with arms in their hands on the 18th of February, 1797,-surrendering not so much to the volour of the British forces, as to the high and unsullied reputation of the British nation for honour and justice, what might not be the political consequences in any future wars, when colonies are to be acquired or defended! They, therefore, the members of his majesty's council, with the oath they had taken, as counsellors, now before them, by which they had sworn to be true and faithful to his excellency; to faithfully serve his majesty the king; to promote the good of his majesty's affairs with their best ability ; and to defend the island from intestine insurrection; in virtue of that solemn obligation hereby advised his excellency to stay the promulgation and execution of the aforesaid order in council, until a representation of its injurious tendency could be received by his majesty's ministers; declaring that they held themselves irresponsible for all and every consequence which might ensue from the exercise of his excellency's prerogative, in the rejection of this their deli berate advice. And they respectfully requested that his excellency would be pleased to transmit this their earnest representation and advice at the earliest opportunity to his majesty's secre tary of state for the colonies. their present form of government, the proper benefit of the British colonies. Should the lives construction or legal effect of a law could never or fortunes of those honourable men or their be known until its meaning had been contested | descendants be hazarded or lost, who capitulated in the tribunals of first instance and of appeal in that colony, and finally determined by the lords of appeal in England; a state of suspense which might last for a considerable period of time, and constituting in itself a serious hardship, but which in the present instance was highly aggravated by the circumstance of the order in council obliging individuals to record their actions at the time, and to attest the same on oath; which record was to be received and enregistered by an officer appointed for that purpose, who was sworn to the rigid execution of the duties of his office, and must prosecute for every infraction of the law, so that. individuals might be ultimately subjected to legal proceeding and to heavy fines for actions confessed to have been performed years before, under a misapprehension of the meaning of that law; and this in itself they respectfully represented to his excellency to be a cruel and severe grievance. After alluding to another experiment which was to be commenced in their courts of civil justice on the 1st January, 1825, under the provisions of the order in council of the 5th August, 1822, they revert to the order of the 10th January, 1824, and point out to his excellency, that in the detail of the necessary arrangements, previous to the promulgation of the order, they observe no provision made for compensation, in the event A despatch from earl Bathurst to sir Ralph of loss and injury therefrom to the property of Woodford, dated " Downing Street, 24 June, the inhabitants of the colony-property unde-"1824," adverts to the remarks made by sir niably acquired, and secured under the sanction and protection of laws promulgated in this colony by the express command of our sovereign. The measure was openly declared to be an experiment to be made in that colony, for the ultimate benefit of others; they therefore respectfully contended, that if their property was exposed to jeopardy by the experiment, they were previously entitled to a guarantee for its ultimate safety. That was a maxim so consonant to every feeling of British justice, and so conformable to British practice, that they should be at a loss to account for the omission of so essential a clause in the order, were they not satisfied, by the tenour of his majesty's speech to both houses of parliament, and by the resolutions of the house of commons of May 1823, that his majesty's ministers had not the slightest suspicion of the injurious consequences which must arise from the enforcement of the act. For that reason, therefore, they felt themselves more imperatively called upon, as his excellency's advisers, to declare their unreserved opinion, that the loss and injury would be great. Farther, they begged leave to call to his excellency's most serious attention the foul disgrace which might by possibility attach to the British name and character, should any irreparable mischief ensue, in the prosecution of an experiment upon a foreign conquered island, intended for the avowed Ralph in his despatch of the 7th May, on some of the clauses of the order, the difficulties in which his lordship explains. With regard to the 42d clause, he observes, that the forfeiture of slaves upon a second conviction for an unlawful punishment was expressly left to "the discretion of the court," and therefore would not be enforced, except in extreme cases. It was also to be ob served, that the forfeiture was to the benefit of the crown, and therefore would not be enforced, unless the offence were of a very grave and serious character. In order, however, to allay any apprehension which might be entertained of a harsh exercise of this enactment, his lordship had to direct that the penalty on the second conviction should never be enforced until the whole case had been referred home for the consideration of his majesty. A despatch from sir Ralph Woodford to earl Bathurst, dated "Trinidad, 3 July, 1824," encloses a representation from a committee of the inhabitants, repeating their dread of the consequences to be apprehended from the order in council, and soliciting his excellency's interpretation of some parts of it which they profess to be unable to