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a competition with the French, Dutch, and other foreigners, at the American, as well as the European markets *.

But to return from a digreffion which, I hope, will not be confidered wholly ufelefs, or irrelevant to the claim which I have taken the liberty to make, in behalf of the planters, against Great Britain framing laws for the government of their flaves, or to abolish the trade, by which they are, in future, to be supplied with them,

Amongst other regulations, that of appointing Councellors for life, or quam die bene fe gefferint, and making them equally independent of the governors and of the people, would be of the utmost advantage; but if government fhould really be induced to relieve the West-India planters from the difficulties they labour under, they can do it in no manner fo effectually as by changing the ufage of granting offices to be held by patent; fome of them, indeed might much better be totally fuppreffed, as the naval office, which was neceffary when the Governors of the Colonies were Customers of the port, but which, fince the appointment of Collectors and Comptrollers, is totally ufelefs.-That of Provoft Marshal, an office unknown to the civil conftitution of Great-Britain, but which, in the Colonies, has ufurped that of High Sheriff. The other patent offices, most of which refpect the administration of juftice-The Register in Chancery-Clerks of the Court, &c. if in the appointment of the Governor and Council, would, with the honourable independency before mentioned, render the place of Councellor fo refpectable, as, probably, to induce gentlemen of the principal fortunes in the islands to refide on their eftates, to the equal advantage, not only of their own negroes, but to the flaves in general throughout the colonies. To them might be entrusted the regulation of fees of all thefe offices, with the Governor's approbation; for it is the fees of these patent offices, not the fees of the Custom-House, which are the causes of complaint. Can it be believed, as is afferted, that fuch fees amount to 200,000l. fterling per annum, in Jamaiça only.

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I muft beg leave to obferve, that laws in all countries are made, as it were, pro re nata. The atrocious mutilation of Sir John Coventry, gave rife to the act to punish those who should attack any perfons with intent to maim them. Some enormities committed here, three or four years ago, by individuals, occafioned the act of affembly to be paffed in this island last year, called "the confolidated flave act." This law provides for the punishment of those who shall mutilate any flave, and contains fo many other good and falutary regulations, that, perhaps, if one other claufe was added to it, which I remember conftituted part of the law for the government of fervants and flaves in the province of Maryland, there could fcarcely be an addition neceffary to insure the welfare and happiness of the negroes. The law I allude to, is to the following effect: "That if any mafter or mistress, fhall cruelly mifufe, or ill-treat any flave belonging to him, or her, or willingly, or wittingly permit or fuffer. any overseer, book-keeper, or other perfon under whofe direction or command fuch flave fhall be placed, to mifufe or illtreat any fuch flave, fuch master or mistress, upon being duly convicted of such misbehaviour, before a proper tribunal, fhall be obliged to fell or difpofe of fuch flave, &c. by public outcry; and the money arifing by the fale and difpofal of such slave, if the said slave shall be mortgaged, after deducting the expence attending fuch conviction and fale, shall be paid to the mortgagee, or other creditor, by judgment, if any, according to the priority of their demands; and if none, to be difpofed of in fuch manner as fhall be judged proper by the makers of the law." That fometimes bad men treat their own flaves ill, cannot be denied, and it would be very fatisfactory to every good man in the colonies, if fuch

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fuch people could, with propriety, be fubjected, by law, to other punishment than they meet with from the injury they fuffer in their property from the act itself. But the inhabitants of the West Indies are, furely, themselves more competent to decide how far fuch a law would be confiftent with the fubordination the negroes must be kept in, than people in Great Britain; who are certainly very incapable to regulate the internal police of these countries, neither can they judge of the manner in which flaves are treated, from the letter of the feveral laws made for their government.-Death and perpetual imprifonment are often the declared penalties of crimes which may be confidered as not very enormous by people in Europe; but, as there is almost always added, or fuch other punishment as the court shall think proper, it is neceffary to know what the sentences generally are, before it should be believed that the feverer penalties are inflicted,-If people, in Jamaica, were to read the laws in Great Britain against the profeffors of the Romish religion, and believe they were put in execution, could they avoid confidering the people of England as the moft cruel and barbarous fet of men in Europe? I hope what has been faid will, at leaft, have fo much weight with people at home, as to make them hefitate before they pafs any laws by which the property of the planters may be very materially affected.

Still groaning, as thofe amongst them are, whofe fortunes have escaped abfolute deftruction, for want of that protection and affiftance which Great Britain was unable, in the late conteft, with her now loft colonies, to afford them, they began to hope for better times; at leaft, they flattered themselves the had gained fo much

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much wifdom, as to be doubtful of the truth of the accounts fhe received of what passed in her distant poffeffions. If those accounts heretofore given by the Governors and perfons in the highest station in the North American provinces turned out to be erroneous, and to fpring from paffion or prejudice, are fuch men to be attended to, as have pretended to exclaim against the inhumanity with which the Weft Indians treat their negroes! MEN, who either were charged with, or confefs the acts of cruelty they accuse others of being guilty of, and who were actually despised and reprobated by their neighbours for their conduct-Yet upon fuch evidence alone, are the planters arraigned before the tribunal of the public, and fcarce allowed to plead nor guilty.

The Legiflature of Great Britain, in the hour of her humiliation and penitence, paffed a folemn act to affure her remaining colonists, that no taxes fhould ever be again impofed upon them, without their own confent! Could the poor planters then believe they would, fo foon after, be fubjected to laws ftill more oppreffive than any by which taxes could be impofed ; yet fuch will be their fate, if by any laws now to be paffed, their flaves should be emancipated, or the flave trade be abolished: for the fevereft laws by which taxes are raised, can affect only a part of the subject's property; but the prefent attempt, fhould it fucceed, would deftroy the whole. By endeavouring to raise money on, and coerce the North American colonies, by laws enacted without their participation or confent, Great Britain loft them. Yet the very people who were the loudeft to clamour against governing people, and taking away or affecting their property, by laws

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which they did not give, or refufed their affent to, we are told, are the warmeft advocates of the prefent plan fhould it be executed, it will not be difficult to prophecy what will be the confequence-Great-Britain will lofe her iflands, as she has loft the continent; not perhaps in the fame manner-the inhabitants of the islands are too feeble and difunited to refift.

If the flaves at prefent in the islands, are set free, their ruin will be immediate.-If the flave trade is abolished, their produce will in a few years be annihilated. The planter knows too well the impoffibility of inducing white men to attempt supporting the labours of the field, in this part of the world, to confent to the experiment being tried at his expence. If the petitioners or the public, are willing to run the rifque, the planters will not, I dare fay, make any objections to it, but cede their property to be conducted according to any new mode which fhall be adopted, on being paid a reasonable price for their property. Should such proposal be approved of, it may not be improper to state what will, probably, be the amount of the planters claims on the public.

It is generally believed that the number of negroes, and other flaves, in the feveral British sugar islands, are about 450,000,

which, at 5ol. fter. per head, amounts to 22,500,000 The land they cultivate, with the buildings thereon, is moderately estimated at double the value of the flaves,

The land in wood, which in fome of the iflands government has fold for confiderable fums of money, and which is parti

cularly

45,000,000

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