The Sun.
London, England, 1802-05-28 00:00:00

CULTIVATION OF TRINIDAD.

Mr. CANNING rose in consequence of a no-
tice he had given on a former day. He said, that
certain circumstances and certain feelings had pre.
vented him from taking a part in the late important
discussions relative to the Peace ; but whatever his
private opinions might be on that subject, now that
the Peace was sanctioned by Parliament, there could
exist but one aim among the Members and the
Country at large, to make the best of the situation
in which it had placed us, and to improve to the
utmost advantage, what it had left us of the splen-
did acquisitions of the War. It was with this
view he at- present turned the attention of the
House to one of the most important of these acqui-
sitions. He would not deny or disguise that he
was first attracted to the subject he now meant to
submit to the House, by a subjeCt which .had for-
merly produced much discussion in the House, and
on which he himself had the strongest feelings—he
.alluded to the Slave Trade. Every Member of
the House, and he among the rest, at the time this
question was agitated, saw the necessity of putting
a stop to the increase of that Trade by every possi-
ble means ; and it was the opinion of, this House
which was his first inducemement to bring forward
the present subject. Yet, though this was one
motive with him, it was not the only one ; he was
convinced in every view of Colonial or National
policy, that every increase of the Slave Trade
• ought to be obstruded. If, therefore, any Gentle-
man supposed he intended to revert to the former
discussions on this subject, he was mistaken. If
any one imagined he wished Trinidad to remain
unimproved, he was mistaken ; he wished it to
be improved more effectually, and with greater
national advantage than could be done by the an-.
tient system. If any one imagined that he wished
to reverse or counteract any measures adopted by
Government, he was most completely mistaken.
Had . this question come into discussion under an
Administration to which his confidence was com-
pletely given, and all his affections attached, he
should have considered himself as bound in duty
to bring forward the measure he meant to propose
at preseot, whatever might have been the opinion
of that Administration. Some might alledge that
this was not a business which called for the inter-
ference of Parliament. To this he would reply,
that a plan for the cultivation of Trinidad had been
circulated. soon after it was ceded to us by the
Preliminaries. He did not suppose that Govern-
ment had any knowledge of this plan, but certainly
it had excited various speculations. A Motion
made in the House soon after, relative to the sale
of the Crown Lands, joined to the speculations con-
ceived on the circulation of the abovernentioned
plan, excited his attention, and induced him to en-
quire it' it was intended, before putting it- into exe—
cution, so submit to the House any plan that might
be formed for the Cultivation of Trinidad. He
was answered, that there appeared to be no reason
for doing so. But, on the Definitive Treaty of
Peace being submitted to the House, it had been,
called upon to consider the present state of the
Island of Trinidad, and to appreciate its value ; and
its capability of improvement had been particularly
insisteal upon. This circumstance again struck
him forcibly, as there stood on the Records of
the House an Address to His Majesty, humbly
praying him to take all, ,possible steps to di-
minish the Slave Trade, which the unlimited cul-
tivation of this Island had a tendency greatly
to increase. If then it was right in the House
to present that Address to His Majesty, by his on.
saver to which His Majesty now stood pledged, he
thought the House hound to present the Address
which h 4 meant at present to propose, and His Ma-
jesty to receive, as he did, the former one. He
wished the House to understand the precise object
of his intended Motion, that no-extraneous matter
might be introduced into the discussion. His ob-
jeCt was delay ; delay, till the subject had been
thoroughly investigated by Parliathent,' and till in- ,
quiries had been made, whether the Importation of
Negroes was requisite to the cultivation of Trini-
dad. If this delay was not granted, and Contracts
were at present entered into, one of two difficulties
must he incurred ;—either these Contracts must be
pleaded in bar of all future discussion on the subject,
or the interest of individuals must he infringed up-
on. Government was therefore bound to defer mak-
ing grants, or exciting hopes, till Parliament had
deliberately and completely decided what was
proper to be done. The object of his intended
Motion, thus defined, naturally divided itself into
two heads :—First, how far the House was pledged
not to augment the Slave Trade, and how far the
Importation of Negroes to cultivate Trinidad would
tend to augment that Trade :—•and, secondly, bow
far this affected our Colonial and National Policy.
With regard to the first of these considerations,
how far the House stood pledged riot to,promote
the increase of the Slave Trade, he would re-
fer to the Addresses presented by- the House to
His Majesty for its gradual Abolition.—[These
Addresses were then read.]— Before he proceed-
ed to comment on these Addresses, he said,
that as several of the Members present had not
heard the former discussions which led to these
Addresses, it would be necessary for him shortly
to review them. The motion for the Address in
1792 was hailed as the first practical method ever
proposed, of reducing the Slave Trade without
hurting the Colonies. It was moved by a Right
Hon. Friend of his, who was known to be as much