understand. Sir Ralph also encloses his answer, declining to give any opinion on the subject. A despatch from earl Bathurst to sir Ralph Woodford, dated "Downing Street, 14 July, “1824,” acknowledges the receipt of sir Ralph's | the purpose aforesaid, nothing in the said order despatch of the 26th May, and contains various contained doth extend, or shall be construed to explanations with respect to the order in council. A despatch from sir Ralph Woodford to earl Bathurst, dated "Trinidad, 6th August, 1824," reports that the island is undisturbed, and that the apprehensions which had prevailed had begun to subside. Sir Ralph again earnestly intreats lord Bathurst's reconsideration of the severe penalty comprehended in the 42d clause. A despatch from earl Bathurst to sir Ralph Woodford, dated "Downing Street, 11th September, 1824," acknowledges the receipt of sir Ralph's despatch of the 3d July, covering a memorial from the committee of the inhabitants to his excellency, and his excellency's reply. His lordship states, that he has felt it to be his duty to submit it to his majesty, that an order in council may be issued, the provisions of which will comprise such explanations as will be sufficient to remove many of the doubts and dif. ficulties suggested by the committee: but as some delay must take place in the preparation of the new order, he encloses a draft of a proclaclamation, in which the substance of the intended order is embodied. To the other objections of the committee lord Bathurst gives a detailed answer. The following is the proclamation : By the King.-A Proclamation. Whereas, doubts may arise respecting the meaning of certain of the provisions contained in a certain order made by the king's most excellent majesty, with the advice of his privy council, on the 10th day of March, 1824, for improving the condition of the slaves in this island, and it is expedient that such doubts should be obviated and removed. Now, therefore, by virtue of the powers and authority in me on that behalf vested, and in pursuance of the special instructions of his majesty in that behalf, it is hereby ordered and declared, that nothing in the said order contained extends, or shall be construed to extend, to authorise or enable any slave to hire himself or herself to work either to his or her owner or manager, or to any other person, between the hours of sunset on Saturday and sunrise on Monday, but that all such hiring is, in and by the said order, prohibited and declared illegal, under and subject to the penalties in the said order in that behalf mentioned. Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby declared, that in case it shall be absolutely necessary for the preservation of the crops or produce upon any plantation or estate in this island, and for the prevention of essential injury to the same, to work and employ thereupon any slaves or slave, between the hours of sunset on Saturday and sunrise on Monday; and if any such slaves or slave shall, in any such special case, voluntarily consent and agree to work between the hours aforesaid, upon any such plantation or estate, for extend, to prevent any such slaves or slave from hiring themselves, himself, or herself, either to his or her owner, or to any other person to work upon any such plantation or estate between the hours aforesaid, provided always, that no such slave shall or may lawfully be so hired to work during the hours aforesaid, in the service of any person or persons, except their, his, or her owner or manager, unless with the special consent in writing of such owner or manager. Provided also, that the protector and guardian of slaves shall, by notices, to be by him from time to time issued in the usual and most public manner, signify the lowest rate of wages at which slaves may, during the period of six calendar months next ensuing the date of every such notice, hire themselves, either to their respective owners, or, with the consent of their respective owners or managers, to work for the special purpose of the preservation of the crops or produce upon any plantation or estate in this island, in which notices shall be stated, the different rates of such wages payable to the slaves so hiring themselves, according to the age and sex of such slaves, and according as they may be field negroes or artificers, and no hiring of any slave for any such special purpose afore said shall be a legal hiring, or shall be exempted from the penalties of the said order in council, unless such slave shall actually receive, and be paid, for his or her own use and benefit, wages at not less than the rate so to be fixed by any such public notice as aforesaid. And it is further ordered and declared, that nothing in the said order in council contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to prevent the employment, between the hour of sun. set on Saturday, and the hour of sunrise on Monday, of any slaves or slave as a watchman or watchmen upon any estate or plantation, or in nursing, or attendance on the sick, or in attendance upon the person, or in the family of his or her owner or manager, or in performing or making preparations for any interment, or in extinguishing any fire, or otherwise in preventing any irreparable damage or injury to the property of his or her owner, employer, er manager; and no slave so employed shall be entitled to any hire or wages for such his or her services; provided nevertheless, that no slave shall be employed between sunset on & turday evening, and sunrise on Monday morning, in field labour, or in any of the ordina y works upon any plantation or estate, upon the pretence or by reason that irreparable injury would arise from the postponement of such labour, unless such slave shall voluntarily engage