THE

LITERARY PANORAMA,

AND

National Register:

For NOVEMBER, 1815:

NATIONAL AND PARLIAMENTARY either partially deceived, or very

Notices,

PROSPECTIVE & RETROSPECTIVE. (BRITISH AND FOREIGN.)

STATE
OF

THE WEST INDIA ISLANDS:

PAPERS

RELATING TO

THE WEST INDIES.

perfectly informed, respecting public concerns, at the extremities of its do minions; and misreprésentation in va rious shapes may reach the ear, and be guile the mind of the sovereign and his officers:

Representative Government offers an efficacious remedy for this imperfec tion because, so many hundred per sons as the Great Council of the Nation consists of, possess opportunities of in formation, multiplied, in proportion to the numbers of their friends and rela tions, which occupy foreign stations ; and not only are these opportunities in addition to those possessed by the Su preme Authority, but, they occasion ally, are in opposite interests to those

[Ordered by the House of Commons, to be of the deputed officers: and by such

printed, 12 July, 1815.]

collision of sentiments, the accounts received mutually correct each other.

What a mass of embassies and applications perplexed the Emperors and Senate of Rome! distant provinces and tributary Kings, urging their requests with vehemence, or facilitating their purposes by bribery: And when the applicants had spent all their money, a trumped up oracle from the Sybil's Books sent them home about their busi

As the evils of a bad Government operate throughout the whole of its influence, and the meanest of its subjects is involved in their malignity, so the advantages of a good Government operate throughout the remotest parts of its dominions, and the lowest member of the community partakes of its benevolence. It is an objection againstness. extensive sovereignties that the chief ruler cannot be every where present, and inspect the concerns of all parts in person: hence, small bodies of men are, very naturally, supposed to have been the origin of the regal power, and justice was administered, and orders were issued, on the view of the case according to the personal observation and knowledge of the Chief Ruler. A Great Nation, of which one person is the sole Goveruor, is very likely to be VOL. III. Lit. Pan. New Šeries, Nov. I.

And yet, it must be acknowledged, that the wiser Emperors did their utmost to obtain, by their agents, correct information on the true state of affairs abroad. They exerted from time to time the powers of the Census; and caused examinations to be insti tuted into the families and the concern of almost every one of their subjects.

Servius Tullus "ordered all the citizens of Rome, to register an account of their names, their quality, employ ment, wives, children, servants, and

H

estates. Dion, of Halicarnassus, adds We are not aware, that the moral inthat "observing many citizens to be instruction of their slaves occupied the atdebt, he ordered all who had not where- | tention of the Greeks or Romans; that with to satisfy their creditors to enter unhappy class had nothing to offer, but their names and the sums they owed, what was the property of their masters;in the public rolls, and that they should and the deities were accessible only by be liberated from their incumbrances, offerings. What priest would trouble at the public expence :"-in which pro- his God about the vows of a slave? ceeding the reader will perceive a slight What priest would trouble himself about difference from the injunctions of a mo- the gratuitous instruction of a man so dern Income Tax. far below him? Contrast this with the information here presented; with the schools for instruction-with the translations for perusal—with the viva voce teachings, sent by utter strangers, and demanding expense neither from the hearers, nor from the colony. There must be a most honourable moral principle stimulating to these exertions: there must be a persuasion so firm, conviction so deep, of the interest of all mankind in the same Divine benevo lence, as should startle into recollection the most inconsiderate adversary, and recal to duty and obedience the most licentious.

It was, moreover, a part of the duty annexed to this Census to enquire into "the lives and manners of the people: and it was thought particularly offensive in Tiberius, that he indulged his debaucheries, during the operation of a Census for correction of manners.

66

Another part of this Census was, enquiry into the number of slaves possessed by any one"-and the work they were employed in":-One would hope also, into their treatment, and the usage they received from their masters: but, this we believe, is not expressed: neither is any thing said on the subject of the moral instruction prepared for them, or communicated to them.

