The Sun.
London, England, 1802-08-27 00:00:00

MESSAGE

IRON HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR, SENT
OVER TO THE. /LOUSE Of ASSEMBLY ON TUE 17414. DAY
07 JUNE _LAST.
(Publiskedby Aatharioi.)
SPEAK4R,

I am commanded by His Honour the tieuteriant-Covarnor
to lay before the House of Assembly of 'Jamaica, E xtraCts of
two Letters, and a third Letter, from he Right Hon. Lord
Hobart, which, under the present circumstance of the Mo-
ther Country and the Colony, so intimately concern their
mutual interests, that his Honour earnestly hopes'the House
will: take them iztto their most mature consideration.

•
The necessity which his Honour feels, of making a most
explicit communication of his sentiments to the Assembly or
the subjea of their present meeting, has strongly induc
ct
him to submit for their consideration his reasons for urgi , g
the adoption of the important measure proposed by His Ma-
jesty's Minister upon this occasion, viz.
_ .
The immense debt which the Mother country has incurred
in the prosecution of the War, and for thessecurity of the
British Possessions, and the absolute necessity of her resorting
to some extraordinary means for enabling her to support the
increased Naval and Military Establishments, so imperiously
required in all parts of the Empire, but, more particularly id
her West India Colonies, from the melancholy and ararming
state of some of the neighbouring Islands i • the mutual liar.
rnony and thorough confidence between the British Govern.
merit and the Island of Jamaica, which would naturally fol.
low so liberal and just a proceeding on the Ina of the As.
sembly :
The minds of the Proprietors and Inhabitants of the
Island, being set at rest upon the question of the employ.
went of Black Troops. as a part ofheir defence, by the tin.
mediate removal of the zd Wept
India Regiment, and the
consent of His Majesty to the wishes of the Assembly, that
in future no Corps of thatdescription should be sent hither,
without the 'concurrent of the House :
The Colonies being relieved from the expence of main-
taining the zoth Regiment of Dragoons as a permanent part
of it T establishment, which may be more than equal to the
pay of moo infantry :
The Assembly having. pledged itself to pay zOOO White
Troops at -a much less critical period than the present, which
for very obvious reasons, requires full 5000 Regular Infantry,
together with the whole Militia of the Island placed upon
an improved footing, to render her secure against invasion and
insurreelion

The spirit of the, present proposals, that the Island is only
required to maintain the effeCtive numbers upon the returns
of the several corps upon this establishment, not exceeding
sOOO men, and that those numbers will probably be reduced
at a future period, by thp restoration of good order and sub-
ordinat►on in the French Islands :

The opening and the rapid improvement of the interior
country, ny constructing Barracks therein, and the conse-
quent increased means of maintaining the expellee of sOOO In-
fantry, or such a part of that number as it may be requisite
hereafter _to station in famaica the great prospect of a
Much more reaii!: and extensive sale for tne produce of the
Colony, from new tn'arketS being opened to its Commerce by.
the blessings of Peace—the advantages attending the placing
of the Barrack Department under the direCtion and con-
trout of the Commander in Chief, and the formation of a
Corps of Black Artificers, with White Master Artificers and
'Foremen at their be 4, under the immediate direction of the
Island Engineer, which would dithinish. in a great degree
the ex-pence of that branch of the public service, and do
.sway altogether the present difficulties. attending contrads
for the necessary' works, so improvident and inetfedual a
system for the objects in view :

These reasons have impressed themselves so forcibly, and
with such thorough conviaion, upon his Honour's mind,
that he relics with confidence upon their having their due
weight with the Members of the assembly, and he has ac-
cordingly given diredionS for the embarkation of the 24th
hegirnent of Dragoons, and the zd West India Regiment.
His Honour hoPes'and trusts that it is tuingcessary for him
to make many professions, but, he most solemnly assures
the House, that, as long as he may have the 'honour to re-
main in his present situatiOh,:he will tteV6te his utmost
attention and abilities to the pro,sperity-..affcl' security 'of the
Island of Jamaica, by studying the greatest economy in
the expenditure for the barrack Department, if entrusted to
his management, and by introducing such an improved sys-
tem of-discipline, and such regulations into the Militia Ser-
vi:;e, as must tend to render that body much more efficient
for the defence of the island, without drawing them untie.
cessarily from ;heir other useful occupations.

