At a Meeting of the Legislature of the fiand of Antigua on the 19th Day of June 1806, The following Refolution was unanimoully entered into by the Houfe of Alembly and adopted by the Council: ESOLVED Unanimously, That, the Laws of Antigua being now printed and ready for distribution, This House feeling moft fenfibly the extent of the public obligation to the Honble. JAMES ATHILL Efqr. its late Speaker, for the diftinguished ability and great labour, exerted in the collecting and preparing the body of Laws, and enabling the Legislature to produce them in their prefent refpectable form, is defirous that this publication should not appear unaccompanied with the expreffion of the high fenie the two Houfes of Legislature have entertained of this important public fervice, andtherefore proposes that the Letter, from the PRESIDENT and SPEAKER to the Honble. JAMES ATHILL Efqr. dated 18th June 1804, Mr. Athill's answer, and fuch Refolutions of the Council and Affembly as relate thereto, be printed and prefixed to each Copy of the Laws, before it is diftributed or fold, and that the expence attending the fame, be defrayed by the Treafurer. Letter from the Prefident and Speaker to the Honble. James Athill, Efqr. Antigua June 18th 1804. SIR, An accurate and complete revifion of the Laws which have been passed in this Inland fince the year 1668, with a view to expunge from the prefent printed collection thereof, fuch of them as, from the change of times and circumstances have become obfolete, and useless, and fuch others as, having expired, it has not been thought neceffary to revive, and to form a new collection with the addition of the Laws enacted fubfequent to the date of the former, has been a measure long in contemplation of the Legislature, and more than once under its confideration, but without effect. The want of this very neceffary affiftant, to our Magiftrates in particular, and to the Community in general, growing daily more urgent and indifpenfable; You Sir, with that eminent zeal, and patriotism which you have ever manifefted for the good of this Country, and when filling the arduous fituation of Speaker to the Houfe of Affembly, generously offered to facrifice your hours of cafe and retirement to the public fervice, and undertook a task to be executed only by great perfonal labour and ability. The The Legislature, Sir, having had the high Satisfaction to receive from your nds, the refult of your undertaking fo beneficial to the Colony, and fo hono abie to yourlelf, in a collection of the neceflary materials for forming a compitie etion of the Laws in force, to the prefent period, cannot be unmindius of the value and importance of the work, or of the obligation you have conterica on the two Houles, by your perfect and fpeedy accomplishment of their withes. We have the honor to convey to you, Sir, by orcer of the Council and Altmbly, their fentiments upon this occafion, in an extract from the jourmals of the two Houles, and we fhould be deficient in juflice to your merit, and our own feelings, if we neglected to expreis the pleature we rective Trom the execution of our duty. To We have the honor to be, with great perfonal efleem and regard, The Honourable Prefident. JAMES ATHILL Efqr. JOHN TAYLOR Refolution of the House of Aflembly, with which the Refolved Unimously, That the Thanks of this Houfe be given to the Honourable JAMES ATHILL, the late SPEAKER of this Houfe for the great Care affiduity and attention fhewn by him in collecting Materials for the making a complete Edition of the Laws of this Ifland, a work highly ufeful to the Community at large and which has been referved for his Patriotic Zeal to bring to perfection. The Honorable James Athill's Anfwer, to the foregoing Letter. Antigua, June 19th, 1804. Honorable SIRS, To render myself, in any degree useful to this Community, to which I owe fo many, and fuch great obligations; to exert thofe feeble talents, with which it hath pleafed Divine Providence to endow me, in its fervice, have have ever been among the first wishes of my heart. To obtain the approbation of my fellow-fubjects, to be confidered by them as ...ing rot ufuccefsfully endeavoured, faithfully, to discharge my duty, to the beft of my abilities, has been at once the higheft obj & of my ambition, and the greatest and only reward that I could poffibly defire; but, in the mit fanguine moments of hope, I never could have flattered my felf with the expectation of 10 fignal a mark of diftinction, as has been conferred upon me by the unanimous votes of the two Houfes of Legiflature, pafed on the 24th May, and communicated to me, in the Letter which you have done me the honor to write to me on the 18th instant. I receive with the moft lively fenfibility and with the most profoun gratitude the honorable and moft flattering teftimony of the fenfe which the two Houfes of Legiflature, over which You, Sirs, prefide, entertain of my humble Efforts in the Service of my Country: which I hope, I may be permitted to fay, is more owing to the liberality of fentiment, which, from many years experience, I fo well know, governs all their decifions, than to any merit on my part, and I requeft You, Sirs, to offer to the Council and Affembly, my warmeft, tho' imperfect acknowledgement of the honor they have done me, with my humble affurance, that the confcioufnefs, that I have fo little deferved this extraordinary mark of their approbation fhall operate as an additional excitement to my future exertion, and that I will, whilft I live, make it my ftudy to prove myself neither wholly unworthy of their kindnefs, nor in any degree unmindful of the favors I have experienced from them. Permit me, Sirs, to offer my beft thanks to You, for the very flattering terms, in which you have been pleased to communicate to me the Votes of the two Houfes of Legislature, and to offer to you the fincere affurance of the high confideration and refpect, as well as perfonal regard and esteem, with which I have the honor to be, (Signed) Honorable Sirs, Your most obedient To the Honorable EDWARD BYAM, Prefident of the Council, and The Honorable JOHN TAYLOR Printed by Order of the Council and Affembly: |