In St. Vincent's, the restriction comprises cocoa and coffee, as well as cotton and ginger; and to possess them subjects a slave to the same punishment as the receiving stolen goods.

In Bermuda, where vegetable provisions and small live stock are staple articles, the slaves are absolutely interdicted from raising any species of either for their own use, even though they should have their master's permission.

And in the Bahama islands, where there is abundance of vacant lands, the slaves were, by sect. 11. act of 1784, prohibited from raising the articles of food necessary for subsistence; and the plantations they had made were cruelly to be destroyed.

The meliorating act of Dominica, passed this year, enacts, "That if any white or free person shall be convicted of maiming, defacing, or mutilating, or cruelly torturing, any slave, he shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding three months, or fined in any sum not exceeding £100, current money of this island (£57 2s.104d.sterling)."

The reader will wonder at the confidence of those who attempted to pass upon the privy council and parliament the following piece of mummery, when they are told that the witnesses examined on the part of this island (Dominica) stated that there were no legal marriages among the slaves:

"And in order to protect the domestic and connubial happiness of slaves, be it, and it is hereby further enacted and ordained, by the authority aforesaid, that any white person or free person of colour whatever, who shall take away and cohabit with the wife or wives of any slave or slaves in this island, shall, on conviction thereof before any three or more magistrates, be subject to a fine not exceeding the sum of £50, to be recovered and appropriated in manner and form as is directed by the first clause of this act;"-i. e. to be paid into the treasury, for the public uses of the island.

i.e.

But this enactment has been omitted in the existing acts of those islands.

In Jamaica, it was enacted, this year, "that if any slave shall offer any violence, by striking or otherwise, to any white person, such slave, upon due and proper proof, shall, upon conviction, be punished with death, or confinement to hard labour for life, or otherwise, as the court in their discretion shall think proper to inflict; provided such striking or conflict be not by command of his or their owners, overseers, or persons intrusted over them, or in the lawful defence of their owners' persons or goods."

Sir William Blackstone says, "the future process of law is by no means an adequate remedy for injuries accompanied with force, since it is impossible to say to what wanton length of rapine or cruelty outrages of this sort might be carried, unless it were permitted a man immediately to oppose one violence with another. Self

Stephen on West Indian Slavery, pp. 19. 159. 187, 188.

defence, therefore, as it is justly called the primary law of nature, so it is not, neither can it be, in fact, taken away by the law of society. The colonial assemblies have not scrupled to abrogate this "primary law of nature," self-defence is a capital crime in a slave - and murder, a fifteen-pound penalty in his oppressor !

By the same act, any slave, who should run away and be absent for six months, was to be confined to hard labour for such time as the court should determine, or to be transported for life; and if the runaway had been two years upon the island, he was to suffer such punishment as the justices should think proper to inflict. By their former acts this punishment was death. By this, the power of inflicting it is retained, without the odium of enacting it.

In Grenada, an act was passed, November 3d, which directs, that slaves are not to be compelled (except in carrying on such manufactures as require night or extra labour) to work until day-break, nor at their times of breakfast or dining, nor after sun-set, except in carrying one bundle of grass from the field to the stable. They are to have half an hour for breakfast, and from twelve till two for dinner. They are to be instructed by a clergyman in religion.'

There is a penalty of £165 currency, on any proprietor who shall debauch a married slave. An attorney or employed person so doing is to forfeit half his salary. Slaves so doing to suffer corporal punishment, not extending to life or limb. Three persons, being freeholders and possessors of thirty slaves, are by the justices to be nominated "guardians of the slaves," who are to take an oath to

Stephen on West Indian Slavery, p. 288.
Report of the Lords of the Committee, 1798, Part III.

1 Cowper says, "Laws will, I suppose, be enacted for the more humane treatment of the Negroes; but who shall see to the execution of them? the planters will not, and the Negroes cannot. In fact we know, that laws of this tendency have not been wanting, enacted even amongst themselves; but there has been always a want of prosecutors, or righteous judges deficiencies which will not be very easily supplied." Cowper has overlooked the greatest want, the one which indignant prosecutors or upright judges cannot supply, and which can only be remedied by enabling slaves to give evidence. "On the whole, I fear (he says) there is reason to wish, for the honour of England, that the nuisance had never been troubled; lest we eventually make ourselves justly chargeable with the whole offence by not removing it.

The

enormity cannot be palliated; we can no longer plead that we were not aware of it, or that our attention was otherwise engaged; and shall be inexcusable, therefore, ourselves, if we leave the least part of

raoh might have used to justify his de-
struction of the Israelites, substituting
only sugar for bricks, may lie ready for
our use also; but I think we can find no
better."
- Cowper's Correspondence.

"The resolution of the House of Commons in 1823, declares that the great object of emancipation must be accomplished at the earliest period which shall be compatible with the well-being of the slaves themselves, with the safety of the colonies, and with a fair and equitable consideration for the interests of private property.' But (Lord Bathurst says) the court of policy must recollect, that if, on one hand, parliament and his Majesty's government stand pledged to give the planters all equitable compensation, they stand equally pledged to take such measures as may ultimately, though gradually, work out the freedom of slaves. The court of policy may be assured, that from the final accomplishment of this object this country will not be diverted." Lord Bathurst's Letter, 25th Feb. 1826.

see the act duly executed and managers and overseers are to answer them upon oath.

The number of Negroes in Barbadoes, returned on oath by Mr. Agent Brathwaite, was 64,405.

Twenty-nine thousand five hundred and six Negroes were imported into the French part of St. Domingo this year.

