kind; to be checked by the whole community, through its government. For this liberty, APPENDIX. independent of any check or order, appears to tend directly to deftroy the ufeful and moral character of individuals, and, paradoxical as it may feem, to reduce them which tends to ultimately to flavery. This pofition refts on that irrefragable principle, drawn from enflave manuniform experience, namely, that luxuries, when once they get firm root in a community, change their nature, and partake fo much of the nature of neceffaries, that they cannot be eradicated without doing violence to liberty, and bringing human nature into fome degree of suffering*. 735. The difpofition of man, naturally tends to DESPOTISM, not only in accumulating power, to influence and govern others, which too often leads to the deprivation of life; but also in accumulating money or wealth, which too often terminates in the forcibly depriving others of their property; in both cafes unchecked by the community in which he lives t.-This kind of independence is at present generally called liberty, and is aimed at and fought after by all those, who do not wish to be fubjected to any focial check. But this inclination is diametrically oppofite to order, which, it were easy to prove, requires each individual, in every focial refpect, to be governed. by the will of the whole, or of the majority, and not vice versa. 736. For the foregoing reafons, I cannot but think, that real, iron in bars, fhould but real iron: have been introduced even into the colony. They would have had all the effential bars have not that tendency.. uses of a money medium, without being liable to the abufes of European money, the nature of which they would have kept out of fight, as being themfelves compofed of (iron) the moft useful of all metallic commodities. They would therefore have tended to keep the production of commodities conftantly in the view of both the natives and the colonifts. But, perhaps, it would not be yet too late to change the colonial money fyftem, before the selfish fpirit, encouraged by European money, has entirely debauched the minds of innocent Africans. and artificial, 737. It is evident that the Company withes to establish a certain credit in the co- Credit natural lony; and that is as right and neceffary as that they fhould endeavour to give a proper energy and firmness to the colonial government. All that I wish to obferve is, that they cannot be too much on their guard against the introduction of an ARTIFICIAL CREDIT, which will as certainly end in an unlimited credit, as the inveftiture of the colonial government with an UNCHECKED POWER, will terminate in defpotifm. * I do not mean that kind of luxury, which a man produces by means of his own labour or industry, either for the neceflaries, the conveniences, or the enjoyments of life, but fuch luxuries only as are procured by means of money. + It has been hitherto confeffed, that abuses and tyranny fpring from an arbitrary or unchecked power of governing, and I think it is not lefs certain, that an arbitrary or unchecked power of dif fofing of wealth leads to abuses of another kind. Both terminate in a species of perfonal slavery. To prove this affertion, plenty of inftances might be produced. APPENDIX. 738. "But as the valuing of the bars produced fome altercation, the price of 3 dollars a month, or about ys. 6d. a week, is now fubftituted." (§ 426.) cannot be fixed Price, depend- To what has been faid, I need only add here, this fimple question.-Is it pos ing on demand, fible to fix the price of any article whatever, without deranging the natural proportion between commodities, which arifes from the natural and variable want and demand of them, in a community? Three objec tions answered 739. I fhall pafs over several other parts of both the Reports, which are connected with money matters. But, before I difmifs the fubject, it may be proper to add a few words to justify and elucidate some opinions advanced in the first part of this work. For, as men at this day commonly infer their objections and arguments, on fuch subjects, from facts and particulars, and cannot be expected to contemplate the (civil evils) caufes of diforder in the communities of the prefent age, from the fame identical point of view, I may very naturally suppose that the following objections will be made to the opinions implied in § 142, qu. XXXVII, LI. (1.) It may be asked, How business can be conducted in fociety, without credit, that is to fay, without coined money? 740. I anfwer, that fuch credit, being only an artificial credit, ought to be entirely ba nished and removed; but not that kind of credit which is founded on a real knowledge of useful ability and activity of men. This last kind of credit, which may be manifested in any form whatever, may be fafely substituted for money, and will never disturb or diminish any bufinefs of real utility in fociety*. An induftrious, active, and ufeful farmer, for example, will be known and accredited by his labourers; a tradef. man or a manufacturer by his customers, and the merchant by those who entrust him with their orders for fupplying their wants t. Thus a character for ability, industry, fobriety and integrity, is the true ftandard for all natural credit, which needs not the barbarous and impolitic fupport of arrests and imprisonments for debt; but direftly tends to encourage the excellent moral qualities on which it is founded. In a word, artificial credit tends to diffolve, or enflave, civil fociety; and natural credit to confolidate and improve it. (2.) If gold and filver, were to circulate according to their weight and ftandard, would not many be impofed upon by bafe metals? 