',attached to our Colonial Interest ns any man ; and
many. who had never been able to make up tln!ir
mind before, saw in this middle way an opportunity
of promoting the cause of Humanity, without
juring the interests
.of individuals. The Address
of' 1797 was, like the other, not the offspring of
enthusiasm. It was brought forward by a Member
of the Colonial Trade, and sanClioned almost by
the universal approbation of the Colonists. That
Member of their body, most likely to insure its
success by the re: pct due to his personal charaCer,
was chosen to bring it forward ; and it was gra-
ciously received by the Throne. This Address
contained a plan fur the gradual abolition and ulti-
mate ex tinCtion of tly: Slave Trade ; and though
he did not at the time look upon the means it pre..
sented as satisfaCtory, yet he could not but think
. them every sva excellent, when compared with
the present measures. He now eagerly desired to
have that compromise back again, if we are to
pursue the plan of unlimited cultivation. The
House were bound in honour to bring it back.
He appealed equally to those moderate men who 1.
had carried the Address of 1792,, and the West '
India Gentlemen who had brought forward the
Address of 1797 ; he appealed to their honour and
their feelings to support an Address, which only
went to carry their former Addresses into execution.
But it might be said, that although these Addresses
were then thought proper, circumstances had now
changed. He would, therefore, call upon the
House to consider the present question, under these
altered circumstances, and without any retrosped to
former discussion. He conceived that his intended
Address could he opposed only by two descriptions
of persons : First, by such as thought the Slave Trade
amiable on its own account. With such men he could
not pretend to reason, as there was no point of coinci-
dence from which their difference could set out, there
being no feeling in common between them. But
it might be opposed by men of a very different de-
scription, by such as thought the Slave Trade ought
to have been abolished at once, without any intertne-
dime steps, or any remedy shoreof its total extinCtion.
But it was a very false idea that all remedy ought
to be rejeeted, rather than partial evil be allowed
to remain. It was a dangerous method, and often
failed of success, to accumulate evils in onset to
hasten- the remedy. It was to be considered, Nviie,
ther the remedy, when brought about by these
means, would -bear a greater proportion to the accu-
mulated evil; than the gradual diminution would
by that time have' done. It was now 'to be con-
sidered, how -far the Importation of Negroes into
Trinidad would tend to increase the Slave Trade:
—By the Papers on the Table :it would -appear,
that there remained to be given away in grants, '
2720 divisions, consisting of 320 acres each, of
land capable of cultivation in the Island of Tri.
nidad. The part adapted to raising sugar amount-
cd to about ‘24.0,0c0 acres ;_ and the number of
Negroes required in the sugar plantations being the
greatest, might most fairly be taken as an average
of the whole. 'While-that Island remained in the •
hands of Spain, there were in cultivation 400 allot-
ments, which, according to the most accurate in-
formation, amounted to 34.,000 acres in all. This
was reckoned a large computation, and yet it was
rather less than one-twenty fifth of what was now
to be granted. On these 34,000 acres, fo,ooo
Slaves had been employed. The simplest method
then of ascertaining what number Would be requisite
to • cultivate these grants would be, to multiply
to,ooo by 25. But even the large number pro-
duced by this calculation would fall short of the
reality, as would appear by the statements of the
number of Slaves requisite to reduce Jamaica to its
present state of cultivation. On this occasion he
would make use of the accurate statements of Bryan
LAwards, as they.were less, and consequently might
be thought less objeftionable than those of the
Privy Council. In Jamaica there were in the year
1785 one million of -acres in cultivation, of which
700,000 were in sugar, of which one half might
be deduCled for waste, pasture, &c. The number
of acres thus aatually under sugar in Jamaica were
350,000, on which 250,000 Negroes were em-
ployed. • By the same computation, the number„, of
Negroes to be employed-on the land
.to be granted
in Trinidad,
,Would'-amount to
.220;000. It was
also to be recolleCted, that a century and a half
had been spent in_ bringing Jamaica to its present
state of cultivation. Was it to be supposed, that
at the present day the cultivation of Trinidad would
bt carried on in as slow and progressive a manner ?
In the year 1673, the number of the Negroes em-
ployed in Jamaica amounted to 9000, nearly the
same number as is at present employed in Trinidad.
Between the year 1700 and 1787, there were im-
ported into Jamaica 610,000 Negroes ; and yet
this importation took place during a slow and pro-
gressive method of improvement, without any at,
tempt to push ftmvard the cultivation. But if
Trinidad were to be purchased at once by men who
were only intent upon turning their capital as quickly
as possible to account, we must add to the 610,000
the waste from clearing the grounds, and the waste
of unseasoned negroes which would justify us in
computing that more than a million of lives would
be swept away before Trinidad could be brought to
the same -state of cultivation which at present exists
in Jamaica. With such considerations then in
view, Gentlemen ought to pause before they voted
such a measure as the unlimited cultivation of
Trinidad. They ought to pause before they sacri-
ficed the general interests of humanity to their
complaisance for any set of men whatever, to a .
measure that tended to enrich only a few of the
Citizens of London. General and not individual
interests ought to be considered in such a question ;
and we ought not to look to the policy of other
nations, but the advantages of our own. Some step
therefore ought to be taken to keep this subjeCt open
to the future cOnSideration of Parliament. We ought
not to aCi as if we likt'only looked into a Commer-
cial Dietionary, and there computed how many
pounds and tons of Sugar Trinidad would yield
us in a given time. We ought to extend our
prospeas farther, and consider if Trinidad might
not be made a more profitable acquisition by
other means than a precipitate mode of cultivation.
If Negroes were ultimately found necessary,
Africa was still-open, her unhappy natives were al-•
ways ready for the purchaser, and this source could.
always be rrosorted to, It might be said, that if

- .
relinquished the Slave Trade in :my. one Cohn .!'t,
it would throW a slur on the rest who retaineitt
This was a Most pernicious argument, that we s'°oos
continue a
from which we were unable to exorieate ourselved,
nraCke because it had led us into e's
.
At the time when the Slave Trade was last aglote„
it was found imoossible to abolish it without m3"__
rially injuring our colonies, in which it, had bect.n_n;
an• inveterate-evil. -But 'Besnevolence tun, e
no doubt formed a wish, that some Island could be
found where that horrid traffic might be ah"lishe •
without injuring our National or Colonial interests.
Such an -Island had now been found, and the troth °,. •
our benevolent professionswe're now put to-the._te-t.
It might, howt ter, be said, that though the addresses
of 179 Z and 1797 seemed, at the tune, to merit
port, yet circumstances were now altered ; that 3ne
fort, on our part, to increase the cultivation of:Suglr. '
was required by the competition of Foreign
larket6l
by the increase of demand, in consequence of the re'
opening of the Ports of Europe, and by the exceo.:ct
profits arising from the monopolies of "" ‘Vetile
India Planters. But the reverse of all this w°°
be found to be the fad. The destrudion °f
St. Domingo had taken off all foreign CO,
petition ;• the Ports of Europe were. still I'l'll3
against us, and our West India Merchants C°te.
hardly dispose of their sugars at any price.
the
immediate teodency, therefore, of precipitating
cultivation of Trinidad would be to glut our
kets. He did not pretend to say that a market for
all this increase might not, scane time hence,
found, but it was odd to chase for its introdaTh
the , very moment when it would be attended nit g
the wotst consequences. It might be tln)uglie:
strange that -he who formerly seemed to oppOse a.
interests of the West India Merchants, now area
'
in their favour. He had, however, always 'feta
their friend, but found himself obliged tooviehi: •
the stronger motives of Hunianity-, when their I°,`e,
terest interfered ‘Vith ale abolition of the sl':a
Trade. Now, however,. the state of things ""
changed ;. the interests of the West India Mer;
chants and the suppression of the Slave Trade weir,
on the same side ;. and no one now could jasti:,;
oppose his present motion, but those who had s°l,l--e.
ported the Slave Trade on account of its 0" 4!
beauties, though they had' formerly concealed thei. •
partiality under the mask of patriorism,—Hcilii,
proceeded to consider the second division of 'ej:. •
subjed, how far our national policy was conceratcy:
in preventing the importation of Negroes I`lo,'
'
Trinidad. No one could look at the present C°,ooi.
test in St. Domingo without apprehending gr-lt;,
danger from its termination either way 11°0'tt•
its moral situation, if the Negroes prevailed; 300
from its military situation, -if the French,
were successful. We ought then to consi`o.
it, Trinidad might be made to incre4tse apal
strength to resist these dangers. It inlet
said that wealth is strength ; but let any '
look at the present ,situation of our West I°,
to
Islands, and observe if this be the case. It 076,,
be said that Trinidad might, along with its ist
vation, be alsb made strong.: but it was prod O
such times as these to provide for security,
welavished our capital on any adventure. "rhe
tivation of the 'West India Islands did not PNcrosl'
upon the same principle as an
.Mcrease of mice,;
strength ; it was therefore proper to adopt 3 'fan
rent method. On commencing the cultivation ,0,31•
island, it was proper to provide for its int`nala,
strength, while we introduced an increased-I'lloft
tiono The foundation of a native population Zre '
to be , laid, and this was to be done, not DY
grants to individuals, but by dividing small,-,tteo
prietarieS among the Free Negroes, the 5°,`1,00
who wished to settle in the West Indies, an` neigh.
Labourers. who annually resorted from the ne.1j17,014
Louring Colonies to work for hire in -Tri°loo
and who might by this means, be tempted t' oot,
a permanent residence there. There Were who
about too Natives remaining in Trinidad' firteti
would quickly multiply, and produce a race 04
to the soil. There was no reason why Tril'
ad
might not by these means, be sufficiently peopled
cultivated without the importation of a sillg`i4
groe. Other methods might also be devised t° oep
tivate Trinidad, without the assistance of Negrbeett.
Different substitutes for human labour 11-ad:j no
proposed, which the Planters declared they b' lose a
objedion,to adopt, but they could not afford to mail
year's ,returns in trying experiments. Here waseatsi
an opportunity offered of trying these experirpoies,
and thus benefiting all the West India C°l°ssd
without imposing on any individual the neceioos, •
of running any risk. After all those consideratsrata
he implored the House not to consent to aggr.3oo;•
ch! horrors of an inhuman trade, or prefer the I
est of individuals to a ,steady adherence to print Jet#
Before moving the. Address, he said he wished t°,
obi'
plain one paragraph in it. The only pradiea riot'
icos n
Lion which he could foresee was, that the pre' a 01
of giving grants might tend to tie up the W°
oti,
Government from doingaas of kindness. 1. •art
viate this objedion, he had introduced an.excePatel
in favour of those now living in the Islands rerrstriaiie
to France, and who might wish to settle in ' ink
dad. He did not wish to prevent them from earori fe,
their present property thither, but only 7nets
stria them from making accessions to. it bY virlef
importation of Negroes. He concluded by 110
" That an, humble Address be presented ote.
der
Majesty, humbly requesting, that, in 0r •ailor
prevent any importation of Negroes into Iti°llliAl4
under colour or pretext of new .grants,
obstru't any future restriaions on such lolsej to
tion, His Majesty would be graciously plea vitlt,
direr that 'no new grants or sales be made ti% not
bbn '
out the express stipulation confirmed by a .ororn
to employ in their cultivation any Negrc'eSl„,o frk.
ed from Africa, until a report has ,been •
%vhich loop
Parliament of the ,circumstances • of tIIC 1511
Parliament shall have in consequence adoPtelw tbP
eating"loistr '%
regulations ; and further humbly Tell"
oittYstaloc '
His Majeaty would be graciously pleas, tio
direaions that there be laid before_ ,fit=' in 015,
an account of all tine Sales and Grants ma`i:ltiorsfe,
mean time, and also a plan of such Reg° far t'f
Government may think proper to ad°Pc'tsee
cultivation of the Island of Trinidad, in the
the SW%
of se
most likely to prevent the- increase • p
Trade, and to promote the stability, int;grP
security of our Colonial Establishments.
Mi. Stvaq as seconded the Motion..

