The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-08-29 00:00:00, page 1

Copy of the petition of the Weft-India Planters
and Merchants to the King, on the subject of the
general feizurc of private property, found in the
Dutch illands of St. Euftatius and St. Martin's.
To the KING's most Excellent Majesty.
The PETITION of the Welt-India Planters
and Merchants,
Most humbly fheweth,
rTI HAT your petitioners have very consider
able property, and debts due to them, in
the several islands in the Weft-Indies, fub
jed to the Crown of Great-Britain, as also
in the illands of Grenada, the Grenadines, Domi
nica, and Saint Vincent, which have, in the course
of the present hoflilities, fallen under the dominion
of France.
That they have always conceived it to be a maxim
among civilized nations, established in humanity
and found policy, " that war would be carried on,
" with the least possible injury to private property,
“ found in any countries or towns, which may be in
-66 varied or conquered :" the happy effects of which
wife principle your petitioners have hitherto experi
enced, in the security of their estates and effects
from rapine and plunder, which have been recipro
cally diicountenanced by the Governors in the Weft-
Indies, as ruinous to individuals, and productive of
no decisive advantage to any of the sovereign Fates
concerned.
Your petitioners are therefore seriously alarmed
at the general seizure, made by the commanders of
your Majesty's sea and land forces, of goods, mer
chandise, and specie, found in the Dutch inlands of
Saint Euftatius and Saint Martin, on their surrender
ing, without resistance, and at discretion to the laid
commanders, humbly conceiving, that the inhabi
tants of places, which submit to the will, and sur
render themselves to the discretion of an invading
enemy, immediately upon such submission, become
the fubjeds of that sovereign, or date, to whom the
victorious army belongs; and, consequently, by
their allegiance, are entitled to fecuii^y in their per
lons and property; it being as repugnant to policy
and humanity, to permit one class of subjects to
plunder another, the trader having an equal claim
with the soldier to the protection of government.
Your petitioners humbly beg leave to represent to
your Majesty, that those Dutch illands did belong
to a sovereign state, by whole authority and per
miffi in they were made, and have ever been FREE
PORTS; and that they have been recognized as
such, by Great-Britain, and all the other maritime
powers of Europe, who have possessions in the Weft-
Indies.
That Great-Britain, in particular, has never inter
dicted or prohibited, to her subjects, the trade to
those Dutch illands, but has, on the contrary, per
mitted the exportation of great quantities of various
articles of goods of the growth, produce, and ma
nufacture of this country, which have been regular
ly and openly entered out, at the several ports in
this kingdom, for the said Dutch islands.
That an act was palled last session of Parliament,
for removing any legal debts arising out of the' navi
gation a&, refpe&ing the importations of tobacco of
the growth of the colonies in North-America, which
having escaped Britilh capture, had been imported,
from the colonies in rebellion, into those Dutch illands,
declaring and enacting, " that such tobacco might be
66 legally imported from those, or any other, neutral
" illands, into Great-Britain ;" by which aft, the
trade to the said illands of St. Euftatjus and St. Mar
tin, which had always been in many relpeCts legal,
became an object of publick encouragement, by be
ing extended beyond what the ftriCt conftru&ion of
law seemed formerly to authorize.
That since the passing of the said aft, and even be
fore during the prelent rebellion, a great part of the
tobacco, absolutely necessary for the consumption
and revenue of Great-Britain, has been imported
through that channel to the manifeft benefit of the
navigation of this kingdom ; for, if the market had
not been supplied by those means, there would have
been an indispensable necessity for admitting tobacco
from Holland, after having been carried thither from
those islands in Dutch vessels ; and Great-Britain
would, consequently, have been deprived of the pro
fit arising from the long navigation of that bulky
commodity.
That, since the commencement of the American
rebellion, the said islands of St. Euftatius and St.
Martin have been frequently of the most edentud ley
vice to the British leeward islands, particularly in
the years 1777 and 1778, when the islands of Anti
gua and St. Christopher would have fuffered all the
raiferies of actual famine, had not they drawn from
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. IV.]
WEDNESDAY, August 29, 1781.