741. But are not gold and filver, even at this day, bought and fold, in every pof. sible shape, both stamped and unftamped, and confequently are not base metals current, even on the prefent fyftem ?—It is true, that if money were altered from coin (or credit) to weight and standard, the buyer would be obliged to examine the * If the reader will confult Mr. Sharp's "Sketch of temporary Regulations for S. Leona,” he will find that a currency of any extent, and for the largest community, may be most advantageously founded on day labour, registered in a public bank. In the prefent order of things, however, the contrary is the case. quality quality of the commodity rather more minutely than he does at prefent. Such APPENDIX. examination is, indeed, now, in a great measure, out of the question; as the buyer, like a creditor, depends on the artificial laws enacted to relieve and protect him, in all cafes*. 742. But on the natural system of weight and standard, every able, and of course, accredited affayer would become a natural banker; or the banker, from an ignorant money-holder, would be obliged to become a scientific aflayer of gold and filver; and his note would be taken in payment, within the circle of his connections, as money, and it's validity or estimation would be proportioned to the natural credit fuch an affayer had obtained. (3.) If there were no fpeculation commerce, how would focieties be provided with neceffaries? (See § 114.) 743. I answer, that all speculation, in articles of the first neceffity, ought, in a well regulated community, to make a part of the duty of the government: or, if that should be found difficult or impracticable, a commiffion-commerce might easily be organized fo univerfally, that, from the most distant individuals, orders might be conveyed from one commiffion tradesman to another, even to the laft commiffion merchant. All these might in fuch case obtain a decent and fecure living,. proportioned to their different degrees of trouble and risk. This commercial fyftem, indeed, might easily be introduced even into our present focieties; fince all kinds of property may be effe&tually fecured by the established modes of infur ance. 744. A representation of the filver and copper coin, introduced into the colony Weight and of S. Leona, is inferted in the large Map. Fig. 1, represents the Dollar, which is called a Cent piece. Fig. 2, the half Dollar or half Cent. Fig. 3, the 20 Cent, and Fig. 4, the 10 Cent.. Fig. 5, the copper coin of which 100 makes one Dollar. One Dollar contains 400 grains of pure filver. too coined copper Cent pieces weigh 3lb. This would certainly be a very great, and, I should think, a very proper check on speculation. commerce, which at prefent hurries on business with the tumultuous celerity of a hunting match. One man pushes another, he a third and fo on, whether they can bear pushing or not, with fuch dif orderly eagerness that many tumble and trip up others, while the leaft deferving often share the greatest prizes in this mercantile scramble. In the mean time, intellectual improvement, and every other kind of improvement, perfonal, domeftic or focial, is entirely neglected: for when a man's whole time and attention are engroffed by one low fordid purfuit, every nobler purpose of his being must be overlooked. -See alfo that excellent work, Walker's Geography; Second Edition, 1795, § 150. denominations. of S. Leona coin. NOTE APPENDIX. S. Leona, fimilar to the W. Indian. NOTE X. 1. See § 425 et feq. 745. If the reader has given that attention, which the fubject so well deferves, to what is faid on cultivation (from § 131 to 140 inclufive) he will not suppose me a very warm admirer of the fyftem adopted; or rather, I would fain hope, only under trial, at S. Leona. The part of my book juft quoted, which touches on culti Cultivation at vation, was printed several weeks before I had an opportunity of perufing the arti cle on the fame fubject, in the second report of the Directors (fee § 425 et feq.) and at which, I confefs, I was both grieved and surprized. I was grieved at observing fo much fimilarity between the system of cultivation adopted, or tried, at S. Leona and that practised in the Sugar Iflands: and I was surprised that any thing like an imitation of that mercantile fyftem of cultivation fhould be tolerated at S. Leona, after it's oppreffive confequences to the unhappy flaves on sugar eftates, in the W. Indies, had fo clearly appeared in evidence, before the British Privy Council and House of Commons *. The fimilarity which I lament, appears in the following particulars: (1.) As on Weft Indian fugar eftates, the grumettas, on the Company's plantation, have a flated, though certainly a more liberal, allowance of provifions; and their dinner is dreffed for them in the manager's houfe, as for weakly negroes, and for children on moft plantations in the fugar iflands. This mode will fave time; but I much