i 1

ft

f 1'

1

i

rg

mAN

that ,CE.LLOR ot-t7se EArn:EVTER said,
to abefore he commented on the Speech of the
t Hon. Gentleman
,in, particular parts, he
fore not forbear saying; that the Motion now be-
're the House was not striftly conformable. to. the
oseeftation which had been formed from his n,)tiee ;
t",.c Motion, although divested of some parts' he
!Peeled to find in it,
was one .which he could not
4,,t this time assent to.—lf he was bound to decide
10°:. r against the Motion, he. should negative it,
4-- grounds perfedly satisfadory to his own mind,
;4 which-he trusted would be . satisfadory to the
;)use, after he had explained them : but as he
taaks not bound to take that course, he shoule not
it, but. he should adopt another more conge.
the 10 his feelings. The Right Honourable Gen.
yeltlan had observed there was a rumour pre-
44ient, but which, Mr. ADD INn.TON said,. never
reached him, that there was an intention to make
Grants of Land, dr.Sales of Land belonging to the
proWn in the Island, of Trinidad, mad hehad ex-
ritinsed an -apprehension that the cupidity of mo.
;Id4-`4 men would lead them to take advantage.of it ;
Ile said, that the notice he had given at an early
t;rlc4 Was conneded with this view of the subject.l% at subject, he said, that the uncleared
hLand in Trinidad .was not within his contem-
,tton when he alluded to the advantages which
be C°untry might derive from Grants hereafter to
th- Made. What he had said by way of notice upon
subjeCl, if notice it could be called, for it was
aji:.ted only .an allusion to some future adv.antages
chi might be derived to this Country after the
tantements of the Definitive Treaty were con-
related,chiefly to the Island of. St. Vincent ;
ktt, that topic be had only stated, generally,
th tottle means might thence be found to alleviate
PreSsure arising from the present charges on this
tnuntry, by applying the proceeds of the Sale of
th!ids in St. Vincent's, and other Islands 'in which
h ere was much uncleared Lands, by certain grants
b,erNfter to be made, under such regulations as,
tltrun a view of the circumstances, might be deemed
t,-Pedient, to the relief of the pressure of this Conn-
tr; but the Island of Trinidad was not then in his
yThtemplation. 'He had !Ong felt ailiorough con-
itkliun, and it was strengthened by experience, that
thtv's.a wisepolicy to increase, as much as possible,
the White Population, and the Creole Population,
bile this had lung been the subjed of conversation
ortltieen• hiniiatid-rhose with whom he was in habits
stile utmost confidence ; and those who pos-
tfssei_d the best intelligence, and all the sources
knowledge by which . their understandings
retenlightened upon the subject, on the particu-
-4? Of which he should not enter at present.. With
I—Pea to the Motion of the Right Hon. Gentle-
r:, he would say, he was sure he spoke the senti.:
414 of several Gentlemen in the House, .with
hl m'he had the pleasure to be intimate, as well as
when,he expressed a regret that it should
tr:lltade at this' time. It was to him, and he kneW
t",,x,t'thers, matter of regret, that a proposition con-
ti'ed 'with that of the consideration of the condi-
An:4 9 of the Negroes in the West-Indies, should at
116 time he agitated ; of which, however, he did
litt) complain, since he was assured, that" the Right
hen. Gentleman only,brought.it forward from a sense
v,l!utertained of his duty. He knew there were some
theithought that the subject, as far as it related, to.
Doh'sli:nd of Trinidad, might be taken as an insulated
the 't I but that was not the way in which he viewed
unit.
-übjea ; he thought it difficult to make a dis.
on between this particular part and-that of the
'4e era) policy of .the trade carried on by means of
ztagt,''es in the West Indies, and therefore did not
iriol9 Allis question could be fairly discussed.
shci ut entering upon the general question at large;
let 'ere lie should' observe, in passing, it was mat-
thisq some surprise to him, that a proposition of
4fte sort should be brought forward, so recently
gthr the Island came into the hands of His Majesty,.
skieugh
kkji, the general question upon the Trade, to
. the proposition referred, had been allowed
q,e4ke!l) for five or six years. He was. not now
~isWith reference to those who composed
Nate +sty's Executive Government ; they had
Oat " abundant occupation of their time through.
that. Ivhole of it; but more . especially • for
toltrPrt of it in which concerns of the most
'''attr'eated, as well as of the most weighty
ref te were under their care ; but he spoke with
%a.,etnce to others, who, if the Right Hon.
ed
.elnan was right in his proposition, had staffer_
tiod:ue.ir humanity to sleep; during all which pe-
talci Importations of Negroes into MartiniqUe, Sr.
Payee' Demerara, Issequibo, and Berbice, took
tioli Unrestrained, but the effect of which unques-
tf takb,lY Was, to add to the Revenue and Commerce
the"ts Country, and enrich the Plantations, but
qetativantages, which to us must have been con_
taaPd as only temporary, as was evinced from the
tiations at Lisle, are likely to be the per-
%lle.nt benefit only of those who have always been
ttintrivals in time of Peace, and for the two last
etieh.e!ts in which we had been engaged, our greatest
tlle.'lcs in time of War. But, however, he thought
tae roach which some persons had thought at-
Sl4ved to the House of Comm Ons on account of the
tionee Trade from the Coast of Africa, was entirely
away by the circumstances which had taken
/),,0 e, during the period to which he alluded. The
ao:o,3ition of the Right Honourable Gentleman
keild°efore the House, brought with it nb recom-
Afri:ti°ns either, to those who thought that the
" Trade ought to be immediately or gra-
ahle Y_ abolished, for it was nor essential)}'favour-
tht 11.? either under the present
state of things in
'tta.,"est Indies. The House declared, that the'Slave
thit4e should he abolished by gradual means, and- if
JroPosition ranked under that general principle,
bihichuuild not oppose it, that was a proceeding- to
tiple , was a party, and he adhered to the prin_
f 114414 measure ;it was one to which' the
Parlbunerit was pledged : but this measure
o)it2 tende,cy
towards 'the accomplishment of that
And here he could not help observing,
that
.Itooking
ti
me
h the circumstances- of the time
tt fie vote of the House passed, looking to
that rnourrence of extraordinary circumstances
ate 24 taken place since, and had uniformly open.
Ils'l;a'ttriog the whole period from that time to this,
Ivt4ent srliinod t,tosay; that really and 'truly, Parlia_
orld h _
on torfetted any pledge it made to the
up tt
his subjed. He meant
.the substance