The Assembly at Jamaica passed a law to prohibit the burial of the dead within the walls of the churches; and as this regulation injured the rector's perquisites, an augmentation of £50 per ann. was made to most of the livings.

A bill was brought into parliament, for regulating the number of slaves to be put on board each vessel carrying them from Africa. The Liverpool merchants petitioned against the bill, and counsel for the petitioners appeared at the bar, and examined witnesses to prove that the hardships alleged did not exist.

The act directs, that in every ship where the space between the two decks shall not be less than five feet in height, and where the cabin shall be fitted for the accommodation of the Negroes, in the proportion of five persons for three tons, if the ship's burthen does not exceed one hundred and sixty tons, and of three persons for two tons, if the burthen of the ship does exceed one hundred and fifty tons, and in every ship where the space between the two decks shall be less than five feet, or where the cabin shall not be fitted for the accommodation of the Negroes, in the proportion of one person for every ton burthen of the ship or vessel on board which such natives shall be so conveyed, under the penalty of £20 for every native exceeding the number allowed -half the forfeiture to go to the King, and half to the prosecutor. Valuation of British property vested in the British sugar colonies — Report of the Privy Council, 1788 :

Report of the Lords of the Committee, 1798, Supplement to No. 15.

Edwards, vol. i. p. 265.; vol. iii. p. 220.

Annual Register, 1788, p. 136. 300.

Sir W. Young's Common place Book, p. 24.

On the 11th of December, Dr. Coke and Mr. Baxter the Methodist missionaries, set out for the territories of the Caribs in St. Vincent's, and were received by them with great civility. Chatoyer's son, John Dimmey, accompanied them: he had been for some time under the tuition of Mr. and Mrs. Baxter, and spoke English tolerably well. He walked twenty-five miles by the side of Dr. Coke's horse, and introduced the missionaries to De Valley, a Carib chief, who regaled them with eggs, cassada bread and punch. His little boy had been instructed by Mr. Baxter, and amused them all by his spelling.

A school-house had been erected for the Carib children near the river Byera, which was the boundary of their country; and the Methodists had sent a man and his wife from London, to instruct them.

The school-house was now divided: Mr. Baxter, the missionary, was to have part, and Mr. Joice, the schoolmaster, the rest.

The number of slaves imported into the Grenades was 2,915. The population of Dominica was returned at 1236 Whites, 445 free Negroes, and 14,967 slaves.

Mr. Parry, the governor, stated the inhabitants of Barbadoes, to amount to 25,000 Whites, and 75,000 Blacks and people of colour, exclusive of about thirty families of Caribs.

Twenty-seven thousand five hundred and fifty-three slaves had been imported since 1784-15,781 of whom were exported, leaving 11,772, who remained on the island.

“Taking an indiscriminate number of children who have died in the year, all being under twelve years of age, there appears to have died of them, thirty-five at or under twelve months; forty-two from one to four years; eighteen from four to eight years; one about nine; two about ten, and one at about eleven years of age. these, three-fourths died of teething, worms, and the concomitants incident to these disorders."

Of

Upon the 19th of December, the Methodist missionaries again visited Dominica. Governor Orde received them with great civility, and Mr. M'Cornock remained upon the island, to spread the tenets of that sect. In the course of a few months he made 150 converts; but his zeal was greater than his strength, and he killed himself by his exertions.

Coke's West Indies, vol. i. p. 370.; vol. ii. pp. 122. 259. 344. 354.

January the 3d, Thomas Thompson, of the sloop Sally, saw a white flag flying upon the island of Inagua: he found twentythree women and fifty-three men and boys, who had been landed there from a brig, from Dunlary in Ireland, bound to Charlestown. They were told the island was well inhabited, and provisions plenty; but when they found themselves deceived, and wanted to return on board, they were fired at, and one man killed. They were all in a most distressed situation.

The island of Jamaica exported 1,201,801 pounds of coffee, this year.

In April, the following regulations were made at Jamaica, in favour of the Negroes:

"Firstly. Every possessor of a slave is prohibited from turning him away, when incapacitated by sickness or age; but must provide for him the wholesome necessaries of life, under a penalty of for every offence.

10

"Secondly. Every person who mutilates a slave shall pay a fine not exceeding 100, and be imprisoned not exceeding twelve months; and in very atrocious cases, the slaves may be declared free.

"Thirdly. Any person wantonly or bloody-mindedly killing a slave, shall suffer death.

"Fourthly. Any person whipping, bruising, wounding, or imprisoning a slave, not his property, nor under his care, shall be subject to fine and imprisonment.

"Fifthly. A parochial tax to be raised for the support of Negroes disabled by sickness and old age, having no owners."

The annual loss of slaves, in twenty years ending this year, (that is, the excess of deaths above the births), was in Jamaica about one in a 100.

Thirty-two millions of pounds of coffee were exported.from the French part of St. Domingo this

year.

For four years and nine months previous to the 30th of September, 1788, only fifty-two slaves had been executed in Jamaica.

Montserrat is stated to contain about 30,000 acres, of which 6000 are appropriated to the culture of sugar, 2000 to cotton, 2000 to ground provisions, 2000 to pasturage: the rest is either very mountainous or very barren.

There were 8310 slaves upon the island, one-third of whom were employed in cultivating the land, one-third were old Negroes or children incapable of work. Tradesmen, grass-gangs, and domestics formed the remainder.

The average crop, from 1784 to 1788, both inclusive, was

Annual Register, 1788, pp. 201. 206.—1791, p. 178, Pitt's Speech.

Sir W. Young's Common-place Book, p. 74.

Report of the Lords of the Committee, 1789.