The God of the master is

freely proposed to the worship of the slave. It was not so in antiquity: the slaves of those which we call polished nations, were allowed, it is true, to worship Hercules, the God of labour anet toil;-but Hercules in activity, not rest

This, then, is a glory reserved for Britain; that not only whatever was Jaudable in the conduct of the Heathen Sovereigns towards the inferior ranks of their people, is exercised among her go-ing, not reposing, not in tranquillity. vernors, but also, that as a country pro- Which is the most noble, the most fessing Christianity, an enquiry has truly manly dispensation: that which been made into the means now in acti- considers all the nations of men, as bearvity for the diffusion of general and re-ing equal relation to the Great Father ligious principles among them. Not only of all, or that wi ich banished from the has this enquiry reference to those altar of the "Greater Gods" the humble whom the Romans would have dignified suppliant, whose mind might be free, with the title of "Citizen:" but also to though his person was in bonds? It those whom their constitution regarded was customary at Rome to expose slaves as, in every sense, an inferior and out- who were sick, old, and useless, to pecast class of beings and not only to rish miserably in an island of the Tiber. such as are under inspection at home, Cato himself sold his old slaves for the but to such also as are placed in the re-vilest of prices, to get rid of the burden. mote possessions of the empire, abroad. The papers before us go still further, for they not only shew the attention of the public authorities, but also the exertions of various private individuals, whose benevolence has prompted them to incur expence, and to venture even life, with the intention of doing important service to their fellow men, though men of a different colour from themselves.

The life of a slave was in general estimation on a level with that of a dog; and the man who would perhaps commiserate,-nay, who really did commiserate, the sufferings of a beast, ordered his slaves to be thrown into his fishponds, to feed lampreys, for no offence given, or for such slight offences as, at the utmost, might have been expiated by a few lashes. The manumission of

1802
1809

Whites Free col. Peo. Slaves. Bapt. Popu. Bapt. Popu. 141 4,306 96 1,020

slaves, when old, in order to avoid main- | of people. We take the account from taining them, is a West India practice al- St. Michael's parish, in which Bridge luded to in these papers; but of limited Town is situated. extent, and almost universally execrated; there seems indeed to be a kind of jealousy in each island, which should make the most favourable report on the condition of its slaves; and this must, in time, operate to the removal of most of those canses of complaint which have afflicted the ears and the hearts of the humane.

We shall now proceed to report on the islands in their order at the same time congratulating our country on this example set to other nations, and indulging the hope that other nations may speedily furnish articles at least equally cheering and encouraging.

1810

1811

174 5,313 157 1,668 12,262 169 5,161 130 1,466 12,001 177 5,405 146 1,551 12,198

This shews a considerable increase of white inhabitants, but a still greater of free coloured people, amounting to one half. Every year adds to the num

ber of those who have obtained their freedom three out of four are females, who obtain the privilege by having been favourites of white men, so that their number is very likely to increase with yet greater rapidity. The parish of St. Lucy affords the following return :—

The first letter is from Governor Sir G. Beckwith, to the Earl of Liverpool, dated Barbadoes, Jan. 13, 1812. After stating that the number of parishes is eleven, that the rector cf each draws £300 annually from the Colonial Trea sury, independent of Glebe, and other emoluments that the churches are in perfect repair, and divine service pro- 1808 perly performed; Sir G. adds,

The Clerical Establishment of this Government is, I am happy to say, most respectable, and the Clergy, as a body, highly exemplary. The College at Codringtou does honour to the memory of the founder; its funds are flourishing, notwithstanding the depression of West India property. I think the Institution susceptible of considerable improvement, which I understand, is in serious contemplation at

home.

The exertions of the Gentlemen of this conatry, in the education of their children in England, is highly honourable; and the numbers sent to Oxford and Cambridge, on a due consideration of the expense and the pressure of the times, greatly exceeds what might have been expected. Several of the Clergy keep schools, and some of these are very respectable.