,

of the pledge of Parliament is it itras really and
3,,va fide made, was not forfeited ; nor was the
present Motion calculated to support the priucip!e
of that pledge, which was. neither more Or. kis
than this, " That the Slave Trade should be lira..
dually abolished." He did not consider the faith
of-Parliament to be pledged, as to the time when
this should be done.; it was true, indeed, that Par.
liament had stated a time when this would take
. place, but: it was to take place by certain meats,
in which means the views of Parliament were in:
terrupted. It would appear. by the Resolution,
voting the gradual Abolition, that it was to be
accompliShed by certain regulations of th.t Trade
itself, by introducing a new ',system into the
West Indies ; and then, upon the supposition' that
such system would be adopted, Parliament had voted
that the Slave Trade from the Coast' would be abo-
liAlled in the year 5797 ; but as the system by which
this abolition was to be accomplished was not intro-
duced, the effect was not produced, nor could it be
expected to be produced, and therefore in reality
Parliament had not forfeited its pledge to the Pub-
lic for the Abolition of this Trade at a period now
passed. He did not see that the Motion now before
the House had a tendency to further this ()Nett, for
it did not follow that the Slave Trade would be
abolished, or.even lessened, by confining a vote to
the Island of Trinidad, and therefore he .did not
see any reason for assenting to it, even upon the prin..
ciple of. the Right Hon. Gentleman himself who in- ,
troduced it. He was ready„to admit that Gentlemen
had a right to advert to the principle on which the
vote for the gradUal Abolition of the Slave Trade_
was founded, and .to call on others to say why they,
did not adopt measures for cat rying that principle in-,
' to effect. He was ready to say that pleasures ought to
he adopted for that purpose, but he contended that
this measure was not calculated to produce that ef-
feet ; for there was no truth .more deeply impressed
upon his minti than this, that an attempt to prevent.,
Negroes being imported Irons the Coast of Africa
into the Island of Trinidad, would he only to in-
sure the carrying on of the Trade in other quar-
ters, in other settlements, and would be the
means of increasing those practices which it had
been the policy of this Country to avoid. What
he- meant was this ; there would be a consider;
able increased demand for the produce of the West
Indies, even more than had been the case
for the last nine years. The, produ.Ctive pow_
ers of St. Domingo had long been in abeyance.
The demand of the Continent would now be more
than the present powers of supply of the West In-
dies could furnish, that must of necessity produce
fresh cultivation. During the last eight or nine
years, every thing in the way of trade, in this
respect, was .carried on by British Capital, and
British Enterprize, almost exclusively, and the ef-
feCt of this on our Commerce; and also on our Ma-
ritime strength, was highly favourable to use—
British Capital and British Enterprize were so great,
that they would extend to all the Islands belonging
to Foreign Governments, as well as to our owne as
it had been. It was said by the Right- Hon. Oentle,
man,
.that the-Markets were glutted of Sugars, arc.
But it was to be considered that France and Holland
had long been waiting in hopes 'of receiving supplies
from their 9wn Islands. They would want more than
they could have from that source. In that: state.
of things what was the condition of .our MeichantS ? ,
They . had been looking With impatience for- 'an
opportunity of carrying their supplies to- the Con-
tinent ; there had not been a channel for. our. West

India produce a great while by way of Hamburgh,
but it did not follow that the demands for this pro-
duce, would cease now—on the contrary.their
minds would increase, and then our warehouses

would find a vent, so that the glut which the Right
Hon. Gentleman apprehended, would be done away.
Why then, he would ask the House; if it be'true
that in the present state of the World, an increased
supply of all markets with West India produce be to be
produced only by British capital and British enter-
prize, whether it would be wise to adopt this motion
now, or whether it was likely to contribute to the
gradual Abolition oftheSiaveTrade, to enterinto this
premature check upon the cultivation of the Island
of Trinidad. With a view to the,iradual Abolition
of the Slave Trade, the only view in which he could
support it, this measure woullaaually do nothing.
—He said, he objected to the applicatiOnof any
principle whatever, for the grad'ual Abolition of the
African Slave'Trade,' that did not apply itself to
the whole of the_ West India. Islands.: he objected
to it on this ground, that it was imperf,.-C1 in its
nature, and could not do any good in the discussion.
The Right Hon. Gentleman had expressed an earnest
wish that means should be adopted for the in.
crease of the population of Whites and Creoles in
the West Indies : did he apprehend it possible to
accomplish this objea-by the proposition now before
the House? Did he not apprehend there would be great'
difficulties in making arrangements for persons who
had been fixed a great while at Trinidad, and others
who might recently have arrived there ? Besidei
Negroes might be brought to Trinidad from Barba_
does, St. Vincent, Monserrat, or other places, and
it would be impossible to distinguish between them
and those,who may have been on the Island 'for some
time previous to their importation. But there was
another objeaion to the proposition now before the
House; tht effect of it would be to call fbr Negroes
from the different West India Islands to Trinidad ;
because,- without their assistance, it would be im-
possible to carry on 'the necessary trade there ; and
it would create a chasm- in those Islands,. which
could not be supplied but by means of fresh im-
portations from the Coast of Africa ; therefore
the discouragement of importations to Trinidad
alone, would not answer the purpose the Right Hon.
Gentleman professed to have in view ; for, unless
he could discourage importation into'all the Islands,
-it was useleSs to prohibit it in only one. *pose
it was effectually prohibited at Trinidad, what•se-
curity could there be, that the chasm which would
be created by bringing Negroes from other Islands
into Trinidad, and which could not be prohibited
by the present Motion, nor indeed, by any other
that could be entertained in that House, would
not be supplied
..by. fresh. importation's into such
Islands ? And then he would ask,, what would be
the benefit-of such a measure 'as this ? It might
be asked, whether, according to the view which
ire .entertained of this subject, lie should wiRll trj