HOUSE Ot ASSEMBLY, AY,'JtINp 2V, IFerl.

es.oeven, That it be recerninended to' the House to send
a Message to his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, hi answer
to his Message of the ietk inst. accomeanied by cumin,' rii-
cations from His Majesty's Secretary of Sean: for thew Co
lorries, and containing his Honour's sentiments respect rig th
eneesnies'proposed in-that Minister's letters, to intieen hi
Honour, that the House, after minutely investigating every
antecedent circumstance connected with the subject, ' has
given themost maturteconsicieration :
That the House think it their duty, in the most tespeaftil
manner to represent to his-Honour, that His Majesty's Stb-
jects in this Island in the full confidence of their having .an
-
equal right to protection, for defence and, security, as .His
Majesty's resident in Great Britain, having at all
tinieS progiAVlvely cal:Xi-Muted their full proportion for de-
fraying elect expellees ofe the Empire at large, have uni-
formly resisted applicatione made by His Majesty's Ministers,
tending toterthen this Country. with the British pay of sech
• Troops as have- been sent here for its protection ;.and al-
though from existing- circumstances the Assembly did, on
some occasions, depart front a principle which they consider
to be an inherent. right, the House did, on such occasions,
strongly remonstrate against the conditions insisted on by fi is
Majesty's Ministers when they conceded to the wishes of the
Country, as being equally unconstitutional as unjust :
• That, from the first establishment of a Nlilitary(Forcte in
this Island, the Representatives of the People did, with a
liberality becoming loyal and faithful Subjects, provide an
additional Island Subsistence for the Troops, with conve-
nient Barracks, hospital allowances, with various accomtno-
dations and comforts ; and so early as the year 1773, the
Council and AsSemblY, in a ,joint Address to His Majesty,
did solemnly pledge the faith of the Country to continue such
subsistence, and other incidents mentioned, to any number of
troops His Majesty might be graciously pleased to send for
their protedion, to the extent of 3000 men. This salutary
provision has been faithfully continued at the sole charge of
the Island, and some additions have recently been-made for
• the eqmfort of the Troops, a provision which:-the House
takes leave to observe, is made by this Island alone of all his
Majesty's territories in the West Indies :
-That when Hii Majesty was solicited to add a Regiment
of Cavalry 40 the force then Stationed in the Island, and the
ecitti Regiment of Light Dragoons was raised and sent out, it
was not at that. time nor at any subsequent period, considered
as a Permanent Establishmentl and. that -it Was not so, will
clearly appear by a reference to the Votes and Proceedings
of the House respecting thatepeasure; ;hit the application
made to His Majesty err that reseed %was an experiment re-
sorted to, when the situation of the neighbouring French
Colony of St. Domingo caused Vie greatest alarm and terror
tor the safety of this Country ; aid although the conditions
on which this Force was sent, were acceded to by the House,
the strangest representations were made against them, as being
novel and unconstitutional, and tee consent given to submit
to such terms could only proceed from imperious necessity
That when the Asserribly agreed to give British pay to eoeo
men, the measure was heid out as a substitute to avert the
evils and imminent danger at that time apprehended.by The
Inhabitants at large, from lia.Ving Black Troops raised or sent
here, or, in. other language, Armed Slaves, to 'defend and pro-
teat the Rights, the Libel ties., and Properties, not-only of tree
Men, but of British Sobjezts—a measure not only .considered,
to proceed. Irons ignorance of our local eiretirrisiances; of Our.
Laws and of our ConiLituti.:m, butbut"vietiveil with that abhor=
rence and indignation which it could not fail to excite. Re-
cent occurrences in some of His Majesty's Windward Islands,
and certain instances wide') have actually occurred of desertiOn
of some of the Black Troops quartered in this Country,
fully. justify the .apprehensions•of the People from having
a force of this description stationed in, their Garrisons, the
more especially, when the' dangeroieseCoesequences which
roust follow upon desertion-of the Bleck Troops, are adverted
to. This measure was adopted by His Majesty's Ministers,
regardless of repeated and urgent representations made-by the
Assembly against it, which appear on the journals of the
House; that Whenever such, or any other Military-Establish-
ment is fount to be inexpedient or dangerous, it is conceived
that the Su ),,:6-t has an undoubted right to relief'; ai.d the
House is well assured that His Majesty's paternal goodeess
will always induce hint to gratify the wishes of his faithful
Subjects in that resped.
That in the substitute offered by the Assembly, to pay and
subsist 2000 iiite Troops at the sole expence of the Country,
it was expressly stipulated that no Black Military Establish-
ment should be raised in or sent to this Island. An additional
inducement for consenting to burthen the people with so
