company's capital, limited to £500,000, is divided into £50 one is to be entitled to more than five votes. CHAP. XI. SIERRA LE ONA. 371. A true account of the debts, credits and capital of Accounts to the company, figned by the Chairman, Deputy Chairman be published. and five other Directors, is to be annually published, in the London gazette. company's fervants to take take no fees, &c. 372. The act of incorporation authorizes the Company to Directorsand make bye-laws; and it has been, in consequence, ordained that no Director fhall be concerned in any contract relating to the Company's bufinefs; or, directly or indirectly, take any fee, prefent or reward; as also that no fervant of the Company shall, directly or indirectly, take any fee, present or reward, other than fuch as fhall have been duly established by the Directors. fwerable on ly for their 373. Laftly, it may be proper to mention, what, but for Members anfome enquiries on this head, the Directors would have deemed it almost fuperfluous to declare, that no member is hares. answerable, farther than to the amount of his particular fhare or shares, for any debts the Company may contract. 374. The article of intelligence above referred to, (see § Nova Scotia 365) respects a valuable acceffion of inhabitants the colony blacks exis about to receive. It confifts of a number of free black families, a part of many who, at the close of the American war, were carried from the United States to Nova Scotia, in which province they were promifed lands. The Direc pected, SIERRALE- CHAP. tors can hardly fpeak, without referve, on this fubject. XI. Suffice it to say, that the rigour of the climate, with the degradation and ill treatment these poor people experienced, after many of them had bled for Great Britain, inducing them to wish for a change of situation, they deputed a black man of their number, to come over and lay their cafe before the British Ministry; and, in consequence of his exprefs folicitations, in which the Directors concurred, it was settled, that as many of them as chose, should be conveyed to Sierra Leona, at the expense of Government. The Directors are happy in declaring, from the accounts of a perfon, on whom they can entirely rely, that, under many disadvantages, they have proved themselves a fober, orderly set of people, from whose domestic habits, ability and difpofition to labour for their families, much may be hoped*. -As these people were obviously to be preferred to Europeans, for a new African colony, the Directors have not yet much encouraged fettlers to go from hence. But they have sent out the requifite artificers, and the members of their civil government, and of their other establishments. which will capital ne ceffary. 375. The Directors are daily more convinced, that a large make a large capital is to be wished for, and that it may even be desireable to extend it far beyond the limits already suggested. It would be tedious to enumerate their reasons, and some of them have been before touched on; but it may not be amiss to intimate, that the approaching large and sudden population of the colony, by the Nova Scotia blacks, however ultimately advantageous, must greatly increase the Company's prefent disbursements; for, inftead of providing for a trifling factory, they must, at once, incur the *See in the Append. Notes, &c. respecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE L. charges XI. charges of planting a confiderable colony, and form their CHAT. establishments on a proportionable scale. SIERRA LE 376. The Directors truft, however, that the Proprietors. will not be so far influenced by the defire of adding to their capital, as to admit into their body any persons, on whom they cannot rely for fincere attachment to the fundamental principles of the institution: nor can the Directors entertain an apprehension, left the funds of the company should in any degree fall fhort, from the observance of this falutary caution. They cannot doubt but that a plan founded on such principles, and directed to such ends, will readily obtain, in an age and a country like ours, whatever support it may require. The number, already great, is daily increasing, of those who feel for the wrongs of Africa, and are eager to discover fome mode of compenfating to her for the injuries fhe has fo long been sustaining at our hands.-Whatever may have been unjustly urged against any other measure that has been brought forward, under this impreffion, no one can object to the undertaking of the Sierra Leona company. Even confidered in relation to the abolition of the flave-trade, it's operation, though flow, is unquestionably fure. Though it may not at once cut up by the roots this inhuman traffic, it tends to divert the stream that waters it, and destroy the principles from which it derives its nutriment. Filled with these animating ideas, the Directors grudge not the great pains they have taken, in the execution of their important trust; nor will they at all relax in their exertions. It is their joy and their comfort to be thus employed: they are thankful for being allowed to be the inftruments of the goodness of Providence, in the communication of fuch great and extenfive benefits. Already they anticipate ONA. SIERRA LE ΟΝΑ. CHAP. the happy effects of their labours. They look forward XI. with delight to that joyful period, when, by the influence of the Company's measures, and the efficacy of its example, the continent of Africa fhall have been rescued from her present ftate of darkness and mifery, and shall exhibit a far different scene, of light and knowledge, and civilization and order, and peaceful industry, and domes tic comfort. The following is an Abridgment of the “ Subftance of the Report delivered by the Court of Directors of the Sierra Leona Company to the General Court of Proprietors, on the 27th of March 1794." 377. The Directors having concurred with the black man deputed by the Nova Scotian free negroes, in applying to His Majesty's Ministers for a passage for them, at the expenfe of Government, and having obtained a favourable answer (see § 374) they immediately availed themselves of the fervices of Lieut. Clarkson, who very handsomely offered to go to Nova Scotia, to fuperintend the collecting and carrying over fuch free blacks as might wish to migrate to Sierra Leona*. The terms on which the Company engaged to receive them into the colony were contained in a printed declaration, of which the following is a copy: 378. "The Sierra Leona Company, willing to receive into their colony such free blacks as are able to produce to their agents, Lieut. Clarkson, of His Majesty's navy, and Mr. Lawrence Hartfhorn, of Halifax, or either of them, fatisfactory testimonials of their character, (more particularly as to honesty, fobriety and industry) think it proper to notify, in an explicit manner, upon what terms they will receive at Sierra Leona, those who bring with them written certifi* See in the Append. Notes, &c. respecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE M, cates XI. SIERRA LE ΟΝΑ. cates of approbation from either of the faid agents, which CHA P. certificate they are hereby respectively authorized to grant or withhold at discretion.—It is therefore declared by the Company, that every free black, upon producing such a certificate, fhall have a grant of not less than twenty acres of land for himself, ten for his wife, and five for every child, upon fuch terms, and subject to such charges and obligations, with a view to the general profperity of the Company, as fhall hereafter be settled by the Company, in respect to the grants of land to be made by them to all settlers, whether black or white. That for all stores and provifions, &c. fupplied from the Company's warehouses, the Company shall receive an equitable compenfation, according to fixed rules, extending to blacks and whites indifcriminately.—That the civil, military, perfonal, and commercial right and duties of blacks and whites shall be the same, and secured in the fame manner.-And for the full affurance of perfonal protection from flavery to all fuch black fettlers, the Company have fubjoined a claufe contained in the Act of Parliament, whereby they are incorporated, viz. "" Provided alfo, and be it further enacted, that it shall not be lawful for the faid Company, either directly or indirectly, by itself or themselves, or by the agents or fervants of the said Company, or otherwife, how foever, to deal or traffic in the buying or felling of flaves, or in any manner whatever to have, hold, appropriate or employ any person or perfons in a state of slavery in the fervice of the faid Com "Given under our hands, London, the second day of Auguft, 1791. HENRY |