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occafions, criminal courts of the oyer and terminer are by the governorserected where they have been pleafed. Some of them upon extraordinary defign, to hang a man, do fit judges themselves. For the military power, it has usually been in the hands of the governors, affifted by a lieutenant-general. At prefent, fir Henry Morgan, who is likewife by patent lieutenant-general, and a major-general at prefent, vacant by the death of major-general Banifter. The office of the laft, befides the command that the title implies, hath been in fome fort commiffary-general of the mufters, which is a place abfolutely neceffary, and of great ufe for the ftrict obferving that the proportions of whites be kept up according to the law, in which confifts a great part of the fucurity of our lives; but of this much will fall under your Jordfhip's confideration, when you fhall think of the African company's intereft in that island, and the way to prevent interloping, which, whil fuffered, will infallibly produce clamour and trouble to the governor; for, if it be his care only to fupprefs them, then he will lofe the good will of his people if he be zealous in it, and if he be not he has undoubtedly loft the friendship of the company, and confequently of his royal highnefs, which will make him more uneafy at court. But this well adjufted, authorized, and put under the infpection of a major-general, will prevent all mistakes and clamours against the governor, and be five times the profit to him, than joining in interloping (as fome governors have done) can be, I fhall not enlarge upon this without your lordship's further commands, but proceed to acquaint your lordship, that the number of men in arms there, being all whites above fixteen years of age that are one month refident in the place, amount to above five thousand, under colonels, &c. much in the nature of a militia, but upon occafion a little more fubject to martial laws; and befides thofe at the Point, do in their turns keep guard at the fort there, and alfo ferve inftead of conftables and watches to keep the ftreets quiet at night. The officers in are only a governor of the fort, and one or two more. This, befides exer ife, is all the duty of the foldiers, except that a fquadron of the governor's own troops, commanded at prefent by one captain Hender Molef worth, one of the council, does mount every Sunday to wait on the go. vernor's coach to church, if at St. Jago. The colonels are generally of the council, but all at the difpofal of the governor, as indeed are all other places both military and civil, except the two general officers, the twelve Clors, and patentee places. The next thing I fhall obferve to your lordship is the revenue, which arifes principally by the customs or im pofitions upon wines, brandies, beer, ale, and all other imported com

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modities, impofed by act of affembly from two years to two years, for longer they will not truft the governors to omit the neceffity of calling of them; left fuch laws as are fent home for ratification, which are for their interests and safety, fhould become void for want of fuch meetings; and fo, for the future, they might be forced to live under fuch only as the king's royal pleasure fhould appoint them. This revenue is not much, but fufficient at prefent to pay the governor two thoufand pounds per annum, a lieutenant-governor fix hundred pounds per annum, befides their establishments in England; the chief-justice has likewife a hundred and twenty pounds per annum out of it, with fome falaries to the governor of the fort and other officers of the fort, cuftoms, &c. befides a little furplufage for fortifications and other incidents, fo that indeed it is or ought to be, by the establishment upon it, at least three thousand five hundred pounds per annum. There are alfo his majefty's rents for the lands granted, which, were all paid that were due, would amount to near two thousand pounds per annum; this might however be remedied by a neceffary law and an efcheat. This quit-rents have been hitherto a perquifite of the governments; for, by reafon, that his majefty, by his original charter of fettlement of that ifland, was pleased to free it from anfwering any profits to the crown for a certain number of years, feven or cight whereof are unexpired, no account is demanded hither from thence, and they have been wife enough not to let the country call them to an account for the rents of the land, which they, as stewards to his majefty, have a right to receive. Something further is worth your confidering upon this fubject, which I fhall at your lordship's request communicate my thoughts of. My lord, this is all I can properly call revenue, though there are other profits that accrue to the governors divers ways, as by the feal of admiralty, forfeitures, &c. But, not to make my account longer than the matter requires, I fhall in fhort declare that which I believe, that government is uprightly at prefent worth, not mentioning the cafual profits fuch a place may bring in, between five and fix thoufand pounds per annum, which I reckon by these branches: One thoufand fix hundred pounds from England, per annum; two thousand from the country's eftablishment, the quit-rents; one thoufand and the profits arifing from the feal by naturalization, &c. about a thousand two hundred, or a thoufand three hundred, pounds per annum. This is truly near the matter, though fome will undervalue it, and reckon. it much lefs; others again are as extravagant in their computations, calling it ten or twelve thoufand pounds per annum. I must confefs I be