I promote an importatiokof,Negrots'artorthe
of T rinidad ?„,. He hoped he.had ausive red that dues_
,ion already, he could only say, that upon every
. principle he had ever. entertained or expressed in
that House, from every sentiment of his mind, and
every consideration the most .grave he:could bestow
upon it, from every thing that connected itself with
the policy of this Country, he was led to say, that
neither into the' Island of Trinidad or any other
Nand or Settlement belonging to His Majesty,
ought there to be any unlimited importation of ire_
groes. He might ire asked what restridions he had
in view, to which he ,would _answer, not such as
were, applicable to Trinidad alone, but that the
true policy of this country, extended' to a
consideration of all the Islands. In a -large, and
comprehensive view, it was -the substance- of his
opinion upon that subjed, into wbich, for va.:
rious.. reasons, he would, declioe to enter mi-
nutely ; for, indeed, he was much indisposed for
. public speaking at present. It was his wish to be
unde.rstood,(but be:was unwilling to give any pledge),
as entertaining a hope, that the sobjed of the Slave
Trade-atill be taken up in the course -of the next
Session of Parliament, and considered, deliberately
upon the, principles on which a large majority of
that House have agreed, and he trusted, will
again agree, to a gradual Abolition of that traf-
fic ; but, this he wished to he preceded by an in-
. qoiry instituted by that House, and adapted, as as-
suredly it would be (if ordered, by, that House),
to its objed,_ and which would be pursued, •he
had no doubt, in a manner consistent with the
true "interests of this Country, for which the
House bad often expressed, and never, failed
to feel, the utmost anxiety. The Right Honour_
able Gentleman had stated, that the importation of
Negroes into Trinidad,, for the purpose of keeping
it in, a state of cultivation, as he said, would re-
quire zeo,ooo Negroes every year, and he took it
from a-leference_to information which he had intro-
duced before. Now, Mr. ADLIINGTON said he
had great
.satisfadion in staring
.eo the HOuSe;
according to the best information received by His
Majesty's Government, that such an imPortation
would by no means be the effect of countenancing
the principle against which the Right Hon. Gentle--
man had spoken so' much at large ; the truth was,
that the Island of Trinidad was different from all
the rest ; it was stated to him in Letters, which
be had'from the Highest au.Thority, , such as he could
With safety rely on, that with half the number of
• hands, the 'cultivated produceof the Island was double
to that of
..any other ; and -in the Island of
Trinidad, the labour -of forty Negroes would be
more than equal to that of too in any other Island,
except Jamaica ; that the quantity and quality of
the produce of Trinidad was superior to thiit of any
other. That in the first instance, the canes yielded
sugar of the best quality, and that it was not neces-
sary to go through the same laliourin the culture
there as in 'any other Island. That his infoinia-
tion he :received from . persons who were " well
qualified to form a corred opinion upon the subject,
and to justify his assertions, he read Extracts from
several Letters received from persons of the highest
charade'', corroboiating that allegation ; :and ob,
served, that:he felt great satisfaction in contem_
plating this, because he thought he saw in ir, the
means of much increase to the -Commerce, the
Wealth, and the Prosperity of this Country,•capable
of being produced without the waste of human
beings, or the intolerable burden of human labour.
—He then proceeded to observe, that the descrip-
tion which he had received of the peculiar advan-
Jages of. the Island of Trinidad, had rendered the
matter particularly interesting, so much so, that His
Majesty's Government had determined; some time
since, to send forth a CommissiOn for the pur-
pose of
.making a minute survey, (not merely
a Geographical Survey, Or thut was" already
made), but. for (he purpose of acquiring all the
information which, in a politicA point of view,
:could render that subject interesting to this
Country. This task had devolved or, men of, great
talents;of enlightened minds; men who were, from
theirhabits, -particularly conversant on the subject
on which they' were employed ; and whose opinion,
after they had- enriched their minds with the infor-
mation which they now lotiked for, would be ea-
aremely valuable. They were_to make their report
upon thesolijede and by which report. His Males.
ty's Government would necessarily and very fitly,be
Considerably guided. The House would be aware,
that no grants had been made up to-the period when.
the last accounts upon the subject were laid before
the House. The House would he aware also, that.
positive orders were sent by Governo-fent that no
new Grants or Sales of Land in Trinidad should take

place without'further authority. He luiped that C ery
public encouragement would be given to ,the pOpu-
lation of the-Whites and Cfeoles,and he cOul&add,
that it was the determination of His Majesty's Mini-
sters to advise His Majesty not to make any grante
of land, except' for the purpose of providing the
means tUwhich he had alluded, until after the Re-
port shall have.been made by those Commissioners.
He was unwilling' to hold out any thing like a
pledge to the House which might afterwards produce
disappointment ;—but he would submit to the

House, whether it Was possible that a' Commission
should go from hence for. the.purpose of making all
necessary inquirieS,. into this subjea, and“ yet that
the. House would come to a deciSion upon' it without
having the Report
,of such. Commissioners ?
I-it apprehended that Parliament would not enter
on „the discussion of such a • subjeti as this be-
fore the result of that Commission was before it.

IThat result, if the House would be pleased,to wait,
should be laid before the House, with the reservation
only of some possible observations being included in
the Report, that had no bearing on the subject of
the cultivation Of. the Island— Upon this he was to
be understood as. makingno:pledge on tho•behalf of
theli'..xecutive Govetrimimt, that the Report should
be laid before. Parliament immediately on its being
received by these Gentlemen ;. for it.was possible
that it. ;might .be received. some time -before His
Maiesty should resort again to the wisdom of. his
Parliament. He :could not. be expetted. to pledge
hiMself to lay before,the. House any plan upon this
subjea, as arising out of li.e.•.Report of the'Com.-
_ missioners, but ,he pledged himself, either, to lay
before Cie. House. his .tiis. upon the subjeCt,
or What h •!-tould silt..e;•l4uch bette4' to concur

