creates various fpecies of animals to inhabit the land or the water; and last of all to compleat and crown his works, he faid, Let us make man in our own image, after our own likeness, to have dominion over the fish of the fea, and over the fowl of • the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.' An Enquiry concerning the Trade, Commerce, and Policy of Famaica, relative to the Scarcity of Money, and the Caujes and bad Effects of fuch Scarcity, peculiar to that land. With Calculations of the annual Amount of its inland Commerce, as relative to the Planter: of the Sum of current Money neceffary for that Commerce: And of the Ballance of its inland and foreign Trade: As alfo, of the Advantages accruing, and the Importance of that land to Great Britain. To which is added, a Scheme for establishing a Public Bank. 4to. 2s. Printed. at St. Jago de la Vega, Jamaica, and fold by Kinnerily in St. Paul's Church-yard, London. A N attempt to fhew how far the interefts of Great Britain and her Sugar Colonies are mutually connected, would be equally useless and impertinent. The advantages derived from the latter to the former, cannot but be obvious even to the meaneft capacity. Their welfare contributes to the emolument of the parent-country; and every diftrefs they labour under, muft terminate in her loss. After fome general remarks on the nature and properties of Money, (which, tho' judicious and pertinent, we pafs over, as containing nothing new) this performance fenfibly reprefents the many inconveniencies felt by the inhabitants of Jamaica, one of our most valuable poffeffions, from the fcarcity of current Money; which scarcity is afcribed to, 1ft, The too high 1 he Printer, in a prefixed advertisement, gives the following account of this publication. St. Jago de la Vega, Sept. 20, 1757. • The manuscript of this Enquiry, wrote in the year 1751, failing into our hands, and finding it contained many interefting Remarks, relative to the Trade, Commerce, and Policy of this land, we ⚫ flattered ourselves an edition from the Prefs would be acceptable to the public, and meet with fufficient encouragement to defray the charge of printing by the fale of a small number of copies, which we have accordingly ftruck off." prices of the island's produce, not arifing from a scarcity or extraordinary vent, which are the general and natural causes of the rife of commodities, but to a bad policy.—2dly, To the illicit trade frequently carried on with the French and Dutch Colonies and Traders, with whom Money has been chiefly exchanged for their commodities, most of them only fupplies to luxu and debauch.-3dly, To the general neglect of not paying the intereft of Money borrowed.-4thly, To the trade with the Northern Colonies +. Our Author next confiders the particular bad effects the want of a fufficient quantity of circulating Money has upon the credit, commerce, and intereft of Jamaica. Among these nothing is more striking than what is observed with relation to its creating and multiplying law-fuits. In order to give some idea of the annual expences of the Law in this island, he gives the following calculation, which, he fays, and we have reason to believe, is under what may be allowed.' • A Calculation of the annual Charge of LAW-SUITS in this • Island. 700 new Actions each grand-court or term, is for the four yearly terms 2800 Actions; and at 51. each, for attornies fees, court-charges, and fervices, is Allow half of thofe actions to require one coun- of them, are carried to execution and ven- Carried over s. d. 14000 0 0 6650 0 0 4000 24650 0 0 + This article is illuftrated by estimates of the annual imports from North America into the island of Jamaica, at a medium of three years; and of the exports from Jamaica thither; by which it appears, that the annual balance in favour of North-America, amounts to 64.9771. 10s in money or bills of exchange, which are equally negotiable at Hifpaniola. and what renders this balance more mifchievous, is, that, from fome late difcoveries, it has been made appear, far the greater part of it is dropped among the French and Dutch, in trading with their veflels; or conveyed to Hifpaniola, or fome of the French islands, to purchafe the fame commodities that are produced in Jamaica. Brought over · 24650 o And on the remaining half at 2 per Cent. is • Suppose twenty of thofe actions per annum, to be carried to the court of errors, at 50l. each for court, attornies, and councils fees And fifty to the court of Chancery, at 501. each, for proceedings to the hearing of each cause And twenty piftoles for fees to counfel, in car⚫rying on and determining each cause Allow ten of those causes to be appealed, and the cost here of appeals to be 50l. each, is And for contempt, cofts, &c. incident to the Chancery-fuits, one with the other at 201. • each, <For contefted adminiftrations, allowing one to happen each adminiftration-day, is fifty-two · per annum, at five piftoles each, for attorney ❝ and counsel-fee 2000 1000 00 2500* 0 0 1187 10 0 500 1000 308 15 0 £. 