in the same: and shall for such his labour receive and be paid such hire and wages as aforesaid. And it is further declared, that nothing in the said orders contained extends, or shall be construed to extend, to prevent any master, to his majesty through one of his principal secretaries of state, and until his majesty shall have signified his royal pleasure therein; provided that, pending any such reference to his majesty, such forfeited property shall be, and remain, legally vested in him, subject to be divested in case his majesty shall be graciously pleased to remit any such forfeiture. owner, or manager of any female slave undercessors, such forfeiture shall not be carried into the age of ten years from causing her to be effect by the actual seizure or sale of the propunished and corrected for any fault or miscon-perty so forfeited, until the particulars and cir duct by her committed, in such and the same cumstances of the case shall have been reported manner, and to such and the same extent, as any child of free condition may be, and usually is, punished and corrected in any schools or school for the education of youth in this island. And it is further declared, that nothing in the said order contained extends, or shall be construed to extend, to require any entry to be made in any plantation record book of any punishment inflicted on any female slave, other than and except such punishments as by a proclamation issued in the name of his majesty on the 23d day of June, 1824, in pursuance of the said order in council, are expressly permitted to be inflicted on such female slaves as a substitution for the punishment of whipping. And it is further ordered and declared, that no such forfeiture as aforesaid to his majesty of any slave or slaves, or of any right or interest in any slave or slaves, shall, or, according to the true intent and meaning of the said order in council, doth, in any way diminish, affect, or take away the right or interest of any person or persons to or in any such slave or slaves, other than and except the person or persons upon the conviction of whom any such forfeiture may A despatch from sir Ralph Woodford to earl Bathurst, dated "Trinidad, 30 Oct., 1824," announces the issuing of the proclamation on the preceding day; and adds, that the quarterly returns of punishments had been generally complied with; that tranquillity prevailed throughout the island; and that task-work was becoming general. Half-yearly Report of the Syndic Procurador- And whereas the said order in council hath not made provision for the manner in which the expenses of appraisement of slaves proposed to be manumitted are to be defrayed: be it, there-be incurred. fore, and it is hereby ordered, that in all cases where such appraisement shall be made by reason of the refusal of the owner or owners of any such slave to effect his or her manumission, or by reason of any differences of opinion between the protector and guardian of slaves and the owner or proprietor of any such slave, respecting his or her price or value, the expenses of such appraisement shall be equally borne by, and divided between, such owner or proprietor and the slave proposed to be manumitted. And in all cases where such appraisement shall be made by reason of the inability of the owner or proprietor to effect a valid manumission by private contract, or by reason of the minority, coverture, idiotcy, or lunacy of such owner or proprietor, or by reason of the absence of any such owner or proprietor, or other person having a charge upon the said slave, from the island, or by reason that any such owner or proprietor is unknown, or cannot be found, or by reason of the precedency in any court of justice in this island of any suit or action wherein the title of the said slave, or the right to his services, is in controversy, then and in all such cases the expenses of the said appraisements shall be equally divided between the slave proposed to be manumitted and the owner and proprietor, or other persons having any charge upon, or interest in him; and such last-mentioned moiety of the said expenses shall be deducted from the money arising from the manumission of the slave, before the investment thereof in the manner directed in and by the said order in council. And it is hereby further ordered and declared, that whenever any slave or slaves, or any right or interest in any slave or slaves, shall, upon the conviction of any person or persons in the manDer in the said order in council mentioned, heme forfeited to his majesty, his heirs and suc In obedience to the thirty-eighth section of the royal order in council of the 10th March 1824, directing the syndic procurador-general, protector and guardian of slaves in the island of Trinidad, to deliver to the governor or acting governor for the time being a report in writing, exhibiting an account of the manner in which the duties of his office have been performed during the half year next preceding the date of his report, and especially the number of the actions, suits, and prosecutions in which he may have acted as the protector of slaves, with the date and effect of all the proceedings therein, and the particulars of all the returns which, by virtue of the order in council, may have been made to him by the commandants of the several quarters within the said island, and the names of the persons against whom the protector may have instituted any criminal prosecutions under the said order, and also the names of all slaves certified as competent to give evidence in any court of justice, and also the number of licenses granted by the protector for the marriage of slaves, and the marriages solemnised in consequence thereof, and also the amount of the sums of money deposited in