. with some other • person it -bringing the !itib..
jcet before the. House. . He owned he should like
16 see. this subjeft in the ablest hands. He should
I !Ike to- concur in a proposition that might he made
with
,a view to a regulation, not- -of 'the Island of
Trinidad, or of any other Island, but applicable to
all our Islands in the West Indies. But,. in the
mean. time, he wished the whole, of the subject to be
considered carefully, as most assuredly it would; by
,1 the Committee to which he' had alluded, by which
the true interest of this Country, in a large scale,
embracing the whole -of the \Vest India Trade,
might k• adequately considered. They would form an
Opinion upon that subject, after which he should like
to see a Committee of that House appointed to
take into emisideration the whole of the African
Slave Trade, by which means he trusted more could
be done in thiS important, subject than had eveuet
been.dont. Having said this, he must be allowed to.
say, he felt the inconvenience, lie was afraid he fyre.
saw the mischief which these partial discussions of
this important .subject must 'produce--..'Whey created
uncertainty on matters in' which it was extremely
important thae the minds-of the people should be at
rest. Fle. did not think the minds of the people
were likely' to. be quieted by any thing that with'
be the result of these agitations. No step was
taken towards the attainment .of the 'great, oh_
jet: which all had. in view, by Motions like
these, because the
.subjed "could never be de_
termined advantageously by a piece,aneal discus-
sion of it-41)r which reason he wished to have
eit considered altogether, and in that hope, and
that none of theeviis_which the Right 'honourable
Gentleman apprehended would arise from a short
delay of the consideration of this sul?jed, he thought
it right to conclude with moving the previous ques.
tion. But there was one point which he thotight
right to state, and which .he had hitherto admitted,
which was, that whatever Grants might take place
in the Island of Trinidad, none would have the ef_
feet of discouraging -the population -of Whites or
:Creoles, nor. should any Grants be made that.
would enable the Grantee's to set ur any claims
On their. part that would exclude -Parliament from
doing any thing which to its wisdom or dis-
cretiOni shbuld seem meet,—Undet these circum-,
stances, he hoped the Right Honourable Gentleman •
would be convinced there were good reasons stated.
why.the House should not agree to his
He hoped the House ,was also convinced ftere—iVas-
a disposition on the part of His Majesty's Govern-
ment to ael up to. their professions upon thiS sub.
jeCt.He was ready to declare, that no considera-
.tion whatever either had, or he believed, would
alter the opinion he had of the 'principle of die Re-,
solution of 17'92,; 'that he certainly approved, nor r
was he now doing any thing inconsistent with that
Resolution, by the course he was pursuing—Ais ob-
jeet was the gradual Abolition of the Slave Trade; but
that wasnot-4a be accomplished by this motion, not
tw any motion which took up the subjea by piece.
meal. He witilied:the subjea to be teken up on a large
scale, that a general view of it should take place ;
'that the information of .the Commissioners should be
had by Government; that information laid before'
Parliament, and then the whole general question
considered . in: its most expanded state, to which
purpose this motion was not adapted. It was at
least a premature motion, since it preceded requisite
information-. Knowing there would be no danger from
the delay of this subject' until the next Session—

Knowing that at present proper materials were not
before the House to judge of it, and being aware
that Parliament, would have an opportunity of deli_
vering its cipiniori upon it early in the next Sessions,
he should now move the previous question.
Mr.. CANNING said, if the 'Right Hon. Gen-
tleman had:only made the fast half of his speech, he
would have consented to withdraw his Motion ;, as
it was, however, with all, the assurances and pledges
which had been given on the Bart of His Majesty's
Ministers, he
_should not press the question to a de.
cision; It was a great eensolation, that after the
expetience of twelve yeir.to no purpose,: they were

now taught to look forward to a settlement of the
great moral and religious question involvediti the
consideration of the Slave Trade, aided by the
:zealot's attention of His Majesty's goveriimznti-
He wished, however, I.`rlotion to stand upon
the Journals, and the House would therefore
pose of it as they pkased:'

General G AkbY NE 'rose to ,make a •few .ob-
servations,: but the House, were so impatient for the
question, that it was not possible to coiled. his

iean i

1117-:IVILRERFORCE then rose, • but the same
indisposition on the part nif•the'House
ther discussion. of the .subjea, still, in a great mea.
sure, continued. Having at lerigth''obtained some
attention, he said, he could not entertain-any very
sanguine hope with respel 'to what had been urged
by his Right Hon. Friend, as they all remembered,
what had been said and done in that. House relative
to the Slave Trade ; he hoped, however,. his Right
lion:-Fri€nd would be disposed to take it in ..the;
same point of view .as in the year 1792.. It was,
well known, that the expeffition of the abolition
_ _ •

of the Slave Trade caused .a great additional im..'
portation 'of Slaves' in the 'interval'. Wa's it not
possible to carry -into effea some measure. for. Ihg.
purpo.e. of preventing that, excessive importation ?
This he thought was called fcir by Humanity, and'
by the interest of the Islands' themselveS
too certain that the' British importation of Slaves,
had considerably increased during the last year.
One great argument urged against the abolition of
the Slive Trade, when that subject was before the
House at a former period, was, that if we abolish..
ed it, other Nations would still carry it on, and
British capital would be in consequence transferred
to the Colonies of other tou‘ntries. This argument
could nod be said to be weakened by-: what had fate*
ly happened.
General QASCOY NE spoke to Order. The Hon.
- 'Gentleman, he said, was .going into the question
, of the abolition of the Slave Trade,' whiCh was not
1 before the House-.

Mr.' WILBERFORCEsaia, -it vins obvious thit
the objet of the Motion was to prevent the iar-
portation of Slaves into Trinidad it we could en•
ter into an agreement with Foreign Powers, bt
which an abolition might be efFened-
• •
General ASCOY NE, agatn. called to Order, an

, D 0 N, MAY 28, r 802.

Paris journals of the 24th and zsth instant
;cached us this morning. The itioniteur of the ld t-
ter date contains two Letters from General LI:-
ERC, the one .of the ti4te of the tst of April,
from Port Republicain, and the other of the 9th of
-that month, from tine Cape. Li the former letter,
he- stat,es the driving General DESSALINES from
-positiort to position with a few followers, but ad_
mite that he it Much favoured by local circumstances.

The General says, it would he agreeable if a
Ricket-bDat could. Arrive every week, that the Sol-
diers might hear of their farnilie- ,—Art -the Troops
become impatient of their absence from home, and
dissatisfied with the nature of the service in which
they are engaged I That the latter is the case, we
ran very readily conceive j and the former is ex-
tremely probable.
General LECLERC holds out an inducement for
Mechanics to repair to St. Domingo, of whom he
says they are much in wan:.—Before he begins to re-
-build upon a birge scale, it would surely be prudent
to have some tolerable security for the retention of
the Colony.

In his former Dispatch, the General tcld his Go-
7:Acrmnent that he would not permit his Army to
.70t) though they had been in constant motik:n for
forty days. In the small space of fourteen dap- af-
ter, we find hint under the necessity of putting it
into cantonments. The rainy season ,vas about to
commence—its ravages he had more reason to fear
than even the ferocity of TottsSA 1 NT, and his black
Troops.

*.f.Le French Papers aff:rd little else that is inte-
Theyare wholly silent on the reported
Duel between Generals BERTH I Fit and Lr COUR H E,
it► which the former is said to have fallen ;
as they are likewise upon the sul►jea or the
attempt upon the life of the Chief Consul.—
:Such a circumstance, we should suppose, must have
been of so public a nature, that the Journals might
ILive ventured to notice it, had it aaually taken
place. Their silence, ort the other hand, we will
etinfes,-afrords no proof that such .an occurrence
snay not have happened,

Admiral Da WINTER sailed from the Textl on
the toth instant, with a Squadron of three Ships of
the Line, a Frigate, -and two Brigs. His destina-
tion is the Mediterranean.
The French' Funds 56f. 3o c.

This, morning a Dutch Mail arrived: Its con.
tents will be found un4i the proper head.

Hilt' MAJESTY yesterday held a Drawing-Room
at St. James's Palace; previous to which, the KING
received in the Grand Council Chambil. (being
seared 'on the Throne) 'i}`trklst,loyal and affectionate
Address, congratulating Hts, MAI Es-ry on the hap-
py event-of Peace being 'nettled'with the Republic
of France, from -the University of Word, which
was presented by S. RoLLFSTON, Esq. accompanied
by a vast number, of the Honourable and Learned
.N.'lerithers of the Seminary.