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lieve a governor of your lordship's qualities and qualifications would foon find it increased by the country's kindness, nor would any man, I humbly conceive, in this nation find fo eafy as your lordship would do, whose name, by honeft fir Henry Morgan's means, is as generally mentioned with honour and good withes in their healths as if they had found the good effects of your lordship's government there already; and, next his majesty's and his royal highneffes, no health fooften drank, especially at his and his brother's in law colonel Byndlofs's tables, and these are the two men indeed who have the true and moft prevalent intereft in the country; fir Henry from his eminent and famed exploits in thofe parts, together with his generous and undefigning way of converfing with them, colonel Byndlofs by the fame gencrofity and franknefs of converfation, mixt with one of the most able understandings that I ever yet met with; and, were my judgments confiderable to your lordship, I thould not stick to own I think, confidering every thing, few clearer thinkers are to be found in the world, though having a plentiful fortune, which he has acquired there by his induftry, he does not bend himself to flattery and other little arts, but plainly and above-board offers counfel, which, if accepted, no man more zealous by labour to make his advice fucceed; but, if not, then his ftanding but by, and retiring without one word of difcontent, being more jolly than envious in his temper, yet is that fufficient to influence things to go uneafy with any man that has ufe of thofe people, as my lord Vaughan to his great lofs in the affembly he called, for cloling with fir Thomas Modyford and neglecting fir Henry Morgan and his brother Byndlofs, all things went heavy that concerned him there, and forced him upon little violences, which have aggravated matters against him. This I have the more enlarged upon, knowing fome perfons here may give a contrary character of the men, it being their interefts to do fo. When I reflect, my lord, how tedious I have been, I am ashamed, yet I hope your lordship will excufe it, fince it proceeds from a difinterested zeal to your fervice, though I must confefs there is no man's in the world, except the king's commands and bufinefs, fhould be foembraced by me; for, like every body elfe that has had the honour of knowing your lordship, I am one of your true admirers, and fhall upon all occafions endeavour to exprefs myself, my lord,

Your lordship's most humble and most obedient fervant,

THE

H

THE EARL OF CARLISLE's SPEECH

TO THE

ASSEMBLY OF JAMAICA.

THE HEADS OF THE SPEECH.

THAT he would not la the which were fent home the laft time, the 'HAT he would not fay the body of laws which he had now brought

council of plantations having had but one day of meeting after they came; neither could he anfwer for the exactly true writing of them, because the great feal was affixed to them but two days before he came away, and fo had no time to compare them.

Those he said that were prefent, when his commiffion was published, might obferve fome alteration in the model of the laws, the ftile and title being changed to the king and affembly, which we had no reason to be difpleafed at, it being a greater honour than any plantation ever yet had.

That the laws which were to be made for the future were to be made like as they are made in Ireland.

That we were under great obligations to his majesty for his particular care and extraordinary charges in maintaining this ifland, and therefore he hoped it would oblige us to such suitable returns as his majesty might be pleased with.

That the king looked on this island as his darling plantation, and has taken more pains to make this island happy than any other of his colonies.

That among other acts he should fend us to-morrow, the first would be the act of the revenue, and that there was a neceffity of making fome dispatch of it, because of arrears due to the officers and forts lately built. for which people were yet unpaid; for the building whereof we ftood obliged to fir Henry Morgan for his care and pains.

That

That his majesty was displeased with us for paffing fome acts in former affemblies, without ufing his name, and that never yet any fuch thing was done in any of his plantations or dominions. That, in the acts of militia laft made, there was a claufe left out faving the governor's power, but he hoped none would be willing to derogate from the power his majefty gave his governors in his commiffions, and that he hoped if fcruples did arife amongst us we would repair to him before we paffed any vote, that he might fatisfy us.

That he much coveted things might be fo managed that the king might be fully fatisfied with us; that the restraint that both he and we lie under in the new laws he brought over cannot be altered, for that he had no power to do it, but fhould be glad if he had.

That he always had been accounted a man of property, and was in nothing more affected than to do good to this place, and came with an intent fo to do, and therefore would not by his power lead us into inconveniences or our pofterity.

A REPORT

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