Star.
London, England, 1824-07-15 00:00:00

.on an occasion which we deem of serious consequence
to the prosperity of the Colony, and of vital import-
*lce to the interests, the rights, and the well being of
Idle various classes of its inhabitants. The draft of an
Order in Council, intended to be promulgated in this
.Colony for the purpose of improving the condition of
the Negro Slaves, has been published both in the Uri.
tish and Colonial Gazettes. We are sincerely desirous
of promoting every just measure by which the evils of
slavery can be mitigated, and the happiness and well-
being of the Negro Slaves promoted. We hail with
pleasure the beneficent intentions of his Most Gracious
Majesty expressed in his Address to both Houses of
Parliament to provide for the religious and moral in-
structions, and to ameliorate the condition of this class
of our fellow-subjects. We were assured by the charac-
ter and by the expressed resolutions of the British Le-
gislature, that the measures for carrying his gracious
intentions into effect, would be compatible with the well-
being of the Slaves themselves, with the safety of the
Colonies, and with a fair and equitable consideration of
the interests of property.
Impressed with a deep sense of the duties we owe to
the community over which we preside, and desirous to
avert or at least to suspend a measure, by which in our
opinion its prosperity is endangered, and its rights com-
promised, we beg leave humbly to represent to your
Excellency our sincere and solemn conviction that the
provision of the proposed Order in Council will be in•
jurious to the well-being of the Slaves themselves, in-
compatible with the safety of the Colony, ruinous to the
interest of the Master, and subversive of the most sacred
rights of private property.
Your Excellency is, by the Laws of the PArtldas, as
well as those of the Recopilacion of the Indies, expressly
entrusted with the power of suspending the operation of
all Royal Orders which may be injurious to the prosperity
of the community until a representation can be made
to his Majesty, and his final determination thereon ex-
pressed. We therefore entreat your Excellency to exer-
cise a power which may, on this occasion, be exerted so
beneficially for the interests and the preservation of the
Colony ; and to stay the promulgation or the operation of
the proposed Order in Council, until our humble prayers
and representations can be laid at the foot of the Throne
of your met gracious Sovereign. But in the event of
pour Excellency not deeming it right to suspend the
romulgation of the said Order, then u e do most re-
spectfully hereby declare to reset ye to the Inhabitants
of this Colony, their just and legal claim upon his
Majesty's Government for compensation for all losses
they may now or hereafter sustain by their obedience to
this Order,whether as arising from any depreciation in the
value of their property, or by actual losses from acts of a
most prejudicial tendency and greatly to be dreaded.
And in the event aforesaid, we further pray your Ex-
cellency will either forthwith repeal, or recommend to
his Majesty's Government the repeal of the 21st clause,
by which a person is bound to prove a negative, the same
being contrary to every system of jurisprudence, and
which may be attended by most ruinous effects to the
inhabitants of this Colony ; and also the 41st and 42d
clauses. which contain penalties of forfeiture of pro-
perty for misdemeanours—penalties unknown to any
code of laws for the offences therein declared ; and that
in lieu thereof, the punishment that is applicable to such
misdemeanours, either by the laws in force, or by those
of Great Britain, be decreed only to attach thereto.
(Signed) JOHN SHINE, First Alcalde.
LOUIS LAPEYROUSE, Second Alcalde.
WM. ROBERTS, Regidor.
J. C. NEWBOLD, Regidor.
SEB. CIPRIANI, Regidor.
G. SHEttLOCK, Regidor.
J. EDMONDSON, Regidor.
N. MARACHE, Regidor.
L. LEPER. Regidor.
Ettore ine, HENRY MURRAY, Dep. See. Cabildo.
Hla TrILCiLLINCY THE GOVERNOR'S REPLY TO. THE