33146 50 From hence it appears, that 33,1461. 5s. at least, is annually spent in law-fuits, in caufes of matters of debt; befides what is carried on at the Kingston courts, which, in'cluding the petty-courts of other precincts, may be allowed to make the whole 40,000l. And how furprizing will it ap< pear, that this country fhould be fued, and the procefs of the law carried to the utmoft, for fo large a fum as 160,000l. yearly, befides the 40,000l. which may be added to it for law charges, when the annual traffic of the country, so far as relates to the Planter, may be found, as hereafter calculated, to be no more than 663,4001.? And how great must the sum < spent in law-fuits appear, when compared with the commerce of the country! For the money expended in causes concerning other kinds of property than that of debts, may be com'puted to amount to as much more as that in matters of debt; fo that what is expended in law in this island, amounts to near 80,000l. per annum.' Surprizing indeed! Nevertheless, we are well informed, that it is no more than the real truth. Our Author here, more than in any other part of his performance, indulges his power of declamation; perhaps he might have reafon for it; feeing, alafs! it but too often happens, that Authors and Civil Officers are compelled to a familiarity with each other, generally undefired by the former. K 3 Civil After having defcribed the general fymptoms, and traced the difeafe to its fource, our Author, like a truly fkilful Phyfician, not contented with propofing only palliative methods, points out alfo the remedy moft likely to effect a radical cure. The fcarcity of circulating Money he has clearly fhewn to be the genuine caufe of the diftemper; to fupply this deficiency, therefore, is his next care. To this purpofe he gives fome calculations, by which it may be probably conjectured, what fum is requifite to maintain the commerce of Jamaica; he demonftrates, that the inland affords ample means for procuring and anfwering a fufficient currency; and, as a proper ftep towards obtaining this good end, he infifts upon a reformation of their prefent Money. In order more fpeedily to fupply this want, our Author propofes the erection of a public Bank; he points out the means of railing fitable funds for this purpofe; he lays down a plan for conducting it; and, in our apprehenfion, has manifeftly proved the uffulness and practicability of fuch an inftitution. Indeed, confidering how complicated the fubject is, we cannot but ap laud the perfpicuity of this performance, and must recommend it as worthy the attention of every British Merchant interested in that branch or trade. The following extract will ferve for a proper fpecimen of this ultramarine product on, and at the fame time may convey a more a 'vantageous idea of Jamaica, than perhaps is generally conceived. But another view of the trade and commerce of this island, as it respects our mother country, may make appear how greatly this iflend depends thereon for its fubfiitence, prefervation, ⚫ and welfare; and, on the other hand, of what great value and importance this ifland is to Great Britain; and how worC thy of her protection, care, and afliftance, and how capable of paying its prefent debts, as well as how fufficient a fecurity for the 100,ocol. now propofed to be raised, or a much larger fum, if neceflary. In order to this, the following efti⚫mation is made of our annual confumption of manufactures and merchandize imported from thence, and of the produce. exported in return, and herein Ireland is included as part thereof; and it is thought no impropriety to call it part of our mother-country, as a British ifle fubject to the fame laws, under the fame government, and fupplying this ifland with feveral of its neceflaries, • An • An Estimation of the annual Supplies from Great-Britain and Ireland, to Jamaica. To the following, fupplied towards the fupport of 100,000 field-negroes, viz. For phyfic, at I s. per head, the other 4s. being allowed for • Doctor's attendance For 800,000 yards of oznabrig, which is eight yards to each negro, as allowed, at 11d. For half of the supply of falt provifions as computed, the other half being fuppofed to come ⚫ from the Northward, 1. s. d. 1. s. d. 5000 36666 13 4 19166 13 4 60833 68 150000 To wearables for the ufe of 10,000 white inhabitants, at 151. each • To tools for 60,000 working negroes, as com- To tradefmen's tools, and materials neceffary • To wearables and eatables confumed by 20,000 To ditto for 2000 free negroes and mulattoes, including the late rebellious negroes, at 31. • To a recruit of nine negroes to each plantati6 on, is 4050, at 351. each, as before com puted 18750 0 0 1000 00 5000 20000 6000 141750 0 23625 00 11250 0 0 Carrried over £438208 68 |