The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-17
SUMMARY OF POLITICS.

jamaica (oMPLAlNTS.-Of the diiputes
between the Legislature and the governor of this
important colony, or, rather, between the re-
preientaives OF the colony and the kings econ
hdental iervant" in Downing ftreet, much was
lad IN the months Of July laf. Tnd>ed, think,
IL VIII De found, upon examin., ton, that all or
nearly all, the documents, relating to thefe diff
putes, are contained in the preceding volumes
OF this work (; and, to thole who NAV not have
peruied thoie documents, and the obferva,ions
thereon, 1t may be ufeful to refer to D. So of
Vol. vi. where the ieveral parts of the RICHTER,
reating 10 theie matters are pointed out.-in
that page the hiftory of the complaints of the
planters OF Jamaica was brought down TO the
month OF December, lsOS, when the governor
applied to the afiembly to make provifon for
the eXPence OF Tending to France the Spanih
prlloners of war, taken at St. Domingo, an an
piication to which the afTembly returned for
aniwer, that they could not undertake for anv
part OF the expcnce.-In this humour they met
again IN December, 1904, as will, think, clear
y appear from the documents to be found in
the foregoing pages of the prefcnt fl,eet, all Of
which documents beg leave to recommend to
the attention of the reader. The firit is a refo-
| luton OF the governor and council, notifying.
that AFTER the end of Fix mouths, reckoning from
| the 2ltt OF November laff, the Importation of
proviiions and lumber hitherto permitted in
neutral vefcls, ihall no longer be permitted:
and that, the expectation of rum and moIaiIcs.
nitnerto permitted, under certain rcfriaions,
III tne lame Veiieis, HAIL no longer be permitted
Whereupon the afiembly, in an addrefs. dated
on the sth of December, reprcfent to the oo-
vernon the deep concern which this rcfolution
mas excited, and the fatal consequences, which,
! u perievered IN, 1T mutt produce. They fay,
mat II IS notorious, that, without continuance
of their intercourfe with the United States of
America, their plantations cannot be fi,pnlied
with the articles indifpeniibly necehary to the
cultivation of their land and the CONVEYING of
lis productions to the mother country. They.
therefore, beieech the governor either 10 revoke
the reolution, or to recall the publication of it,
until an opportunity is afforded the afiembly of
making representation to their fovereign. In
aniwer TO this addrefs, the governor eXprefIes
/ his extreme concern, that the imperative orders
| he has received from the niinifters of England
compel him TO refufe the requef of the alIem.
bly,. But, he obferves to them, that the fix
months notice Of the termination of the inter-
courfe will afford him time to communicatetheir
wl!hes to the minifers, and will afford them
time TO make their approximations TO the king.
IN the manner, that they may think moft con-
ducIve to their interehs. The petition of the
afiembly to his majefty, which is the lat of the
documents here laid before the public, appears
to have been drawn up in confequence of re-
iolution agreed to previous TO the date of the re-
iolutIon OF the governor and council, the fub
Ject OF that refolution being referved for a fe
parate representation to the king. The petit
on complains frlt, of the attacks which have
been made, and which are fill making, upon
the rights, the reputation, and the lives of the
peaceable inhabitants of the Weft-India cole
MES, by thofe speculative men, who have, with
iuch dreadful fuccefs, propagated their fanati
cal and chimerical notions of liberty and coma
lity IN the old world and, it eXprei1cs a firm
reliance on the wifdom and paternal care and
fo'icitude of his maieity to prevent limilar fuc-
GETS in his diftant poGefions. The other filbiee,
OF complaint, is, the breach of the compact be-
tween the mother country and the colony of
Jamaica, which breach coDfifts, in the impoline,
ny the mlniiters at home, enormous duties upon
the produce of Jamaica, and in the encourage
ment of the production of fl1gar in the fettle-
ments of the Eaf-India company, anc; that. too.
ior the avowed purpofe of dfcouraging the w.
! india production of that article. The obferya.
tons, to be made upon tbefe complaints, natu
rally divide themfelves under four difinef heads
namely, the nfereolyJe avitb the United Slater
Of A'nerica: the Haze trade the ebbyyITq,e din
heI and the preference gi1en to the produce of
tbe Ear-india company. The iirh is, in every
ienie OF the word, the mott important fubieef
for, it is to be hoped, that the legiGjainre here
will not hafily adopt the notions which the n.
iembiy dread, relative to the fave trade: the
oppreihve duties may be lightened and the +.
India iugar project may be abandoned, or NAV
loon iai), from more than one caufe. But with
regard to the nfercog,Jr qrIfb Ame,Ica there is
not moment 20 he loft. Three months of The
Tx will ihortIy have expired: already merchants
and planters mutt have made preparations for
regulating their conduct upon the refolution of
the governor and council: already the co,ony
NUT have begun to feel its effects; and, unlei
II be revoked, without lois Of time, cop(couen-
ces the mott ferious muH enfIe, confeouences
refnlting in Rate Of things that may, .yilbou,
exaggeraion, be defcribsd as the total ruin Of
The colony; and if the example be followed in
:he other ifi1nds, b. the ruin of all our colonies
IN the Wcft-Indics. That flIch fu1 be the cf.
feels OF this bdrli rneaiure will admit Of Ii:tle
DOUBT IN the mind of any one who takes time
to oootdcr what is the nature and what the ex-
tent q the ihtcTcourfc between jamaica and the
United S;atcs. The Americans fupply the plan
cTs OF Jamaica wiki -four, Indian meal, Indian
,io,,f'cc, pork, beef, fI!t FIJI, fome live ftock.
q wee Gber, icanfliag, boards, fneles, and
the r,cd ri Is TO fay, with great portion of
Itlie mercbanfs,,d fqrthe planters, the negroes,
ven FOR his fnaieiiy' as The aacmbly obferye, e
ling, and boards whg2p.s; with timber, fcanf-
l,hc horfss saA inapcladth 10 build aud repair
' xUifh G,.,,-,,. 4,