the savings banks of the said island, and also the names of all slaves manumitted under the autho GG rity of the said order; the syndic procurador- | suits, twenty-three slaves have been manu. general, and protector and guardian of slaves, mitted. Vide Appendix B, No. 1. The re has the honour to report, that much of his time has been employed in attending to and deciding upon the complaints preferred by slaves against their owners and others. In the majority of the cases brought before him, he has been able to decide the complaint in the presence of the master or person complained against and the complaining slave; but when the complaint did not appear to be of a serious nature, or that the party complained against resided at a distance from town, the protector has in general referred it to the commandant of the quarter to be investigated, with instructions to transmit a copy of the declarations made by the owner or person complained against, as also of those of the witnesses produced on either side. On these declarations (if they fully detail all the circumstances) the protector founds his opinion and decides; admonishing the slave, if in his judgment he is wrong, and reprimanding or fining the person complained against, if the merits of the case warrant such a procedure. It has been the practice of the protector to investigate personally all complaints made to him of a serious or aggravated nature; and he has, in every instance, he trusts, guarded with scrupulous attention the interests of the slaves. The protector has kept a book, in which is entered the date and substance of the complaints made by slaves, their names, the statement made by the person complained against, the declarations of the witnesses, the reports of the commandants in those cases where the complaints have been referred to them for investigation, and the sentences which the protector may have thought the circumstances of the case demanded. The above are the only remarks the protector considers it necessary to offer on the manner in which the duties of his office have been performed. Every other duty in which he has been engaged as protector and guardian being duly recorded in his office, and to be found under one or other of the heads of information specially required to be furnished half-yearly by the thirtyeighth section of the order in council. The actions, suits, and prosecutions in which the protector has acted on behalf of any slaves, are of three kinds : mainder are still depending before the court, for the reasons set forth in the Appendix B, No. 2. Third-The third class of suits are those instituted by the protector of slaves before the court of first instance of civil jurisdiction, with a view of establishing the rights of those persons the protector may consider entitled to the enjoyment of their freedom, whether the right arise by bequest, purchased before the promulgation of the late order, or from any other circumstances not provided for by that law. Of this class the suits are two in number. For the names of the slaves and other particulars, the protector begs to refer to Appendix B, No. 3. The fourth class of suits are those instituted by the protector in the court of complaints for the recovery of debts due to slaves by free persons. They are four in number; and for the names of the parties, the dates and effect of the proceedings therein, the protector begs leave to refer to Appendix C. No criminal prosecutions under the order have been filed by the protector since the date he entered upon the duties of his office. The protector and guardian of slaves has also the honour to report, that the commandants of the several quarters of the island have (with the exception of the commandant of Toco and Cumana) transmitted to his office the several returns of punishments inflicted on the slaves of the various estates within their districts. These returns, in observance of the twentieth clause of the order in council, have been recorded and enrolled alphabetically in distinct books kept for that purpose. The Appendix D contains a faithful transcript of these returns, arranged under the titles of the several quarters from whence they were received. No slaves have been certified to the protector as being competent to give evidence in the courts of justice of the island. One marriage license only has been granted by the protector, in pursuance whereof a marriage was duly solemnised on the 29th day of July, 1824. Appendix E. The sums of money deposited in the savings bank in the town of Port of Spain, from the 24th day of June to the 24th day of December inclusive, amount to 3514. 8s. currency. p. pendix F, Nos. 1 and 2. The protector and guardian of slaves has also the honour to report, that the appendixes B No. 1, and G, contain a faithful and correct statement of the names of all the slaves manu. First-Criminal prosecutions at the instance of his majesty's attorney-general against slaves, or against free persons for maltreating slaves. They are eleven in number, and for their dates, and the effect of the proceedings therein, the guardian protector begs leave to refer to the Ap-mitted under the authority of the order in pendix, letter A. Second-The second are those suits instituted, under the provisions of the order in council, by the protector on behalf of slaves desirous of purchasing their freedom, whose owners were unable to execute to them a valid manumission. They are thirty-one in number. Under these council, their ages and sexes, and also the prices for which they have obtained their freedom. HENRY GLOSTER, Syndic procurador, protector, and guardian of slaves. Sworn before me, this 18th January, 1825. RALPH WOODFORD, Governor. DEMERARA. The Appendix referred to in the foregoing earl