heavy, an expence, and to depart from what they consider to
be their inherent right, was the full confidence that most im-
portetit benefits would be obtained from our White Population
being augmented by the future colonization of these men, and
their families in the Island , a plan, and the means fot ef-
feeling which, formed a part of the proposition. —T hat, not-
withstanding the Royal Approbation expressed of the liberal
condud of the Assembly, and that the -general sentiments of
•His Majesty's Servants appeared to be most favourable to
the measure, His Majesty's late War Minister, in a Letter to
our Agent., and -the-Duke of Portland in a Dispatch to the
late Cqrninander in Chief, declared, in the strongest terms,
their intention of resuming the establishntent of the Black.
Troops; 'and did actually send the ad-West- lndie Regiment
to this Island, in direct violation of the condition agreed to
by themselves in' respect to that measure; and the contra&
entered into by the Assembly for the British pay and sub-
sistence of 2.000 men, was thereby made void to all intents
and purposes:
That from the various considerations already stated, the
House consirter it to be their duty_ not to comply with the
requisition in Lord Hobart's DispetChes, of paying end sub-
sisting 5000 Ttoops at the sole expence of this Colony e and,
their resistance is founded on constitutional right- and justice ;
but if their could be induced to depart from their duty-by an
inclination to comply with the Minister's- requisition, the cir-
cumstances in which this Country is at. this time involved,
from the gfeat depression in the prices of its various Staples
and artieleeprof Commerce—the exorbitant rise in all articles
of Britio.and Irish Merchandize and Provisions imported—
the advanced price of every-article necessary for cultivation
and subSiStence—the injurious regulations and testrietions'on
its produce in the British Markets—the ruinous and oppres-
sive duties existing, and likely to be increased, on its Imports
-froin and Exports to Great Britain-ethe difficulties at-
tending its. Commercial Intercourse with the American
States, from whence many most essential articles necessary
for carrying on the cultivation of our Properties, and for the
subsistence of the Inhabitants of all descriptions, can alone be
obtained, arising from the, prohibition to export any article of
our staple productions except rum and molasses in American
bottoms—WV( the pressure Oa very heavy ,existing debt, for
which a high rate of interest is paid—eender it altogether to-
tally iinpossible for the People to pay such an enormous
amount of additional taxes, as would be necessarily required
to support such an expensive Establishment :
That the House places the fullest confidence in the, assur-
ances given by his Honour, that lie will devote his utmost
attention and abilities to the' prosperity and security of the
Island; by studying the greatest economy ier the public. ex-
penditure, and by introducing such an improved system of
discipline, and suolt regulations into the Militia Service, as
must render that body muchanore efficient for the defence of
the Island, without 'drawing them- unnecessarily from their
ether useful occupations :
That they rest assured the sum voted for the Interior Bar-
rack 'Department, will be laid out with all possible econo.
my, and with that judgment which his Honour's experience
cannot fail to manifest
That whenever his Honour shall be pleased, upon any
future occasion, to lay before the House any specitie Propo-
sitions, either respetting the Barrack Department, or the
formation of a-Corps of Artificers, the same shall be taken
into most serious consideration:.
And a motion being made to amend the said Report, by ad-
ding after the words " expensive establishment," the follow-
ing clause:
" That noteiithstanding the distress which has ensued from
the various causes now. stated, anti the difficulty of support-
ing any additional burthens, the House being impressed with
a sense of the expediency of augmenting the Military Estab-
lishment to the extent recommended by his Honour, will, to
evince their zeal, loyalty and patriotism, in the support of the
British Empire, consent to make the usual provision of sub-,
sistence and accommodation for the intended augmented force
of 2005 effedive men from year to year, so long as circum-
stances may render such-a number, or any part thereof, ne-
cessary for protedion and defence, in addition to the 3eno for
which the:lsland is alreedy pledged to provide." •
And the question being put upon the said Amendment, the
House divided : •

The ayes went forth,
Ayes 6—Mr. Murphy, Mr, Ceant, Mr. Minot, Mr. Ross,
Mr. Shand, Mr. L. Cuthbert.
Noes 24—Mr. Tharp, Mr, M. Smith, Mr. Stewart (St.
Eliz.) Mr. Herring, Mr. Teller, Mr. C. Mitchell, Mr.
Ogilvie, Mr. Christte„ Mr. Edwardes, Mr. Kerr, Mr. M•Ken-

. .
,ie, Mr. tr.aell, Mr. W. IVlitcbell, Mr. Redwood, Mr,
Taylor, Mr. P. Smith, Mr. Farmer, M Shaw Kng n
Mr. KayLtt, -Mr. Shure, Mr. Scliaw ( Jr c),. M . Mo Lt i
At. G. Cuthbert, and Mr. jaqueb.
So it pa,,ed in the negative.. - ,
.
•Resolv.
,uf that the liuthie do-a.;!ce to -.1.: Report.
..-
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