Star.
London, England, 1805-05-23 00:00:00

WEST INDIA MEETING.

Yefterday a very numerous and refpellabte meeting
of the Weft India Merchants, refident in London,
.was held at the London Tavern, for the purpofe of
taking into confideration the late occurrences in the
Welt India Elands, and for other fpecial purpofes.
Lord 13/111Hym in the Chair.

A fier the Requifition, figned by a great number of
1
Gentlemen prefent, was read ;
Mr, Masonic rote, and, in a moft impreffive
fpeech, addreffed the Meeting. He adverted to the
very important purpofe for which they were ahem-
bled, and prelfed the neceflity of taking fume mea-
lures, with refped to their colonial polreffions. He
laid he had tome refolutions to propofe to the Meet-
ing, expreffive of their acknowledgments to the offi-
cers and foldiers, who had In bravely defended the
Ifland of Dominica, from the late attacks of the ene-
my; and expatiated with great eloquence upon the
gallant and meritorious conduft 6f General Plummy,
to whom, in the fir( inflame, he moved the warmed
thanks; which was agreed to unanimously.
He next called the attention of the Meeting to the
gallant and almoll unprecedented condua ofthe offi-
cers in his Majefly's fervice, and thofe ferving in the
colonial forces, to whom In much was due for their
fpirited refinance of an enemy of fo very fuperior a
force, in their attack on St. Rupert', the 22d of Fe-
bruary lan. He then moved the thanks of the meet-
ing to thole gallant heroes, which was unanimously
carried.

After Come converfation between Mr. MANNINO,
Mr. Lower, Mr. GEORGE HISBERT, Mr. HAS KIT,
and fome other Gentlemen, it was alfo agreed that the
Chairman fhould tranfmit a letter from the Meeting
to General Prevolt, expreffive of their acknowledg-
ments to the non commillioned ()Ricers and privates
belonging to his Majedy's regular forces, and alfo to
the non-commillioned officers and privates comporiug
the Colonial forces of the Ifland of Dominica. for
their very gallant and fpirited relitlance of the enemy
on the 22d of February, to be communicated to
them by that General in the warmed terms. This
motion was alfo unanimottfly cart ied.
Mr. httatra two then obferved, that a farther tribute
of their gratitude was due to General Prevo(f, as a
fmall token of their obligations for his fervices ; he
had originally intended to propole, that a fword (the
moll appropriate gift to a brave officer) &mild be
voted to him, as was ufual in moll cafes of the fame
nature; but this had been anticipated by the Patri-
otic Society at Lloyd's, which had already voted him
a (word of confiderable value; he therefore thought,
the next moil acceptable gift would be a piece of
plate, kith an appropriate infcriptian ; and moved:
that the fame, of the value of 2CO guineas, fhould be
prepared, under the infpedion of the Chairman and
a Committee to be appointed for that purpofe, and
prefeated to that gallant General; the expence of
which fhould be. defrayed out of the general funds.
Mr. LAW obferved, that there funds were in a very
profperous Rate, and, therefore propofed, that the
value of the piece of plate, inflead of being zoo,
fhould be 300 guineas. After a few obfervations,
the refolution, with this amendment, was unanimoufly
agreed to.
Mr. Lotto then called the attention of the Meeting
to another fubjed, relative to a communication which
he had had by their dircdinns with the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, upon the fubjed of the average prices
of fugars and rice, in reference to the new duties
upon thole articles. After time converfation with
the Miniller and Mr. Hufkiffon, he received for an
fwer, that the propofitions fent in by the Weft India
Merchants, were not ful6,:iently fpeciiic ; and, until
more particular and precife prlporitions were laid be-
fore him, he could not fs)rin any conclufion upon the
fubjed. He, therefore propofed, that there propod-
dons fhould be referred to the Standing Committee,
for the purpofe of their confider ing the matter, and
ailing accordingly. He then dated, that he alfo had
a communication with the Minifler relative to the
late attack upon our Wed Indian poffellions, and the
meafures adopted by Government for the better fe-
curity and defence of thole 'Rands. To all his ob.
fervations and interrogatories upon that fubjed, 4,e
had received only a gereral anfwer, that Govern
ment had taken the necefiltry Reps for the fecurity
and protection of the Weft Indies, without going
into any particular information upon that head.
Mr. HAWKEY role and addreffed the Meeting. He
thought the fubjeet before them fhould be treated on
a much more extenfive and comprehenlive fcale ; and
called upon them to lay all the circumftances at large
before Government and the whole kingdom. He
cnnfidered that the late unfortunate events which oc-
curred in the Weft Indies were entirely owing to two
caufes: ill, the want of unanimity a m ring ft themfelves;
and, 2dly, the grofs neglect of Government, with
regard to the defence of thole Minds againft the at-
tacks of a foreign enemy. In the fit it place, with re-
gard to the quellion before them, on the fuhjed of the
average prices, he could not but oblerve, that there
were no part of his Majefty's fubjeds already In over-
burthened as the Weft India Merchants. For his
own part, as a planter of the Ifland of Grenada, he
felt it in a very confiderable degree—every man who
knew him, was well allured he was a man mod
firmly attached to his country and government, and
he would molt willingly, at any time, give not only
50, but too per Cent. of his property, towards its
welfare and fecurity—but he could not pafs over
the idea which had gone abroad with refped to
the Weft India Merchants, without fome obferva-
don. The public had formed the notion, from the
various mifreprefentations that had gone forth, that,
let what misfortune foever happen to that part of
the globe, either by hurricanes, infurreelions, or at-
tacks of the enemy, no matter which, the Well
India Merchants were able to bear all ; they were
rich enatigh to fullain all fuch loffes ; and, what
between the Slave Trade, and various other local
circumftances, which had been molt grofly mif
reprefented, they were held in general difrepute.—
No allowances whatever were made for the failure
of crops (which fo frequently occurred) from the
nature of the climate, the infurredion of Raves, or
the attacks of an enemy ; the latter of which had
fo recently happened ; and, taking all the circum-
fiances into confideration. the Wed India proprietors
were already overburthened more than they well
could bear; he therefore was of opinion, that fome
mtaiirres fhould be adopted, in order to lay the
whole matter before Government, and the public,
and to convince the world that the Wert Indian

