PROPOSITION IX. 189. That every affociation for forming colonies in Africa, ought to act connectedly and in harmony with the Sierra Leona company, and every fimilar eftablishment; fo combining their interests, that every refolution, taken in the general court of directors of any one company, should be generously communicated to the others; and, when a general election is held, and new refolutions taken into confideration, that two of the Directors of every such company should be invited to be prefent. PROPOSITION X. 190. That no other currency be introduced, from the commencement of the colony, but that recommended in the judicious plan of that friend of mankind, Granville Sharp, Efq. founded on labour*, which will tend to create and encourage an activity for raising useful productions, better than any other method. This plan, it is evident, may be adapted, or made applicable, to all the pecuniary transactions that can take place in the largest community.-If gold and filver should be ever introduced, they should never appear in the form of any coin; but should circulate according to their weight and intrinsic standard.-See § 142. Query LI. 191. In order compleatly to fecure focial virtue and or der in the colony, the ancient and venerable English system * See "Sketch of temporary regulations for Sierra Leona," where the worthy author recommends day-labour; but I prefer piece-work which in all, or in moft, cafes, may be as eafily accommodated to the intended purpofe as day-labour. CHAP. IX. IX. CHA P. of frankpledge should also be introduced; but with some al teration to adapt it to the present state of things *. PROPOSITION XII. 192. The company ought to keep a compleat store-house in the colony, containing a proper affortment of articles suited to that part of the coast: and, in order to give spirit and support to every active and useful colonist, there should be a difcounting account in articles kept for the general use of the colony, that those colonists who have abilities, but no means, may obtain such articles, to a certain limited extent, under the direction of the company. PROPOSITION XII. 193. When in process of time, taxes come to be raised in the colony, partly for the maintenance of public order, (see § 170,) and partly for raising fuch revenue to the fubscribers as may afford them a liberal, but specific, indemnification for risking and lying out of their property, it is proposed that the following ground for taxing may be observed, by which the overbearing influence of commerce, to the prejudice of more useful and necessary occupations in the colony, may be prevented, viz. 194. That the inhabitants of the colony may be divided into three distinct claffes: the first, producers, or cultivators of raw materials, such as sugar, coffee, cotton, indigo, spices, cattle, corn or any other kind of productions in their first ftate. The fecond, the tradefmen or manufacturers in the co * Society is alfo indebted to Mr. Sharp for illuftrating and recommending the adoption of that excellent fyftem. See his Treatife on Congregational Courts. -Alfo § 167. lony, IX. lony, who form the before-mentioned raw materials or CHA P. productions by means of industry into some shape for ufe; and the third or last, the class of merchants in the colony, who are chiefly occupied in traffic and negociation, both within and without the colony. It is of very great importance, that every inhabitant, from the beginning, may class himself yearly under either of these three, and that the imposts may be laid by the colonial legislature, in such proportion, that the first class be taxed the lowest, and the last the highest, and that the right of voting, in all cases, shall be confined to the first class only*. PROPOSITION XIV. 195. That no colonist be allowed to poffefs more than a certain portion of land, fay acrest. PROPOSITION XV. 196. That, in order to prevent certain obvious irregularities, as much as poffible, every colonist that remains unmarried after the age of years, shall pay a tax to the community of per cent. on his property, and all married people shall be encouraged in that ftate by an exemption from certain taxes. PROPOSITION XVI. 197. That no colonist be arrested or imprisoned for debt, * See the Plan of a free Community on the Coast of Africa, entirely independent of all European laws and Government, 4to. 1789, p. 23. +"Experience has shown the inconvenience of private perfons poffeffing too large quantities of land in our colonies, by which means the greatest part of it must lie uncultivated; and the inhabitants are thrown at fuch a distance that they can neither affist nor defend one another." Reasons for establishing the Colony of Georgia, p. 29.-See the Note to Prop. II. R 2 at, IX. CHAP. at the inftance of another; but that it may be the creditor's own fault, if he part with his property on truft*. PROPOSITION XVII. 198. That every ufeful mechanical invention, especially fuch as are calculated to abridge and facilitate human labour, in clearing and cultivating the foil, be particularly encouraged.-See § 132 et feq. * Every individual belongs to the community, and not to any other individual, He cannot therefore be fold for money, far less for credit; becaufe credit is often given by infidious men, or debts bought up by them, in order to inveigle and confine their competitors; and competition is the very life of an industrious community. The number of perfons who are lost to society, to their families and themselves, by imprisonment for debt, is very great. Sixty years ago, it was calculated that four thousand were annually cast into prison for debt in England, and that one third of their debts were never thereby recovered.-(See Reasons for eftablishing the Colony of Georgia, printed in 1733, page 18.) If the number of such victims has increased, as it is natural to believe it has, with the trade of the kingdom during that period, few thinking men will be disposed to rejoice at an extension of commerce which has brought fuch an evil in it's train. I am, indeed, credibly informed that, in the beginning of the present year (1794) no fewer than 27,000 perfons were confined for debt in the gaols of England and Scotland. What a number to be thus shut up from the eyes, and, I fear, too often excluded from the hearts, of their fellow fubjects! But it is to be hoped that the promoters of colonization in Africa, will effectually prevent this afflicting evil from entering into any of their establishments, always remembering that one of their primary objects is, the abolition of the flavetrade! See § 142, Query LI. CHAP. CHAP. X. COLONIES FORMED IN AFRICA, ON THE PRINCIPLES OF COMMERCE, by the Portuguese, Spaniards, French, Dutch and Auftrians. 199. MOST men yield a readier afsent to facts, showing what has already been done, than to arguments, proving what it is practicable to do. For the information then of perfons who may be inclined to subscribe, or to embark as colonists, in any new undertaking of this kind, it may not be improper to introduce into this work, a fhort history of those modern European colonies which have already been established, or attempted, in Africa, on the principles of commerce, and of those which are now forming on the principles of humanity*. But it seems unnecessary to defcribe the temporary fettlements or factories. THE PORTUGUESE. 200. The Portuguese explored the coast of Africa, before * The interests of commerce and humanity were at firft fo fuccessfully reconciled by the Dutch, at the Cape of Good Hope, that the sketch hereafter given of the firft establishment of their colony in that part of Africa, deserves particular attention. Upon the whole, it appears to me to afford a very good model for forming colonies in general. The following fhort account of the Portuguese colonies in Africa, I have compiled from the Atlas Maritimus et Commercialis, London printed 1728.-Mortimer's and Postlethwayt's Commercial Dictionaries, both printed in London, 1766. -Tableau General de Commerce, Londres, 1787.-The Report of the British Privy Council, London 1789.-And the volumes already published of the Encyclopædia Britannica, 3d. edition now printing at Edinburgh.—It may be observed, however, that the present ftate of Portuguese Africa is different from what it was at the period which furnished the materials for thefe works. any С НА Р. X. |