To the preceding Extract it is thought necessary to add the following Letter to the Earl of Liverpool. Soho Square, August 11, 1796. APPEN MY LORD, I EEG leave to acquaint your Lordship, that I have read with attention the paper on the successful culture of the clove tree in Dominica, which your Lordship did me the honour of referring to me, and am of opinion, that it ought to be printed for the information of his Majesty's subjects in the West Indies, and other intertropical colonies. Mr. Buće is, as far as I know, the first person, who has observed, that the pimento tree prospers best in those steril soils where trees whose wood is of a head texture abound, and that sugar cannot be cultivated to advantage in such places; also, on the other hand, that where trees whose wood is soft, are naturally found, pimento trees rarely are met with, and sugar plantations will succeed; on such steril soils he has tried clove trees, and found them congenial to its nature. These observations open to the cultivators of hot climates a new source of wealth, which will not probably be confined to the growth of cloves; other spices may also prosper best in the barren soils of the West Indies, as lavender, thyme, and other aromatic plants, are known to do in those of Europe. I have the honour of sending to your Lordship, with this, a paper containing samples of cloves received by me from Mr. Buće some months ago: Number, 1 and 2, mentioned by him p. 19, (381) are mixed; No. 3, his best sort, are separate. Your Lordship may, if you think fit, order a comparison to be made, by some dealers in spice, between the and the cloves we usually receive from the Dutch: BOOK V. Dutch: I shall only add, that when I applied for informa tion on the same subject to an eminent wholesale dealer in that article, the only answer I obtained, was, that he thought me grievously deceived, in supposing the cloves to be the produce of the West Indies, he being absolutely certain they came from the East., I have the honour to be, With infinite regard and esteem, Your Lordship's obedient humble servant, EARL OF LIVERPOOL. JOS. BANKS. END OF THE FIFTH BOOK. HISTORY, CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL, OF THE BRITISH COLONIES IN THE WEST INDIES. BOOK VI: GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCE. CHAPTER I. Colonial Establishments.-Of the Captain Genes ral or Chief Governor; his Powers and Privileges. Some Reflections on the usual Choice of Persons for this high Office.-Lieutenant General, Lieutenant Governor, and President. -Of the Council, their Office and Functions. —Origin of their Claim to a Share in the Legislature.-Its Necessity, Propriety, and Legality considered.-Some Corrections in the Constitution of this Body proposed. I. THE British establishments in the West In- CHAP. dies are commonly termed king's governments, in contradistinction to the proprietary and charter governments which were known in North America; and, from what has been stated in some preceding parts of this work, the reader VOL. II. CC VI. BOOK reader must have observed, how very nearly their internal constitutions conform to that of the mother country. Their different orders of judicature are exactly like those of England, and their legislatures, in general, respectively consist of three distinct branches ; i. e. a governor, representing the crown, a council or upper house, and a body of delegates representing the people at large. The two first are necessarily imperfect, because they are not independent; but the members of the last are more fairly and equally chosen by their constituents, than those of the British House of Commons by the people of Great Britain. Of the powers and privileges claimed and exercised by these several branches respectively, in their own little system, and whence derived, I shall now briefly treat. And first of the GOVERNOR. EVERY chief governor in the British West Indies is appointed by letters patent under the great seal of Great Britain. He receives through courtesy the title of Excellency, and is vested with the following powers: FIRST, as captain-general and commander in chief, he has the actual command of all the land forces within his government (except only when a general officer is employed on the staff) and he commissions all officers of the militia. He I. He appoints the judges of all the different courts CHAP. of common law, and even these gentlemen, in all the islands, I believe (Jamaica excepted (a)) hold their seats during the governor's good pleasure. He nominates and supersedes at will, the custodes of the several parishes, justices of the peace, and other subordinate civil officers; and although in respect to some of the above appointments and dismissions, he is directed to ask the advice of his council, this direction is of little avail, inasmuch as the members of this body are themselves liable to be suspended by the governor, on the most frivolous pretences, or even without any cause assigned; a circumstance, by the way, which not unfrequently happens; and having thus reduced the board under a number limited by his instructions, he can fill up the vacancies instanter, with such persons as will be properly obedient. He has authority, with the advice of his council, to summon general assemblies; he appoints the (a) By an act passed in Jamaica in 1781, intituled, “An act to make the places of the judges, &c. more permanent and respectable," it is declared, that no judge shall be removed but by the king's pleasure, signified under his majesty's sign manual. It is provided however that the governor, with the consent of five of his council, may suspend, until the king's pleasure be known, accounting to his majesty for, and delivering to the party suspended a copy of his rea-sons in writing for such suspension. This proviso seems to me to render this act in a great measure nugatory. |