"With regard to the observations made in some of the letters transmitted by you, on the manner in which the jury was composed, and on the connection of some persons on that jury with Mr. Huggins himself, it might be difficult at this distance of time to prove that corrupt motives influenced the decision of that jury; but as it appears uncontradicted, and indeed admitted, that persons holding the office of magistrates were present at the punishment without interfering to prevent an act absolutely illegal in itself, I am commanded by His Royal Highness, The Prince Regent, to direct that you will remove from that honourable situation any magistrate or magistrates who actually witnessed the infliction of that punishment without interference, and who have no better justification of their conduct to allege than ignorance of the duties attached to their office; and I am to desire that this may be done with that degree of publicity that may mark, to the community to which they belong, His Royal Highness's reprobation of such culpable remissness on their part. As you state in your letter of the 18th January, that you are about to complete the tour of the islands, and as you will have an opportunity of a direct inquiry into the state of the civil and judicial institutions of each island, you will not fail to convey to me the fullest information on these points, that his Majesty's government may be enabled to consider what steps it may be fitting to take for the reform of any abuses that may exist in the administration of justice in the severai islands under your command."

V.

To the Right Honourable the President and Directors of the African Institution.

St. Vincent.

The humble Memorial of JOHN WISE, a free Negro Man of the said Island.

Sheweth,

THAT your Memorialist was, in the year 1797, sold by Henry Haffey Esq. executor of William Wise deceased, as a slave to one Claude Alexander, a free Mulatto man of the said island, but, as your Memorialist is informed and advised, without any sufficient or legal title whatever so to do, in the said Henry Haffey.

That your Memorialist was employed by the said Claude Alexander as a mariner on board of a sloop of his called the Revenge.

That the said sloop having been hired by one James Wilson Esq. of the said island for a voyage to Martinique, then subject to the British crown, was, on the seventh day of October 1801, taken by a Spanish schooner, privateer, and carried first to the island of Margaritta (and from thence to Cumana on the Spanish main) in order to be legally condemned, where the said sloop, with the slaves and cargo on board were accordingly condemned in the Spanish court of vice-admiralty, as lawful prize to the captors, being then subjects of his Catholic Majesty, and at war with the King of Great Britain and his subjects.

That by beat of drum your Memorialist together with the other slaves taken on board said sloop, were then and there sold, under the decree of the said Spanish court of vice-admiralty, and your Memorialist was then and there purchased, by one Rubin Pitcher, an American. And about three months afterwards your Memorialist was again sold by the said Rubin Pitcher, and purchased by one John Gordon Esq. doctor of medicine, then living at St. Croix, in whose

service your Memorialist continued for several years, and until the time of his death, which happened in the city of Bath in England, on the 27th day of January 1807, your Memorialist having accompanied his said master to Europe for the benefit of his health, about twelve months after he became his slave.

That the said John Gordon, in consideration of the long and faithful services of your Memorialist, did manumit and for ever enfranchise your Memorialist, and settle upon him, by his last will, the sum of twenty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain; as a provision for him your Memorialist during his natural life, as a reward for his good conduct and fidelity in the service of his said master.

That your Memorialist after the death of his late said master John Gordon Esq. continued in service successively with various families at Bath, to wit, Mrs. Esdails, Mr. Brewers, and Mrs. Cotton of King-street, and afterwards at Bristol with one Mr. Otway, from which port he embarked as a steward on board the brig Theresa, belonging to Messrs. Brice and Co. of the said city, and whereof George Sele was master, on the day of June or July last past; at the wages of 47. 15s. per month, during her voyage out and home, from the said port of Bristol to Trinidad and back.