Bathurst, dated “King's House, Demerara, Report contains minute and voluminous details" 2d April, 1824," encloses extracts from the on the various subjects in question. It is fol- minutes of the court of policy, both before and lowed by a letter from the procurador syndic to after the revolt; and adds, that, as far as he was sir Ralph Woodford, describing several difficul- enabled to judge, the court of policy and the ties, arising out of the order of the 10th of inhabitants generally were heartily disposed to March, 1824, which had presented themselves meet the view of his majesty's government with to his notice. regard to every possible amelioration of the state of the slave population; but that he fully coincided in opinion with the members of the court of policy, that the urging of any such measures on the colonists precipitately might have the effect of creating opposition where none then existed; and therefore that it was very advisable the attempt should not be made until the confidence of masters in their slaves should have been in some measure restored. A despatch from earl Bathurst to majorgeneral sir Benjamin D'Urban, dated "Downing “Street, 24th January, 1824,” encloses to him the commission under which he is immediately to proceed to take upon himself the government of the colony of Demerara. His lordship states, that had not sir Benjamin been already apprised of the general nature of the measures which his majesty's government felt it expedient to adopt in pursuance of the resolutions of the house of commons on the subject of improving the condition of the slave-population, he should have felt it his duty to explain them to him in the fullest manner on his assumption of the government of Demerara at the present moment. The unfortunate events that had lately occurred there had shewn how completely the views and object of his majesty's government, expressing the opinions of parliament, had been misunderstood by the slave population; and his lordship had already directed sir Benjamin's predecessor to notify to the slaves that the object of progressively qualifying them for an extension of privileges would be rendered abortive by any general misconduct, or acts of insubordination on their part. Sir Benjamin would take the earliest opportunity of impressing them with the full assurance of his determination to repress any appearance of insurrectionary movements; and in the event (which his lordship trusted was most improbable) of the recurrence of revolt, he would not fail to adopt such prompt and effectual measures as were employed by his predecessor, and which had received the most gracious approbation of his majesty. A despatch from sir Benjamin D'Urban to earl Bathurst, dated "King's House, Demerara, "5th May, 1824," states, that he had used every means since his arrival to inform himself accurately as to the actual state of feeling and disposition of the slaves. This he had done by having conversations upon the subject with various gentlemen of the colony, whom he believed to be the most intelligent and the least likely to mislead him, and who resided in different districts, as well of the east coast, which was the theatre of revolt, and right bank of the Demerara river, which was supposed to join it, as of the coast westward to and beyond the Essequibo, where no positive traces of insurrectionary projects were discovered. The result of all this information, compared and combined, was not very satisfactory; for it compelled him to be convinced that the spirit of discontent was any thing but extinct; it was alive, as it were, under its ashes; and the negro mind, although giving forth no marked indications of mischief to those not accustomed to observe it, was still agitated, jealous, and suspicious. Many of the slayes of the colony, and especially those on the east coast, were described to him as remarkably well informed upon all that passed in England and in the colonies interesting to their views and condition. Many of them read, most of them well understood what was read or repeated to them; they were all (naturally enough) inquisitive and anxious to learn whatever related to them; and unquestionably they continued to procure very early information of all discussions in parliament, in the newspapers, and in the public prints. He had also become aware that the recall of one governor, and the appointment of another, had induced the slaves to expect that the latter was the bearer of something interesting to their prospects; and therefore, acting in the spirit of his lordship's instructions of the A despatch from earl Bathurst to majorgeneral sir Benjamin D'Urban, dated "Downing "Street, 18th March, 1824," encloses a copy of an order in council, about to be passed, on the subject of the treatment of slaves in the island of Trinidad; and requests that he will forthwith transmit to his lordship a draft of an order in council, applying the provisions of that order to the circumstances of the Dutch law in the colony of Demerara. In the execution of that duty, his lordship could have no doubt that he would receive the cordial assistance of the court of policy, who had done themselves so much honour by the prompt and conclusive manner in which they pledged themselves to the abolition | 24th January, he had issued a proclamation, in of the use of the whip, and of the flogging of female slaves, previously to the unfortunate insurrection, which for the time delayed their proceeding further upon the subject. which he had inserted the words prescribed by his lordship, and had also endeavoured to guard against any feeling of impatience that might arise from the delay which must necessarily take A despatch from major-general Murray to place in the ultimate enactment of the measures |