MerchAnts were grcrs!y mirreprefented, calumniated,
and aholed. The nt tt p gut Le referred to was, the
ineafisrei adopted by Government for the pre.teelion
of the Weft Indian Mad.; and upon takir ga L,..--
neral view of the ibbjcZt, he a ntendcd, th it in :A-
mol ever; inflance there 1% as a grofs negleCt on the
part of the Government of this country towards thnfe
moll valuable poffeffions. He begged leave to die, if
the French Iquadron, which had fo lately vilited thole
parts, had the flightell idea that the Government of
this country had been fo dilatory and negligent in
taking (Ups for their defence, and that fo long a term
could have elapfed, fince their firft appearance in
that quarter, without any effort being made, or any
farce fent out to refill them, whether they would
have been fatisfied with the few depredations they
had committed, or whether they would not have
followed it by much more ferious and decifive ope-
rations ? Even at the prefent moment, there was .
no certainty whatever es to the deflination of the
Toulon fleet, nor any affurance from his Majefly's
Minifters, that any pofitive Reps have been taken to
augment the forces in the 'Well Indies, and in the '
event of their purfuing their courfe to that quarters
what was to be expected ? He was one of the Taft
men in the world who would willingly depreciate the :+
condo& of Government ; he had never been in the
habit of doing fo, but quite the contrary. However,
in the prefent care, he could not but make thole oh!.
fervations, and he did not fo entirely blame Govern.
ment ; for, he again repeated, the primitive caufe •
of the prefent alarming dilemma in which they were
involved, arofc from the want of unanimity amongft
themfelves ; he, therefore, thought, that, under all
the circumftances of the cafe, it was abfolutely
nectfrary they fbnold adopt fotne plan, to lay the
fajta, in the tolled manner, before the country at
large ; frr which purpofe he moved, " That the fub. .'
jett thould be taken into contideration, and means
adopted for effeet;ng that moil defirable objeZt." .
Mr. Gaosos lissai.a r perfeely coincided in the
oblervations made by the Hon. Gentleman ; but he
confidered the fiat aka of the meeting war recpecl.
ing the average prices, which fhould be fettled.—
Hereafter themotion might be very well made ; and i
in the mean time, he moved that a Committee fhould
be appointed to devife the belt way of bringing the
fubjeel before the public.
Mr. HANRIT Paid, he had not the-leali objedion to
withdraw his motion for the prefent—but expreffed
his firm intention of bringing the fubjeft forward on
a future day, of which he would hereafter give notice
—he per fealy agreed in the motion propofed by the
Hon. Gentleman, which was accordingly carried
unanimoufly. _

The meeting, after Come limber general con►cr
Cation, broke up.

NAUTIC4L INTELLIGENCE.

PLYMOUTH, MAY 21.—This morning failed from
Cawfand Lay, the DREADNOUGHT, of 913 guns, It.-
sra ious,of 74 guns, MINOTAUI, of 74. guns, MARS,
of 74. guns, RAI4 ILLIAS, of 74 sans, Baci.saorisos,
of 74 guns, CULL, stis, of 74. Our, TONSTANT, of SO
guns, ACHILLS, of 8o guns, Its PULSE, of 74 guns,
and RAISOWASLE, of 64 guns, all to the weltward,
with a fine breeze at E. S. E. which will alto enable
the French• fleet to put to tea if they feel difpofed.—
Came in the NeMEsic, of 28 guns, from the eaftward,
with, a fleet under convoy : CH aka tit gun b:ig, from
Portfmoutb : Taowea ;not armed fhip from Ireland :
and the Danifh barque Maren Rofencrontz, FALHEN-
BURG H mailer, from Frederickftsdt, with timber, for
his Majefty's yard. Paled by, the Ills, of soguns,
wiih the fleet for Newfoundland.

PORTSWWTH, MAY 21.—Sailed this morning his
Majefty's fhips TRIUMPH and LEDA, with a fleet of
tranfports under convoy for Cork : fince which a
boat was difpatched to order the following fhips, viz.
the Duke of Ilronte, Anna, Alert, Henry, Symme-
try, Three Sitters, Unity, Archimedes and Ganges,
to return to Spithead, till further orders—three of
which have only returned, and it is not expeEled the
remainder will be overtaken. Arrived the Jamaica.
from the Downs. Sailed his Majefly'sfhips Eurittyce,
Merlin, ri evoyante, and Locull, with the fleet under
convoy for the Mediterranean ; Defender gun brig,
for Guernfey ; Tickler gun brig on a cruize ; alto
the Ills man of war, and the Rattler flop of war for
Newfoundland, leaving the convoy behind, after
giving them inflrations.—Wind Eaflerly.

DEAL, MAY 22.--SAiled the ATALANTA and HUM-
sea Chops of war, with the Royalift and Otbourn
tranfports, and feveral outward bound vac's under
convoy, for Portfmouth ; MARINER gun brig, with
difpatches for the fqoadron off (Mend; Devarre-
TION and LUCIFER bombs, on a cruize. Wind S. E.