deliberation, and your ready compliance with their wishes has afforded the most fatisfactory reflection. Whatever materially relates to fo important a part of the empire as the Sugar Colonies, muft become an urgent subject of confideration, and demands the greatest energy and exertions on our part. It is with pride, Sir, we obferve, that in no inftance has His Majefty's parental care been more emphatically manifefted, than in having confided to thofe, whofe local knowledge and experience render them moft competent, the enquiry and establishment propofed. The natural increafe of our Negroes by propagation, is an object to be ardently defired, and the West India character of humanity, with a very few exceptions, we truft, evinces the propriety of your Honour's obfervation, that it is a fubject of the most pleafing contemplation to the Proprietor to behold his Slaves thriving and increafing under his foftering hand. We fhall, however, direct our attention to thofe obftacles that may appear to impede this end. We St. We shall alfo attend to the moral and religious improvement of the Negroes, and we cannot but be fenfible that undifciplined nature is too prone to thofe licen- Chriftopher's tious manners and evil habits which your Honour has forcibly described. We truft and hope, Sir, that the Legislature of the Parent State will wifely abandon the abolition of a trade fanctioned and encouraged by feveral Acts of Parliament, and which is clofely interwoven and connected with the commercial interest of the empire at large. It is a pleafing reflection, Sir, that your Honour's refidence of forty years in this country, bears an unerring and ample teftimony of a gradual improvement and melioration in the condition of the Slaves. As it is our inclination, fo fhall it be our endeavour, to extend every bleffing to a race of people peculiarly under our care and protection, as far as is confiftent with the fubordination which is effential to the prefervation of peace and good order, and to the actual fafety of His Majesty's Weft India Colonies. We are fenfible, Sir, that a revifion of the laws relating to the Slaves, is indifpenfible; by paying a proper regard to them, we fhall be able to confirm and enlarge fuch as may be deemed expedient, and reject those which appear oppressive and no longer neceffary. No. 6.-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Prefident Thomfon THE General Council and Affembly have proceeded a confiderable length in their business, and I hope it may be completed in the courfe of a fortnight more. No. 7.-Extract of a Letter from his Grace the Duke of THE harmony and good underftanding which happily prevail between you and the Legislature of the refpective Iflands under your authority, cannot fail to promote the public fervice in general, and the particular intereft of each. On the fubject of the Refolution of the Houfe of Commons of the 6th April 1797, I refer you to my Letter (fecret) of the 23d ultimo, and its Inclosure; and mult obferve, that the A& paffed by the island of Antigua," making Perfons charged with, and found guilty of the murder of Slaves, liable and fubject to the fame pains and penalties as are "inflicted for the murder of free perfons," is fuch as highly becomes the wifdom and humanity of the Legislature. No. 8.-Extract of a Letter from Mr. Prefident Thomfon YOU will now be pleased to receive a Bill, which has been paffed by the General Council and General Affembly of the Leeward Islands, intituled "An Act more "effectually to provide for the Support, and to extend certain Regulations for "the Protection of Slaves, to promote and encourage their Increafe, and generally to meliorate their Condition," and to which I have given my affent. It was deemed neceffary, on account of fome Claufes in the Bill whereby debts contracted for the feeding and clothing of the Negroes were made liens upon eftates, and to take place of all others, to introduce a fufpending Clause, to prevent the Bill from being in force here till His Majefty fhould fignify his pleasure thereon. The diftrefs which thefe Islands have fuffered from a feries of bad crops, and the confequent low ftate of credit to which eftates in some of the Inlands are reduced, I 8 D 119. understand St. understand gave rife to this measure, in order to facilitate the procuring of those Chri. opher's articles, of which the Bill has directed an increafed quantity to be given; and your Grace will be pleased to obferve, that thefe liens are not allowed to run on from year to year, fo as to accumulate and grow into a large fum, but the amount of the necefiary fupplies of food and clothing must be extinguished within the year, otherwife all fuch contracts lofe their priority. Under these reftrictions, I should conceive thofe Claufes in the Bill would rather operate in favour of creditors, who are mortgagees of eftates, than to their prejudice, as they tend to keep up the mortgaged premifes, which will be a means of ftrengthening their fecurity, or at leaft preventing it from being impaired. The Bill, in other refpects, embraces feveral of the objects pointed out by the Refolution of the Houfe of Commons, which your Grace did me the honour to tranimit, and upon the whole, though not fo full and complete as I wifhed it to have been, I hope it will meet with His Majesty's approbation. I beg leave to fend your Grace copy of the fpeech which I delivered to them at the clofe of the feffion. (1.) In Mr. Prefident Thomfon's, of the 4th May, 1798. Mr. Prefident, and Gentlemen of the General Council, THE zeal and unremitted attention with which you have devoted your time to the arduous and important business you have had before you, do great credit to yourfelves, and merit the warmest acknowledgments of the Ilands over which your labours will extend their happy influence. The Bill you have paffed, to which I have juft given my affent, is calculated to promote the caule of humanity, and having that for its object, it cannot fail to be highly acceptable to every well-dif pofed mind; and though the current expences of estates may be thereby fomewhat enhanced, yet if that augmentation, together with the other falutary provifions of the Bill, will produce more comfort and happiness to the Slaves, and be a means of increafing their numbers fo as to render the importation of African Negroes unneceffary, I trust they will prove a full and ample compenfation. I cannot close this feffion of the General Council and General Affembly, without returning you my most hearty thanks for the readinefs you have fhewn to adopt every measure which, at the beginning of it, appeared to me neceffary to fubmit to your confideration, all of which, I have no doubt, would have been carried into full effect, had not the urgency of your private affairs, at this period, called you from hence. I am, however, perfuaded, that whatever remains unfinished of this great work, you will, during the recefs, take into your confideration, and come prepared, when the feffion again commences, to give it a final completion. It now only remains for me to recommend to you, Gentlemen, when you return to your homes, to give your aid, by your countenance and example, to the operation of the Bill you have already paffed in your refpective Iflands, and by narrowly watching and obferving its effects, you will be able to difcover whether it will require any alterations and amendments, and which you will have in your power to make at your next Meeting. St. Christopher's, (2.)-In |