That on the 18th day of November last, the said brig touched at the island of St. Vincent, on her homeward bound voyage; and on the 19th, your Memorialist was seized and brought on shore, by virtue of a warrant granted by Daniel M'Dowall, Esq., one of the justices of the said island; and upon the oath of the before mentioned Claude Alexander, claiming your Memorialist as his runaway slave, he was, without any hearing or the permission of any explanation allowed him, committed by the said Daniel M'Dowall to the common gaol of the said island, as a runaway, and as the slave and property of the said Claude Alexander, in defiance of all law and justice whatever, and there detained until the following day, when by virtue of an order to the provost marshal of the said island, from the said Daniel McDowall, he was released from prison, and delivered up in

bondage to the said Claude Alexander, as his lawful reclaim ed slave and property, as by true and certified copies of the said warrant and order, and the certificate of the said provost marshal hereunto annexed, will fully appear.

That a gentleman by the name of Hugh Perry Keane Esq., formerly of Lincoln's Inn, barrister of law, but now resident in this island, having been made acquainted with the circumstances, did immediately and gratuitously take up the case of your Memorialist, and having in the first instance, to no effect, applied to the said Daniel M'Dowall, the justice aforesaid, who insisted that the said Claude Alexander had a right to seize and secure his former property wherever he could find it, and therefore to seize and again enslave your Memorialist; and having likewise, to no purpose, applied to the said Claude Alexander for the release of your Memorialist, he, the said Hugh Perry Keane, did sue out a Habeas Corpus, to oblige the said Claude Alexander to appear before William Taylor Esq. the chief justice of the Court of King's Bench and Common Pleas of the said island with the body of him, your Memorialist, in order that the said William Taylor, chief justice, might examine into the cause of the caption, detention, and imprisonment of him, your Me morialist, and release, bail, or remand him, as the circumstances of the case should require, as by the said writ of Habeas Corpus, and the return thereon, hereunto annexed, will appear.

That the said Hugh Perry Keane, on the part of your Memorialist, did state before the said chief justice, all the circumstances of the case, and did contend, that after the before-mentioned capture and condemnation of the said sloop Revenge, with the cargo and slaves on board, and your Memorialist as one of them, the said Claude Alexander could have no right, or title, or property whatever in your Memorialist; the same having passed, if any there ever were, to the captors, as lawful prize, by virtue of the condemnation aforesaid, and from them by public sale to the said Rubin Pitcher, and by purchase from him to the said John Gordon. And the said Hugh Perry Keane did further insist, that the

N

manumission of your Memorialist by the said John Gordon, at Bath, was conclusive, as to all former claims on your Memorialist as a slave or bondsman, and completely established the freedom of your Memorialist with the rights and privileges of a freeman to all intents and purposes. And the said Hugh Perry Keane did then and there produce two competent and creditable witnesses; James Wilson, Esq. who had hired the said sloop, and was on board of her at the time of her capture by the enemy, and carried to Cumana, and William Hinds, formerly master of a vessel, and in the employ of the said Rubin Pitcher, who was at Margaritta and Cumana, at the time of the condemnation of the said sloop with the cargo and slaves, and who carried your Memorialist, with other slaves then purchased at the said public sale, from thence over to Saint Croix, for the said Rubin Pitcher. And by such witnesses he did offer to prove upon oath, before the said chief justice, the aforesaid capture, condemnation, and sale, with all and every particular relating thereunto at large and did also further offer to prove, by Willian Glenn, Esq. of the said island, who well knew your Memorialist at Bath in the service of the said John Gordon, your Memorialist's residence and services with his said master, and the high opinion and regard his said master bore towards him, together with all other circumstances relating to the death of the said John Gordon, and the acknowledged freedom of your Memorialist. But the counsel on the part of the said Claude Alexander did oppose the admission of such viva voce evidence, and insist before the said chief justice, that he, the said chief justice, could not take cognizance of the case in such form and manner, or allow any such evidence to militate against the claim of property made by the said Claude Alexander on your deponent as his slave; but that the same should be tried by action at law before the Court of King's Bench and Common Pleas, when and where the sentence of condemnation itself or a certified transcript thereof from Cumana ought to be produced as the only admissible evidence; while, on the con