St. Euftatius those supplies which they formerly re
ceived from North-America.
That since the capture of Grenada, the Grena
dines, Dominica and St. Vincent, thole islands have
been principally supplied with the several necessaries
for their consumption, and for the cultivation of
their plantations, through the medium of St. Eufta
tius, and that many Britilh fubjedts, having proper
ty in those captured islands, have been obliged to
establish houses of trade in the said island of St.
Euftatius, for the express purpose of supplying those
islands, and have ordered various articles to be flap
ped for St. Euftatius from Great-Britain, as well as
from Holland.
That the great want of plantation ftofes, and other
necessaries, in those captured islands, has aifo oblig
ed many of the planters to Ihip, from time to time,
a great part of the produce of their plantations to
St. Euftatius, for the purpose of purchasing such
plantation stores and necessaries.
That many of your Majesty's most faithful and
loyal subjects, on the faith of Great-Britain having
recognized the trade, have fettled as general traders
in those Dutch islands, and have considerable proper
ty in goods, merchandise and money in the said
islands ; and that others ofyour Majesty's most faith
ful and loyal subjects, as agents for the Dutch as well
as Britilh merchants in those islands, have shipped
considerable quantities ofgoods and merchandise on
account of the said merchants.
That those Dutch illands, particularly St. Eufta
tius, have therefore been, and ought to be, conlider
ed as free ports, open to all the world, where the
fubjefts of all hates in amity with Holland were equal
ly welcome, where the goods imported by the hand
of commerce were at open market, ready to be fold
to the belt bidder, without favour or affection, with
out any partial or political attachment or predilection
to any of the powers at war, without regard to any
other object than that of mercantile profit, which
is the spring and foul of all commerce whatever;
and that the value of the said illands to that sovereign
power to which they belonged, as well as to your
Majesty's fubje&s and other nations, confined in
their being universal open marts, and not in the in
considerable production of their foil.
Your petitioners humify beg leave to represent to
your Majesty, that as a very considerable part of the
property found in those Dutch islands mult necessa
rily belong to many of your Majesty's molt faithful
and loyal subjects, from the caules above Rated, so
there arc likewise others of your Majesty's fubje&s,
refining in Great-Britain and- the British leeward
illands, who are large creditors of the Dutch and
British merchants in those Dutch islands, not only
on account of goods and merchandise, openly and
avowedly shipped by them, as the agents of the said
merchants, but also in respect of dealings and en
gagements, antecedent to, and unconnected with,
the trade carried on by such thoir debtors in those
islands.,
With refped to the property found in the islands,
belonging to the subjects of the Rates of Holland, or
any others of your Majesty's enemies, your petition
ers, having already Rated what they humbly conceive
to be the humane and political practice of war, feel
themselves impelled, on the principle of gratitude, to
prefect to your royal view the conduct of the com
manders of the French King's forces, and of the
Court of France, in the case of the conquest of the
illands of Grenada and Grenadines.
When the island of Grenada, after having made a
zealous but unfucceßful defence against the enemy's
force, finrendcred at discretion, there was no plun
der allowed, except on the Hospital Hill, which was
taken by storm, and where the small effects that were
lodged, necetianly fell in furore belli, to the firlt
affulants who could lay their hands upon them.
The goods and merchandise in the town of St.
George, in that island, to a very large amount, not
merely intended for the me and consumption of the
island, but for the general mat ket of the Weft-Indies,
remained untouched, and every species of property
whatever was left inviolate, even the goods upon
the keys and beach in various parts of the ifind.
There were indeed certain ordinances issued by
the French Governor, on taking poffeßion of the said
island, by which the produce of all plantations be
longing to absentees was to be sequestered until a
peace and the payment of all debts due to your
Majesty's fubjeas, redding in any part of your Majes
ty's dominions, was prohibited under pain of mili
tary execution. But on the application of the parties
interested to the Court of Fiance, those ordinances
were immediately revoked by his Most Christian
Majesty, and all persons whatever, whether present
THE
or absent, were secured in the full poffcßion of their
citates and effects: His Most Christian Majesty hav
ing been pleased at the fame time to express his dis
approbation of those ordinances,," as tending to
'' injure civil contracts, which are founded on the
" law of nature, and which form the most sacred
'" bond of focicly, being the principal source of that
''reciprocal communication and intercourse subsist
" ing between the lubjTts of all nations; to which
" contrasts, and to private property in general, the
" practice of war, among civilized nations, has ever
" had the most tender regard."