An Address was also-presented from Cambridge
by the Duke of RUTLAND. •
An Address was also presented from the Nobi-
lity, Gentry, Clergy, Yeomanry, Freeholders, and
others, in the County of Kent, which was presented
by S. GODFREE, Esq. High Sheriff of the County.
The Address ,of the Protestant Dissenting
Ministers of London and Westminster, .on oc-,
casion of the -Peace, was presented to His MA-
JESTY by the Rev. Dr. RE Es, accompanied by se
veral other Ministers, who were very graciously
received, and had the honour of kissing His MA,
fEsTr's Hand.
The QUEEN then held a Court for the, Nobility
and Gentry, which was attended by the PRINCESSES:
AUGUSTA, ELIZABETH, MARY, and SOPHIA ;
Her Royal Highness the PRINCESS of WALES, His
Grace the Archbishop of CANTERBURY, the Bi-
shops of LITCHFIELD, SALISBURY, and NOR-'
Si, IC H, their Excellencies the Foreign Ambassador's,
the LORD CHANCELLOR, the MASTER Of the
ROLLS, the Cabinet MinisterA, •the Right Hon. the
LORD MAYOR, Mr. Sheriff -R-AWL INS, and the
follov'ving Personages. The Company who attended
was numerous, it being the only Court Day previ-
ous to the • celebration of the Anniversary of His
MAJESTY'S birth.—Arnong the Company present
were:

Dukes—Roxburgh, Portland, lii2F.fOrt, arid Hamilton.
Dutcherses--Northumberland, dportri-. Athol, Beaufort, and
Marlborough.
Mapisse.l—Bath; Salisburf,rLorne, Hertfard, Exeter, and
!?•;7
Douglas. •
Marebionesses—Bath, Dowager Bath, Exeter, Dowager Don.
negal,- Hertford, and Headtlort.
Earls—Ni(Mon, Spencer, Westmorland, Harcourt, Rose-
berry, Cardigan,- Wrothurst, Warwick, 'Macclesfield,
Mount-Edgcurnbe, Chatham, Uxbridge, Rollin, For-
rescue, Courtuwn, Kinnoul, Radnor, Staintord,

. , , -
den, 6 uildford, Caernarvon, and Dartmouth. -
Countesses—Aylesbury, Bathurst, Harcourt, . Wrothurst,
Harrington Castlereagh, Liverpool, Warwick, Essex,
.Nlaccleliefe., :.rlouht-Edgcuml e, Foreseue, ' Chathas I.
Bustin, Stamford, .Roseberry, Cardigan, Harcourt, a d
TempletaWn.
ViscountsL-Brome and Folkstone.

Baron Nolleken.
Balciresses---Nolleken and Howe.

Lbrdr—Kenmare, Wentworth, • Mu'grave, C. Spencer,
Grantley' Granby, Whitworth, Northesk; Aboyne, Li-
merle, Yarborough, Rolle; G. Thymic, Middleton, Va..
lentia, Paget, Pelham, Boston, Hawkesbury,
A. Hamilton, St. Asaph, Dundas, Henley,,Hervey, Wal.
singham, Stopford, C. Bentinckl3entinckl and W. De Broke.
The Right Hon. H.. F. Primrose.
Ladies---M. Bentinck, C. Bentinck, Auckland, A. Her=
vcy, M. Primrose, C. Durham, J. Dundas, Yarborough,
C. Campbell, G. Murray, M. Erskine, Reed, Beverley,
F. Cornptou, Paget, Cawdor, Middleton, Stourtown, S.
Dundas, Northesk, A. Cuinbcrland, Lincoln, Pelham,
R. Boughton, E. Digby, M. Singleton, Euston; Evelyn,
Dunstanville, itjulgrave, Grantley„Allen, Bayning, Cran-

ley, A. Court/imd"L'igot 7 - •
Sirs—=A. Clarke, T. Cottrel, 1. ftippesley, E. Knatch—
bull, C. Morgan, R. Chambers, R. Boughton, J. Craw-
lord, W. A'Court, G. Hobart, and R. Rich. -
Generals—Leland, Sir Eyre Coote, Grosvenor, and Cover-

nor Green.
Colonels—Dyke, Campbell, and Macleod.
Captains—Lukin and Hood.
iliessri.—Portman, Eankes, C. Smith, Vansittart, Wynne,
Laurel, Windham, Legge, Mulles, Bootle, W. Elliot, and

York.
illi;iresses —Malcolm, Egerton, Ross, Scott, Smith, Howard,
Laurel; Brown, Phipps, L. Fox, lisle, Ogle, Foley, Bur-
rows, D. Grosvenor, Dallier, Cornwallis, M. Sutton, Lee,
Vaughan, Seymour, Burrard, Dray, Hervey, and Daw-
kins.
Misses—R. Bort4hton; Pelham, Foley, Townshend, two
Courteneys, Digby, Dundas, Dundas,--Scc.
The presentations to the .Qtr et Dzrlvere :
The Right Hon. the Eat]. df GUildfcird, by the Bishop of
Winchester.

Colonel and Mrs. F. White.
Captain C. Dundas, of .the Navy, by Lord Dundas.
Barons Nlirback and Brincken, by his Excellency the
Russian Envoy.
The Rev. Edward Seypour, by his Grace the Duke of
Swnerset,

At five o'clock the Court closed, and the ROYAL
FAMILY returned to Buckingham-House:

Yesterday, we believe, the Bank Direaors came
to the resolution of advancing the Payments on the
Loan, exeepz the last.—Otnnium Was yesterday at
a5l Dis. Par. and Premium.
M. Orro, who so satisfadorily to all parties ne-
tiated the Preliminary Treaty of Peace, will, we
have no doubt, he appointed to negotiate the Com-
mercial Treaty about to be entered upon. The pro-
posal for such an arrangement has, we believe,
been made by the French Government through the
medium of M. OTTO.

The British Merchants at Hamburgh mean to
celebrate His MAJESTY'S birth-day in a very
splendid manner. For this purpose a very con-
siderable sum has been subscribed.

The new arrangement with the NABOB of OUDF,
has not been correctly stated. By a Treaty between
SAADUT-ALLY, the present Nabob, and the Hon.
HENRY WE 1. LESLEY, concluded at Lucknow, on
the loth of November tiiot, His Highness has
ceded to the Company, in perpetual Sovereignty, a
certain portion of his Territory, in lieu cf the Sub.
sidy usual!) granted by him to the Company's Troops.
The Revenue of this ceded Territory amounts to
One Million, Three Hundred and- Fifty Thousand
Pounds Sterling. Mr. H. Wit LLESI.Ev is appointed
Lieutenant_Governor, Messrs. LEsLIE, M. SEA-
TON, and Fora 13 fi L. F., Commissioners for the
Management of this Coun:ry ; and Messrs. LEY.
C E`iTE B, DE AN E, &c. COIkdOCS.
It is said Lord,CLlv? will remain at Madras
for some time, at the particular request of Marquis
Wrt,t.itst.F v, who is certainly returning to Europe.
The 29th Regiment of Foot, comm., ride& by
Lord F. MolvrAc or, now lying at Plymouth, arc
under orders tor Foreign service. Ir is supposed
that Halifax or Qucb.,:c will be their destination.