doubt if it will tend to improve the natives in the arts of household œconomy. * That oppreffion is infeparable from the prefent mode of cultivating the fugar cane in the W. Indies, appears by inference from Long's Hift. of Jamaica, and explicitly in Dickson's Letters on Slavery. This last writer (p. 23) particularly describes the manner in which the cane-holes are dug and the dung diftributed. "I have feen," fays he, "land lined off into square spaces 4 feet each way, which I believe, is the general rule in Barbadoes. The cane holes, therefore, may be about 3 feet fquare, and 7 or 8 inches deep, with a space or " diftance" between each, and another space or " bank” at right angles to the distance, to receive the mould. The holes are dug, with hoes, by the flaves, in a row, with the driver at one end, to preferve the line. They begin and finish a row of these holes as nearly at the fame instants as possible; so that this equal task must be performed in the fame time, by a number of people who it is next to impoffible, should be all equally strong and dexterous."—" The weak, therefore, from the very nature of this mode of turning up the foil, must necessarily be oppreffed. The driver is often obliged to fet fuch negroes as cannot keep up with the rest, to work, in a separate corner by themselves; but I am forry to say he too often first tries the effect of flogging."- "In dif tributing dung, each negro carries on his (or her) head a basket full of it, the driver with his whip bringing up the rear of the gang. Here then, is another equal task, to be performed in an equal time, by people of unequal ftrength. In diftributing dung, therefore, as well as in holing, the weak are unavoidably oppressed."— '——" In this work, the negroes have no help at all from cattle or implements of husbandry, the hoe and the basket only excepted." &c.—The baskets are all of the fame size; infomuch that a dung-basket has become a kind of measure for potatoes, &c. as a trash-basket, which is much larger, is for other things. (2.) They the Co's plan tations called out with a horn, eye, 746. (2.) They are called to work in the morning by the blowing of a horn.-On APPENDIX. fome W. Indian plantations a shell is used for this purpose, and on others a bell. "Shell-blow," as the flaves call it, rouses them about 4 o'clock. In half an hour Labourers on after, more or less, the driver fallies forth bawling "Turn out! Turn out!" at the fame time loudly fmacking his cow skin, which he smartly applies to the naked bodies of those who come too late into the field.-May no W. Indian overfeer or negrodriver*, ever find means to substitute a flogging for the dram, now given at S. Leona!! 747.(3.) They work under the immediate eye of one of the better fort of natives, while and work unthe planter directs their general operations, fees them often from his window and walks der a planter's occafionally among them."-If, for "one of the better fort of natives," an overfeer, or driver, with his whip, should ever steal into the fields of S. Leona, and whether or not such an event is to be dreaded we fhall presently fee, then this paffage might be indifferently applied to that colony or to the W. Indies. But, in the Southern states of America, the negroes have certain tasks affigned them, which when they have finished, they are at liberty to fish, hunt, work in their own grounds, or amuse themselves for the reft of the day. In this way, they do more work and perform it sooner, better and more chearfully, without the superintendance of a driver than the negroes in the W. Indies who drudge all day long, not only under the eye, but literally under the whip, of the driver. A Mr. Douglas, fome few years ago, carried 60 negroes from Carolina to Jamaica, where he continued his task work, with the same success as in America; but as things now ftand in the W. Indies, improvements cannot be introduced without much difficulty. (See Min. Evid. 1790 p. 183, and 1791 p. 218, 250.) I am, therefore, clearly of opinion, that task work, or rather piece-work, would tend, much more than day-labour, to call forth the activity of the native Africans, and confequently to promote their improvement: and I would fain hope that as foon as the grumettas on the Company's plantation become tolerably expert, that piece-work will be affigned them, instead of drowsy, lifeless day-labour. 748. (4.) The company's labourers appear to be employed from fun rife to fun fet, from sun-rife except about 2 hours for dinner, and, as I am told, a short space for prayers, which cept about 21 may be about equal to the breakfast-time allowed to the flaves in the W. Indies. hours. Thus the former seem to be employed nearly as many hours as the latter are, out of crop. I fay nearly; for the latter are generally obliged to "pick" a bundle of grafs, and to carry it to the cattle on the penns, and thus are deprived of a great part of their dinner-time; and at night they have to serve the cattle with a fecond bundle of grafs, which they can feldom do till a confiderable time after fun-fet. This is out of crop; but in crop-time, which lafts 4 or * These words are very often used synonymously in Barbadoes and the other windward islands, where the chief of an estate is generally called the Manager. But in Jamaica commonly called the Overfeer. |