Your petitioners likewiie with pleasure reflect, that
your Majesty in the very beginning of your reign,
gave a striking example of clemency upon the cap
ture of Dominica, the inhabitants of which island
were fettled there againf texprefs tfea ies, unac
knowledged by any sovereign prdfefTmg neutrality,
yet exerciling humilities against your Majesty's fub
jeds; and, when summoned to submit to your
Majesty's arm-, not only refuted to surrender, but
provoking an aflault, were reduced sword in hand.
Yet by your Majesty's wisdom and gtherofity, the
inhabitants or that island were preserved in the pof
feffioG of all their property.
Your petitioners do not conceive, those defence
lefs Dutch illands were lurprifed, and taken pofl'ef
fion of, by your Majesty's arms, for the fake of IN
GLORIOUS spoil, but merely with a view to great
political objects, in conducting the present hoflilities
against the combined enemies of Britain by depriv
ing them, in future, of the convenience and advan
tage of thole marts. They have ever considered
Great-Britain as priding herfelf in acts of generosity
and humanity, not lets than in brilliant atchicv
rnents of valour in war : And they are confident, that
your Majesty will not permit the British name to
be Rained by a departure from that line cf conduct,
which hath hitherto so peculiarly characterized this
nation tor her lacred regard to the rightsfof mankind.
They beg leave to repeat to your Majesty, that the
coufifcation of private property in those Dutch island.-,
would grievously affect many of your Majesty's most
faithful and loyal subjects, who have traded there
under the fandtion of our laws, or who are creditors
of merchants' in the said islands; and, at the fame
time, to Rate to your Majesty, their apprehensions
that inch a measure, so far as it would injure tiie
property of the subjects of the enemy, muff ueceffa
rily tend to recreate the calamities of war, by excit
ing desperate refinance, by exasperating our foes a
gamift the trading inhabitants of those islands which
may hereafter be obliged to submit to their arms, and
by eftabiifhing a predatory system, deßiucTie and
ruinous in its coufuqueuces to indixiduals, and of no
solid benefit to the icveral dates concerned.
Your petitioners do therefore most humbly, but
fervently, pray that your Majefly will be 'graci
oully pleased to take the prumßs into your kri
ous consideration, and remove the apprehensi
ons of your petitioners, b, adopting such mca
fures, on the present oceafion, as to your Majes
ty in your great wisdom, justice and clemency
fnall seem meet.
Signed by order, and in the name, and on the be
half, of the Welt-India planters and merchants.
Wm. CHRICH TON, Chairman
of the general meeting on this ipccial bulinefs.
London, Apri 6, 1781.
L ON D O N, May 14.
By a letter from an officer on board the Union
man of war, we receive the melancholy intelligence,
that while the British force was before Gibraltar, the
Spanish army "were so very fiicccfsful in throwing
shells into the town, that almoll the whole place was
levelled with the ground. The Rote houses of pro
vitiors were tet lire to, and totally deftreyed. A
number of the inhabitants loft their lives in this
dreadful Conflagration, and so complete was the ha
vock and demolition, that the remaining inhabitants
were forced out to encamp on the rock and in the
field. He writes that it is perfectly impossible to
give any just dtlcription of the general horror and
confufibu, 1101 'to cßimate the lots that is fußaihed.
Had it riot been for the fuccours thrown in by the
fleet, and which, by being deposited in the garrison,
escaped the ruin, the whole town and army must
have perilled for want.
A letter from Amßerdam by the Flanders mail has
the following articles: " It seems determined by the
States to fit out the iargelt fleet of men of war they
ever had before. They have dispatched agents to all
parts to get ihipwrights, and no expence is fparld
to procure the best hands. Some few English are
come, who meet with great encouragement. An
[Numb. 192.]