The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-12-31 00:00:00

__ ~_

Ili
/1'&114D/E8., • ",,
(trim the Postscript to '!he St. Aso J• La reviCkai.Mo ,
.
! - • HOUSE OP eese.:4 is' Y, OM N.
•--Tie House. according to order, resolved heel
intreer Corr.mittee of the weole House, to inquire
• into and take into consideration the state of Ito
Island. • "Ts •
Mr. See AKCIt left the Chair. .s,:i.
Mr. Mu k PH v took the Chair of the Cerhmitteoq
Mr. Serer:ea resumed the Char.. • * *ha.
Mr. Muaeriv, from the 'Committee, reporahis
that, pursuant' to the order of the Howie,' throe:vim
mittee had proceeded to take into caisid.ratiem the
rremsining part of the Report on the elicits. or: the
Aft foe abolishing the Slave Trade. and ietd ovum
to eight Resoleiions on the rut jea of the maid
Report, which le read in his piece and delivered
at the ta,,!e, where being again severally --ad.
were agreed unto by the House, rues. con endemics"
es follow:
Resolved—That the AR of the Imperial Pasha.
mint for abolishing the slave trade is pregnant with
evils to this island, militating not only a.ennst its
• general welfare and interests but threatening it: total
desernaioa as at British West India Colony.
That depriving this extensive end yet unsettled
•island of the means of a supply of labourers front
Attica, to-cu:heate the soil, goon be colonially
ruieons to the proprietor: andnihers interesten it. a:.
• 171111141/dUttefif)Os stni en-erprisihg settlers, who nave
heaved the difficulties and hardsnips always at :end-
ant on infant establishments in the :arenas- anti
mountainous situations, aid, with their families. he
reduced io poverty and wretchedness; and. when
these settlements are abandoned ley thew present in-
habitants, they will again become the haunts and
fastoe see of disaffeCted and rebellious 'testae:. .
That properties in possession of mortgagees, re-
ceivets, guardians, and others, must shortly Wall a
sacrifice to this Parliamentary regulatiome because.
from their peculiar circumstaocet, they cannot be
supplied with labourers, the result of which will be,
to deprive a nurnerons description of persins, from
the' earliest state of infancy, to the moat advanced
and helpless ages, of the common means of educe.
tinn and support.
The Committee forbear, at present, to animadvert
farther on the injustice add impolicy of that part of
•the Alt which relates to the Abolition of the Slaee
Trade.-.fete British Parliament have so enatled is!
But the AR contains clauses foreign to tie avowed
purposes of the law, which are calculated to establish
measures of internal regulation, subversive of the
local rights and legislative authority of this island.
: . . . repugnant to its colonial laws, long et.
isting, and founded upon wise policy, and most hu-
mane considerations. And that the Aa4llll this
Island of the 15 Geo. Ht. cap, 18, for reghlatiag
the rhantinsiwion of negtoes, is shred), counic-aced
by the operation of the clauses alluded to. •
that the Aft blends two distinat objeas, the °tie
• having ern external operation mem one cosnromew
• sad trade. • which was the cs!sjeft first professed ate
the partisans of the measure ; the °than from the
various alterations which the Ad has twiergese,
and in which them iteinal priseiples were' departed
horn, having as, Leeward aikt-iffligile eperinton; try
interfering with, and teing nil-aversive of, laws
which are to regulate the inter.al geveinment Et
the colony; thornaaior of which has tong and tt.-
. fortialy been Insetted b' title island, and teeter:Med
by the* patent state.
. . .
. That, as the oeginal settlers of this island were
• frosscaal :shies:ls, many of whom assisted in the
conquest of iefrom Spain, it is manifest :hat they
bronght with th-m all the rights and privileges of
Britons; that the native spirit of freedom, which
..
dietinguishes British subjean is also tbecbarafterietic
of His Majesty's lsival subjects of Jam** and
Mat every attempt to abridge, or interfere 1, the
colonial right, of this island, ha,* bees wonstantly
tosisted. The arbitrary measures in tlilihreign of
Charles 11. to impose the Irish form of legidation
upon this country ; the many subsequent enders-
• Alf% to substitute the King's instruaiuns for leglt et
the island; to raise money without tt.e concurrence
of the people's Representatives ; have ever been re-
sisted, and, we trust, will never be sebrititted to by
Leis colony.
That persons in this island, charged with offences
againSt the abolition aft, are not, as 11 Great Bei.
tale, liable to be tried only in Courts of Record,
bet th ne offences are made also cognizable in the
Courts of Vice-Admiralty, iltboegli committed in
the interior o, the country, which ensainent is' an
absolute disfra,n:hiscnient of V e colonist, by de-
priving him of his birth-right, the trial by jury.
Tha, in regard to the resources of the island, it
appears, that, hour the last great efforts which have
been made by the African merchants and faetors in
England, the importation of S4IIVIII in the current
year has been so considerable, as t 'liaise produced.
on account of the Negro docks, a surples of near
31,0001. after deduffirig the estimate for the year,
and that it is probable, that the duties which will
arise from the negrors recen'ly imported, an] those
which are expefted to arrive before the day limited
fee the termination of the trade, will amount to a
further sum o! 20,0001, maki le about 50,0001. ep-
• propriable to the expense of the establishment of the
island, or towards redeeming the island papers.
which are outstanding, and which amount ti
`130,0001. a considerable part bearing interest at
eight per cent.; but, immediately after the first day
of March next. that resource will entirely be cu:
off. That another pi oduaive branch of the is!and
revs nue, the land tax, introduced to meet the heavy
debt occasioned ky the Maroon war, an] other mar-
tial laws, cannot be •relied upon to come in aid of
our exigencies to thonsu it extent, since the uncul-
tivated lands are now rendered of no value to the
proprietois ; the stamp duties will also, nedessarill.
be diminished; and the operation of the deficiedry
law will be unavailing, wilts respell to Or chiral
either of policy or tevennes mace the temptation
which induced settlers to come to, or to continue fn,
the island, will no longer exigf, the natural comm.
quences of which will be, that the white militia
mint inevitably be conshterably 'diminished.
That, is pureeing the inquiry into the causes
which have °cc:timed the rednaion of the
value of the staple commodities of this island
in the Rtitish markets, the Committee fled, that
much light has been thrown on the surijra by
, secant mike whin. -dd., ... •

:1