When orders were iffued from the treasury, for the fale of lands in the ceded islands, the French poffeffors on this fpot, were required to pay certain ftipulated fums for the lands which they occupied, the right by which they held them being confidered as invalid; but orders were given, that the Caribbs fhould not be disturbed in their poffeffions, whilst they obferved a quiet and inoffenfive demeanour. Among these Caribbs, were about a thousand fighting men. The new fettlers who arrived from England, foon beheld with a jealous eye, the fertile plains which were occupied by these people. They propofed an exchange of lands, by which these Indians would poffefs a part of the island equally convenient for their occupations of hunting and fishing, but being overrun with wood unfavourable for cultivation. This propofed exchange was approved by government at home, but rejected with great fpirit by the Caribbs, who infifted on their right of retaining the lands which they poffeffed, in the fame independent manner in which they had hitherto held them, declaring that they acknow◄ ledged no more fubjection to the King of Great-Britain, than they had formerly done to the monarch of France, This firm maintenance of their natural rights was reprefented, by the rapacious planters, as a dangerous extirpating spirit, which expofed the new Colony to continual dangers of being overwhelmed, and it was fubmitted to government, whether it was not expedient to transport these unhappy people either to the coast of Africa, or to the defart Ifland of St. Matthew. The latter scheme was at length complied with, on condition that they could not be brought to submit to the English government, and inftructions were fent by Lord Hillsborough to provide them with every ne ceffary accommodation, and shew them the most humane treatment, both in their conveyance to, and establishment in their new settlement. But as the Caribbs were highly irritated

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irritated at being thus difpoffeffed of their native poffeffions, and as there was no force on the ifland fufficient to execute the orders, in April 1772, General Gage was directed to fend two regiments from North America to St. Vincent's, and a force nearly equal thereto was collected from the other iflands. The arrival of thefe troops, together with fome men of war which were defigned to co-operate in the attack, no ways intimidated the Caribbs, who defended themselves with their bows and arrows, and other miffile weapons, in the use of which they were very expert. The rainy season, which was then fet in, and the want of proper huts to fhelter the troops, caufed great fickness among them; the accounts of which that were tranfmitted to England, joined to the fuppofed injustice of the war which was waging, gave birth to the enquiry, which however was deferred from time to time, in expectation of fome official advices being received. It was not, until the 12th of February, that witneffes were examined at the bar; fome of whom reprefented the Caribbs as a quiet, friendly, and fair-dealing race of men, who had been driven to acts of hoftility by the injustice and avarice of the new fettlers from England; whilft others defcribed them as perfidious and cruel, with violent paffions, and indulging a lawless freedom in the gratification of them, and from their attachment to the French as dangerous neighbours, efpecially in a new settlement. The evidence being gone thro', Mr. Townshend made two motions, the firft of which was, "that this expedition to St. Vincent was undertaken without sufficient provocation on the part of the Caribbs, upon the reprefentation of interefted men, and muft, if fuccefsful, end in their total exterpation." The fecond, "that the military were fent out in an improper season of the year, and that it was likely to end in the ruin of some of the best troops in the fervice."

After much debate, the house divided, for the first mo tion eighty-eight, against it two hundred and fix. For the second seventy-eight, against it ninety-nine.

Whilft the fubject was thus agitating in parliament, a treaty was entered into between the Caribbs and Major General Dalrymple, who commanded the King's troops: by which, the former agreed to become fubjects of the King of Great-Britain, to take an oath of fidelity and allegiance, and to fubmit to the laws and government of the ifland, fo far as related to their intercourse, and to all transactions with the white inhabitants; but in their own districts, and in all matters that related to each other, they were to retain their ancient customs and ufages. They, by the fame inftrument, ceded a large tract of valuable land to the crown, in confideration of those parts of the ifland which they retained, being fecured to them and their pofterity for ever.

The fale of lands in the ceded iflands, was a measure which had drawn on miniftry much cenfure; the exigencies of the ftate were urged in its defence, and the large fums which would thereby be brought into the treasury; but although the lands were fold, the fums received by government were extremely inconfiderable, so that the scheme evidently tended iniquitoufly to enrich individuals, without benefiting the ftate; notwithstanding which flagrant malversation, no enquiry was set on foot, fso that it was not the Eaft-India Company alone that was plundered by its fervants.

February 9, Lord Howe brought up a petition from the captains of the navy, praying a small addition to their half-pay. Lord North informed the house, that no matter

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which was to affect the public revenue, ought to be agitated there, without the confent of the crown, given by fome of its officers: he did not however mean to oppose the petition on that ground, and would give his consent to its being brought up, but he meant, for many cogent reasons, to oppose it through every stage.

Notwithstanding the authority which declared against the petition, and that the three most eminent naval commanders, Hawke, Saunders, and Keppel, were prevented from atttending on account of indisposition, the house in general, feemed heartily to enter into the interefts of the petitioners.

Lord Howe stated to the house, the grounds on which the request of the petitioners was founded, by taking a view of the manner of paying and providing for the captains of the navy, from the time of their first having a permanent existence as a military body, to the establishment by which their pay is now regulated. He defcribed the manner in which they were provided for in times of peace during the reigns of Charles IId, James IId, King William and Queen Anne; and fhewed, that until the year 1715, when they were put on the footing in which they have ever fince continued, they were always highly rewarded, by posts of confiderable profit, by particular gratifications, and by a half-pay, double to what they now receive. His lordship therefore moved, that the petition might be referred to a committee, in order to confider the fame, and report their opinion to the house.

Lord North acknowledged the merits of the petitioners, and their claims on their country for favour and support; but lamented that the present fituation of our finances would not admit of any additional expences being incurred,

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however

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however forcible the plea which might be urged for them. He obferved, that by granting the petition, this houfe would be importuned with many more. The military would next folicit relief, and he was informed, that the fhipwrights meant to prefer a petition for an advance of their wages, and it would be impoffible for the state to comply with the requests of fuch numerous bodies.

Sir Gilbert Elliot, treafurer of the navy, entered into an historical detail of the public provifions made for the navy, both in times of non-employment and actual fervice, from the reign of Henry VIII. when a naval force was first regularly established, to that of King William, and concluded with stating fome pertinent facts which occurred in the latter reign. In the year 1692, the pay of a captain in the navy, was 27 s. per diem, with an allowance of twelve fervants, at fix-pence per day each, which made the whole 33 s. The year after, a different arrangement took place; the pay was raised to 30 s. and the allowance for fervants ftruck off. During both these regulations, the half-pay was 15s. The year 1699 was remarkable for a variety of œconomical reforms, among which the expences of the naval department were retrenched. The full pay of captains was reduced from 30s. to 20 s. with which likewife the half-pay lift was to conform. Soon after the peace of Utrecht, it underwent another confiderable reduction, which brought it to the rate at which it now stands. He did not, however, wish that the houfe fhould comply with the prefent application.

In fupport of the petition it was alleged, that not more than five or 6000l. per annum, would be required to gratify the wishes of fo refpectable a body of men, to whom the nation owed the higheft obligations; and it was afked, is

that