London, Tuesday, August 3...
Advices have been received from Trinidad to the middle of June. A meeting of the Board of Cabildo had been held subsequently to the general mecting of the inhabitants of the colony, a notice of whore petition, and the Governor's answer to it, appeared in our journal of the 5th of July. At this meeting of the Cabildo, the following petition was agreed to, and was ordered to be presented to the Go- vernor:- TO 311S EXCE.LLENCY aIR flALPEH TAXES WOODFOtD, BDAIT., GOVERNO1, &C. We, liis MUajesty's most dlutiful and loyal subjects, the Al- caldes in Ordinary, and the Regidors of the illistrious Cabildo, re. spectfully approach your Excellency on an occasion wlhich we deem of serious consequence to the prorperity of the colony, and of vital importance to the interests, the rights, and the well-being of the va- rious classes of its inhabitants. The draught of an order in Council, intended to be promulgated in this colony for the purpose of improv. ing the condition of the Negro slaves, has been published both in the British and colonial Gazette:. We are sincerely desirous of promoting every just measure by wlhich the evils of slavery can be mitigated, and the happiness and well-being of the Negro slaves pro- moted. We hail with pleasure the beneficent intentions of his most gracious Majesty, expressed in his address to both Houses of Parlia. ment, to provide for the religious and moral instruction, and to ame. liorate the condition of this class of our fellow-subjects. We were assured, by the character and by the expressed resolutions of the' British Legislature, that the measures for carrying his gracious in- tentions into effect would be compatible with the well-being- of the Islavea thenmsetves, with the safety of the colonies, and with a .'air and j equitable consideration of the interests of property. "Impressed With a deep senseof the duties we owe to the comma.a nity over Which We preside, and desirous to avert, or at least to sus. pend, a measure by which, in our opinion, its prosperity is endan- gered and Its rights compromised, we beg leave humbly to represent to your Excolleny our sincere and solemn conviction, that the pro. visions of the proposed order in CounelU will be injurious to the well- being of the slaves themselyes, incompatible with the safety of the colony, ruinous to the interests of the master, end subversive of the most sacred rights of private property. " Your ExceUency is by the law of the Partidae, as well as those of the Recopilacion ofthe Indies, expre3sly intrusted with the power of suspending the operation of all Royal orders which may be inju. rious to the prosperity of the community, until a representation can be imade to His Maiesty, and hisfinal determination thereon ex- pressed. We therefore entreat your Excellency to exercise a power, whichr may, on this occasion, be exereised so beneficiaUy for the in- terests and the preservation of the colony; and to Etay the promul- gation or the operation of thle proposed Order in Council, until our humble prayers and representations can be laid at the foot of the throne or our most gracious Sovereign. But in the event of your Excellency not deeming it right to cuspend the promulgation of the said order, then we do most respectfully hereby declare, to reserve to the inhabitants of this colony t'eir just and legal claims upon his M-ajesty's Government, for compensation for all losses they may now or hereafter sustain by their obedience to this order, whether as arising from any depredation in the value of their pro- perty, or by actual losses from acts of a most prejudicial tendency, and greatly to be dreaded." (Signed by the First and Second Alcaldes, and all the Regidors.) To this his Excellency the Governor replied as follows:- " The Governor has received the communication which the Al. cades in ordinary, and the Regidors of the illustrious Cabildo, have addressed to him, upon the propriety of suspending the promulga- tion of the Order in Council that he has received for the protection of the slaves. " The Governor has adverted to the lawrs alluded to by the Ca- bildo. In that of the Partidas, he recognises a benevolent disposi. tion on the part of the Sovereign to:receive the representations of hi s people on subjects affecting their local interestr; in that of the In- dies, however, the exercise of the powers thereby conferred, is made to depend on the views which the authorities, to wliom these powers are intrusted, may take of any of the orders transmitted to them for execution. " The Governor does not think, upon mature reflection, that those laws govern the present case. " For nearly twelve months past, not only have the provisions of the order been distinctly notified to the inhabitants, but every faci- lity has been ifforded to those who might consider themselves affected by the enactment of themr, to express their sentiments on their pro- bable effects. " The representations and resolutions of the different quarters of the island have all been transmitted to Ilis Majesty without re- serve; and the order in question has since been framed, and has been submitted to, and received unqualifiedly the approbation of both Houses of Parliament. The law of Partida adverted to, ex- pressly commands, that if the Sovereign persists in the signification of his pleasure, his orders shall be carried iRto effect ; and admit- ting, therefore, that law to be applicable on the occasion, the terms of it seem evidently opposed to the objects of the Cabildo in re- ferring it. " The Governor regrets, that the especial commands which he has received from his Majesty's Government, for carrying this order into effect, will prevent his complying with the wishes of the Ca- bildo; but his Excellency will not fail to transmit to the Secretary of State, the representations which that body have addressed to him upon the present occasion; ,aaw in the mean time he relies with con- fidence on the fidelity and attachmentof the Cabildo to his Majesty's person andi Government, to promote, within the sphere of their in- fluence, that obedience to the law which is necessary to the tran- quillity of the colony. " RALPHl WOODFORD, Governor." A meeting of the Board of Cabildo was subsequently convened, -when his Excellency's reply to thcir letition was read, and ordered to be entored on the minutes of the Board ;-" the members present expressing their deep re- gret that the espezial commands that his Excellency 'nad received from his Majesty's Government, should have pre- vented his complying with the prayer of their address, to suspend the promulgation of the Royal Order in Coun cil, until their humble supplication could be laid at the foot ot the throne of his most gracious Majesty; the Board, not- withstanding, b2ing still of opinion, that the provisions of the order, if promulgated, would be attended, with inju- rious consequences to the inhabitants of the colony." PORT OF SPArM, Jane 3. At a mecting of the Cortmittee appointed on the 14th of Illay last, held this day, the following resolution was proposed and adopted :_ " Resolved,-That as by the vigilance ef His Majesty's Govern- ment, and the imposing appearance of the regular and militia forces, any overwhelming catastrophe arising from relaxation of discinline, and the excitement of unwarrantable expectations in the ignorant minds of the slave population, which must come from the enactments of the late Orderin Council, may, under the blessing of Providence, be averted, and the colony be subjected only to slow and lingering ruin, which will not be less oppressive and sure, because exhibited in vexatious detail; this Comtnittee are of opinion, that the inha. bitants should be invited to transmit to the Chairman of this Board in Port of Spain, a statement of every case in which they might find themselves in any degree sufferers by loss of time, labour, or other- wise, under the enactments of the aforesaid order; and that it be re- commended that such statements be clear, concise, touching upon facts, avoiding, as much as possible, expressions of opinion, and to give them additional weight, and to render them useful for the ulterior purposes for which they are intended; that they be attested by other respectable inhabitants in their vicinity, and sworn to, where prac. ticable, before the Commandant of the quarter, or Alcalde of the barrier, in which the deponent may reside." The inhabitants of this colony are hereby earnestly requested to comply with the recommendations therein contained. JAhlES CADETT, Chairman. LONDON, TUESDAV, AUGUST 3,1824.