Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

all cut off. The committee can never die; one wave fucceeds another, and their followers roll on into the places of their predeceffors; they in a collective capacity can only break when they have broke the publick that supported them; and a fucceffion of hungry applicants are ever infatiable from their first dependency to their plenitude of power.

Various have been the attempts to reform the abuses of the - committee, but they have all been fruitless; for the legif-lature having forged the chain, a power only equal to theirs can break it: and that is fincerely to be wifhed, for nothing but an entire alteration of the prefent management can put the African trade on a refpectable footing. This is no scratch, easily to be healed, as one of their fervants afferted, but the whole limb is rotten, and must be lopped off, or a mortification must enfue, and perhaps reach the vitals of our country. From a monopoly no encrease of trade can be expected, and were they once invefted with extraordinary powers, and poffeffed of great opulence, all this would only raise their views to easier methods of encreafing their revenues. Under the pretence of investigating further fources of commerce in the interior parts of Africa, they would be aiming at territorial acquifitions, which might raife them for a time, but the natives and their country would foon have their revenge, as their total ruin would be the almost immediate confequence.

[ocr errors]

By our shipping therefore is our only eligible method of car- · rying on this trade, free to all our induftrious natives: The fea

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

is the only clement for Britons, and that makes all the coafts their own, whenever they choofe to claim them. The forts that are neceffary may be garrifoned with military gentlemen, appointed by the company, or a committee fairly chosen by real African traders, and afterwards con firmed by government: Let them have ample falaries, but under a total prohibition of entering into any trade whatfoever, either on fhore or on board, which will make them impartial judges of any difference that may arife between the traders and natives, and by that means they may restore the rights, the honour and dignity of the British name. Let their appointment be for three years only, and though this establishment would be expensive, yet the faving that might be made to the publick by taking off improper perquifities, and leffening the number of forts, would rather reduce than encreafe the expences in general, especially after the first necessary charges were provided for; that is, when five of those now ruinous forts, which are as many as need. be kept up, were properly repaired under the inspection of an engineer; for dear experience has taught us what it is to leave it to the discretion of a governor. One fort with another might be maintained for about 1,000l. a year, as that calculation was made for Annamaboe. The committee with eleven forts have had yearly about 2,000l. more than that for these twelve years past; so doubtless they have a confiderable fum in their hands, which they will account for to, the publick, and for which and all other deficiencies whatsoever, according to the preamble of the last general African

act,

act, I apprehend all the members of the company are jointly and severally accountable.

The fame fum government now allows would pay all expences, and afford to fix the governor of Cape Coast's salary* at 1,000l. with 300l. yearly for his table, and each other governor's at 500l. And how many half-pay officers would be happy to go a three years tour on fuch conditions! The only forts that need be † kept up, are the five following, Dixcove, Cape Coast Castle, Annamaboe, Winnebah and Accra; for Appolonia and Whidah are evidently injurious, and the reft unneceffary to the trade: and as to numerous forts to trade at, the British ships supply their places. They are now in fuch numbers on that Coast, that there can scarce be produced a single instance of any confiderable mart, where there have not conftantly been two or three, and frequently ten, twelve and fourteen: and this fuperiority in shipping, added to a fuperiority also in our affortment for trade, will always prevail with the natives, and enable us to out-do either French or Dutch, especially if we carefully prohibit all contracts with French veffels for negroes to be delivered to them in Africa; which gives them an opportunity to lie upon: the Coaft, to acquaint themselves with that and the trade, and then fupplant us by their fuppleness and dexterity.

* The governor of Cape Coast has now as good as 2000l. per ann. exclufive of trade; and one governor in two years only carried home 12,000l. though he did not fell five hundred flaves to the shipping.

Perhaps the fame money might afford to fettle a fort at Sierra Leon, according to a propofal at letter [H.] in the appendix,

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The advantages the shipping would enjoy from the competition between them and the forts ceafing, would mu+ tually establish a friendship and respect between them: When they ceased to be rivals, they would naturally be brothers. Accommodations, protection, and every intercourse of kindness would arife, and the natives be kept in awe, when they found the English were unanimous: juftice and protection are all the negroes wish for, and under fuch a government they might be fecure of both. Some negroes of other nations might be trained to arms, who could be more useful in guarding the private traders in the towns, than European főldiers, and would be faithful with kind ufage, and could not be injured by their being exposed to the climate. The honour and justice of fentiment, that military ardor infpires, efpecially in the early part of life---the hopes of preferment, which government would readily grant, if requested by the African company for an officer, who had behaved with unfpotted integrity abroad---the applaufe of the world, and friendship of the merchants, are no small security for the good behaviour of the military gentlemen: and were even these motives infufficient, the short time they would stay upon the Coast, would make it hardly poffible, or worth while for them to form connections which muft fo foon be broke through.

Should they notwithstanding act wrong, a colony upon the Coast would be the proper and effectual remedy; but if that was not thought expedient, or too expenfive, the next eligible step is, that a fifty or fixty gun fhip and a frigate or two,

with fenfible steady officers, and a man of reputation in the law as judge, might call at every place of trade on the Coast, and do the natives justice, if ill treated by the English there; or exact it of them, if they were the offenders. This courfe fteadily pursued with a prohibition of any gratuity being received, or any trade carried on by the judge, or commanders and officers under fevere penalties, would retrieve the national character of justice and power; and the natives of Africa, when fure of not being injured, would not be inclinable to commit any injury.

T

CHAP. VII.

A new AFRICAN ACT propofed.

O bring all these regulations to a point, the best way seems to throw them together into one view, in the form of an Act of Parliament, which properly executed might remedy every abuse, and fet the African trade on a fair and respectable footing, humane and equitable to the Africans, advantageous to every private free British trader, and conducive to the prosperity of our commerce, the benefit and support of our colonies.

An act of parliament paffed in the* year of his majesty king George the Third, for the regulation and encourage

ment

*All dates and fums printed in Italick are humbly fubmitted, as is the whole of this act, to confideration of

government.

« AnteriorContinuar »