The schools in Bridge Town for the Children of Colour, are increasing in number:

The returns from each parish specify the extent of each, with the number of baptisms and burials for several years, and estimates are made of the numbers of the population, white and black. The whole shews a considerable increase

WHITE INHABITANTS.

FREE COLOURED INHABITANTS.

1808

1809

1810

1811

A return of all the natives of Africa, condemned as prizes of war, or forfeiture, shewing their number, and how they have been disposed of, what suits or actions have been incurred, what penalties inflicted on the slaves for crimes, and on owners for cruelty, accompanies most of these returns; they shew what effects have attended the laws enacted on the subject;

The whole amount of

the slave population on the island, exceeds 69,000.

in Santa Cruz, was in December 1810, 1,625, of Free Coloured 2,000, and of Slaves 26,795. The births of Slaves amount

Governor Barnes writes from Domi- ing during the year 1810, to 698, and the nica, Nov. 19, 1814. deaths to 690.

The majority of inhabitants in this island being French, the Roman Catholic is consequently the prevalent religion; and although no particular pains are taken by the Priest to instruct the Negroes, still more religion exists amongst the French than English Negroes.

This arises not only from the French proprictors being for the most part resident on their estates, but the very great neglect of the Established Church. There has been no Protestant Church in the island for very many years, and previously to my taking charge of the government, there had been no Clergyman resident for a considerable time.

The latter difficulty has been removed; and it is but justice to the House of Assembly to say, that they have made a liberal provision for the present Rector of St. George, the Rev. Mr. Newman; but I fear it will be some time longer before the Church will be built, as ten years have now elapsed since an Act passed the Legislature for this purpose, and the foundation stone has not yet been laid.

The principal town (that of Christianstadt) and its immediate vicinity, contains an English, a Danish, a Dutch, and a Roman Catholic Church, as also an extensive establishment of Moravians. The town of Frederickstadt contains a Danish Church, (alternately appropriated to the service of that congregation and the English), also a Roman Catholic Chapel, and a second establishment of Moravians.

Out of 28,795 Free Coloured Persons and Slaves (the total of those descriptions in this island), 28,324 are actually initiated by baptism, or recorded as belonging to some church or religious establishment in Santa Cruz, to each of which, two or more schools are also attached for the education and religious instruction of the children of those persons.

The revenues of this establishment are more than equal for its support, as a third church is now building out of their surplus funds, in the centre of the island; those at Christianstadt and Frederickstadt, not being sufficiently capacious for their congregations.

There is no law obliging the Clergyman The exemplary conduct of the Moravian to visit the estates, but the Rev. Mr. New- Missionaries, coupled with their indefatiman most cheerfully attends when re-gable industry and most zealous exercise quested; and in one visit to some of the of all religious duties, has for many years distant estates a few months ago, he bap- obtained for them the especial protection tized upwards of 200 Negroes, children and encouragement of the local Government and adults, on which occasion, for the pur- of Santa Cruz; both their precepts and their pose of giving every countenance and en- unassuming manners, are admirably calcucouragement to the propagation of lated to benefit that unfortunate class of Christianity amongst the Negroes, I at persons of which their congregations are tended myself. principally composed; and such is the power they possess over the minds of the Negroes, that when on serious occasions they exclude them for a time from their congregations, the Negro considers it by far a more severe punishment than any other that can be inflicted.

This contains matter of mingled praise and censure: we need not point out the particulars, our readers will do justice to the honourable conduct of Governor Barnes. On the 19th of February, 1811 there were on the island,

This is a most noble and honourable testimony to a society never to be mentioned without respect. This is Church discipline properly exercised, and producing proper effects.

The Report from the Minister of the Church of England for people of colour, the Rev. W. Niles, states,

The number of Free Persons of all descriptions, are 786.

The number of Slaves on the different. plantations about 6,000..

The number of Slaves in town, 321.

B. The number of the White Congrega-lated at 4,000. tion are under the present war considerably diminished; they hardly exceed 300, of both sexes, but the Coloured ones are