P..4:15, MAY

MINISTRY OF THE MARINE

VIE GENERAL IN CHIEF TO THE MINIS-I ER OF

MARINE AND C(.3-LONI ES.

" Ifead-Qmarters, Fart Repuhlkain, April t, IFGz.
" MINISTER,

" Imniediately after the Capfure of. La Cretc-i-Pierrot,
being pursued, retreated towards the Great
Woods ; but I had previously taken possession of the way,
by means of a Detachment which occupied girebalais.
DEssm.i Nks atteropted to force the passage, but was re-
pulsed: he then threw,himself upon Cahous, and now wan-
ders from place to piaqe, accompanied by a few persons, but
•
favoured, by localities, of which it is difficult to form an
idea.

' " I have'repairledthe Fort of La Crete-5.-Pierrot, and esta-
blished there a Garrison.

6 " When the Squadron arrived at Port Republicair., Gc.
neral BOUDET sent forward Citizen SASE, his Aid-du,.
Camp, as a Flag of Truce.—lie,was arrested by the Blacks.,
who have taken him with them from hill to hill, and from
wood to wood, .where twenty times they hive been on the
point of putting him to death. The details of the Massacres
to which he'has been a witness are'shocking.

, " On the 29th of.Nlareh Tck.oss A !NT sent for him, and
complaining of the:unfortunate-state-ofaffairs, sent him away
with letters. Thus it appears that ToUSSAINT yet hopes to
be relieved from the unfortunate situation in which he finds
himself. He begins at length to form an idea of- the ,rower
of France. have taken the necessary- measures to -follow
up this commencement of in-rcrcoutse, though I have but
little hope of a man so thoroughly wicked. '-Health and re-
aped, LECLER.C:"

THE GENERAL IN. CHIEF TO THE•MINU4ER OF

MARINE AND COLONIES.

" Head Quarters at lie Ga.o, Apiil9;
.18407,

" CiTIZEN MINISTER,
" I have come to the Cape in order to superintend•myself
the rebuilding 9f ,the Town. -

" The Zele and Tourvilie are arrived. They embarked
at Brest some Recruits without MusqUets, which Wai a very
great fault, as it diminishes our Magazines.
" The three Packet-boats which by order of Government
were to take their departure every mouth, do not exaelly do
so. It would be agreeable if we could receive a Packet-boat
every week, intoder that the Soldiers might hilie news of
their families.

" I hove not yetsegribthe Spanish part. I intend to pro-
ceed to,Santo,Domingo,c. I shall then return, and pass two
months at the Cape .

" Carpenters, Joiners, and Masons, would be very useful
in this Country, where there is so much to build. You have
many hi France who find it difficult to gain a subsistence ;
they would here be paid well, and, with a little prudence,
might amass a small fortune.
" The rainy season is about to commence. I have can-
, toned the Army in the most commodious manner, and so
that they may sutler as little as possible from the evils of the

season.
" The Army happily arrived in a good season,, and has
therefore had time to become accustomed to the Climate.
" Health and resped,
" LECLERC."

VIENNA, MAY 9..—A Deputation of the Mein,
bers of the Hungarian Diet assembled at Frei-
burg, -arrived here the day before yesterday,
to invite the EMPEROR, ,in his quality of_KING
of HUNGARY, to assist at -the Sittings- of the
Diet. His Majesty will immediately -proCeed
thither. It is thought that .a proposition will be
made to them, to consent to the separation of
. the Counties of Prisbzirg and Komorn, and tto_thei• r
incorporation with the .Archdutchy of Austria.
Hungary will be indemnified by an union with the
Ex-Venetian Dalmatia, ceded to the EMPEROR by
the two Treaties of Campo Formic,' and Lune,ville.
It is doubted by some, whether the EMPEROR will
be ableto obtain ;the consent of the Magnates, jea-
lous at all tittles ofipreserving the integrity of their
Count ry:'

HAGUE, MAY Dc WINTER sailed
on the loth from the Texel. His Slu3dron is corn.
posed of the Ohienbarheve/d, the Revolution, and
the Schriiverweier, Ships of the Line of 64 guns
each, and 350 to 375 men each ; the Frigate the
Scipio, of 2.4. guns, and the. :Irigs the Prize: and
Arend. Thtee Ships of our Marine are already in
the Mediterranean, whither this Squadron is bound.

MAY 19.—All the French Citizens in this Coun-
try are invited to give their votes to the Legation
at the Hague, or to the Commissariats of Amster-
dam and Rotterdam, on the question whether Bo-
NAP ART rt shall he Consul for life ? The Registers
are to be closed on the 3oth inst.
BASLE, MAY 20.—The Commissary-General
KUIIN returned here on the loth from his mission in
Le'man. The news from this Canton is not so sa-
tisfaaory as there was reason to hope for, after the
dissolution of the Insurgent Army. Many corn.
panics of these men have since that period committed
excesses, and menaced and even ill-treated several
Proprietors of feudal rights.
Between the r ith and the r3th inst. some French
Troops entered the, Canton of Untie:nen/1. Their
arrival has frightened the discontented ; and the
two principal movers of the troubles in thissCanton;
the', Priests ,I.,f;ssy and KAISER, have decamped,
the latter not having time to preach his famous Ser.;
mom in the fields of Stantz, which had been so em-
phatically announced, and from which the most dan-
gerous conquences were to be feared.

Wednesday last died JAMES COTES, Esq. a Post-
Captain in His Majesty's Navy.
Earl MANSFIIIira rettaned to town on Tuesday,
from Brighton.

t.' '

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-IV-ArV A L

PORTSMOUTH, z 7.

ARRIVED at the' Motherbank,. the Altregf°'''
Bow ov.y, from Alit:ant, bound to Copenhag
was put under quarantine. She sailed fromxicant
the i 3111 March last, and left there the Geor„76 ° en)
Hull, BOY LE, and L;rvonia, of Hull, ile',lll''f 6f
which were loaded at her departure.
Arrived the Simpson, HARLAND master, fr°lll
Gibraltar, at the Motherbank, and also put uerre-
st taint of quarantine ; Jean and jessey,No'
Hamburgh, bound to Lisbon;
'froth Harnburgh, bound to Genoa ; and Lord-Dunia'
HAL. K E r, from Hamburgh, bcund to Barcelona.
and ,
Sailed His Majesty's Ship Isis, and Schoono
Pickle, for the Downi ; Sea Nymph; CHURCH for
Guernsey ;..Nelson, DONAL Ds, and i'rorw'
.HENDRAcKs, for Havre.de.Grace.

This the Raphela, NIXON, from Barceloo2/
was ,cleared froni quarantine.

DEAL, MAY 27,

PASiED throuoh the Downs foi Calais, the Ag,i(!
Pac4.-etisr.f lianas 41 LL ER master,. Wier'
pa SS
froip.Rathsgate...,—.
Remain'.l-fis•MajeSty's Ships .Amazor, EM;c11111
an4.a.-yagc; ConjiiB,ll ) ork?. ird 1-* • Gun-br4s',
.. lAtn.