One eighth of the whole of the captured effects of the enemy to be equally divided between you, our Commanders in Chief of our land and fea forces; and the remaining feven eighths to be 1/16 Commanders in Chief. 1/16 General Officers and Flags. 4/16 Captains of fhips, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, and Major. 2/16 Lieutenants of fhips, Captains of Army and Marines. 2/16 Warrant Officers, Army and Marines, Subalterns. 2/16 Petty Officers of Navy, Serjeants, and Corporals of Army and Marines. 4/16 Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines. No. 11. Copy of a Letter from Sir Charles Grey, K. B. and Sir 7. Jervis, K. B. to Mr. Secretary Dundas; dated Barbadoes, 16th January 1794. Received 27th February 1794. (One Inclofure.) Barbadoes, 16th January 1794 SIR, In obedience to his Majefty's moft gracious commands, fignified to us in your letter of the November lat, we beg leave humbly and dutifully to fubmit' to his Ro; al confideration the enclofed plan for the diftribution of fuch booty as may be taken in the expedition under our command, which we truft will be found equitable, and likely to feal the harmony which happily fubfifts between his Majefty's land and fea forces. We have the honour to be, SIR, (In Sir Charles Grey's and Sir John Jervis's, of 16th Lieutenant Generals, Major Generals, and Bri-7 Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, and Majors," Captains of the Army and Marines, and Lieu- Subalterns of the Army and Marines, and Petty Officers of the Navy, Serjeants of the Soldiers, Seamen, and Marines } No. 13. Extra of a Letter from Mr. Secretary Dundas to Sir Charles Greys K. B.; dated Whitehall, 7th March 1794. Ilia Majefty is gracioufly pleafed to approve of the plan fuggefted in Sir John Jervis and your joint letter, for the diftribution of fuch booty as may be taken in your expedition; and I shall take the neceffary meafures for carrying the fame into effect. No. 14. Copy of a Letter from his Grace the Duke of Portland, to the Agents on behalf of the Inhabitants and Proprietors of the Ifland of Martinique dated Whitehall, 30th April 1795. GENTLEMEN, Whitehall, 30th April 1795. In aufwer to the Memorial which has been tranfmitted to me from the Agents on behalf of the inhabitants and proprietors of the island of Martinique on the fubject of certain proclamations iflud during the command of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis in the Weft Indies, I beg leave to inform you, that his Majefly's minifters, the moment they were informed of the nature of thofe proclamations, fent directions refpecting them, in confequence of which, no further proceedings were had upon them; and information has fince been received, that thofe directions were fo clearly underflood, that the money which had been paid as contribution has already been returned; fo that the proclamations in queftion cannot but be confidered to be, as in fact they are, annulled. I am, &c. To the Agents on behalf of the inhabitants and proprietors of the island of Martinique. PORTLAND. No. 15. Copy of the Memorial of the Weft India Planters and Merchants dated London, May 4th, 1795. Recived 7th May, from Lord Penrhyn. To his Grace the Duke of Portland, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State. The Memorial of the Weft India Planters and Merchants; Sheweth, That your Memorialifts are under the greatest alarm for the fafety of the Weft India colonies, owing to the prefent weak ftate of their defence, and the very imminent dangers with which they are threatened, both by external attacks and the internal diffemination of French principles. That That the fyftem of general emancipation, introduced by the French among their own negroes, and which they have endeavoured to communicate to all the British islands, has created a very formidable acceffion of ftrength to themfelves, as was lately experienced in the island of Guadaloupe, and that temporary exertions of more than ordinary vigour, are thence become neceffary for the defence and fafety of thofe islands. That your Memorialists cannot but, upon this occafion, advert to the reprefentations they have fo urgently made to his Majefty's Secretary of State, ftating the confequences which might be expected to refult from the unprecedented conduct of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis, on taking poffeffion of the French captured illands; which conduct they must confider as the primary and efficient caufe of the progrefs which the enemy has lately been enabled to make, whether in the recovery of a part of the French colonies, or in the plunder and devaftation of our own: That your Memorialits fee in the late proclamations of the French commiffioners not only a confirmation of this opinion, but great occafion to dread that the violent proceedings of the British commanders may ́be retorted with aggravated feverity, whenever the fortune of war fhall afford an opportunity; and that it is with deep regret your Memorialifts now reflect that had an early and public difavowal of the proclamations and proceedings in question been made by the British Government, a great part of the recent calamities might have been prevented. That from the late public events which have taken place in Europe, as well as from many local circumftances in the Weft Indies, your Memorialifts have reafon to apprehend that the French nation will devote a confiderable part of its force, which has hitherto been employed upon other fervices, to the capture and devaftation of the British West India colonies, being well aware of the immenfe advantages thence derived to the revenue, commerce, and naval strength of the British empire. That the West India islands have, at all times, been greatly expofed to the calamities of war; but that the evils which they have reafon to dread from a continuance of the prefent war are infinitely more difaftrous than at any former period of their hiftory, owing to the character of the enemy they have to contend with, and the deftructive tendency of the principles avowed and propagated by that enemy. That in the judgment of your Memorialists, nothing can effectually guard against thefe complicated dangers but a ftrong military force, both by fea and land, for the general protection of all the iflands, and a feparate garrifon to be flationed during the war in each island, for its own peculiar defence. In a fituation of new and extreme danger, the exiftence of the British colonies at ftake, and the lives and fortunes of the inhabitants depending on the iffue; your Memorialists do therefore, in the moft folemn manner, on behalf of those inhabitants and themselves, appeal to the wisdom of his Majefty's councils for protection, and VOL. III. humbly 4 D humbly implore that if the war is likely to be continued, a force may be immediately fent to the different islands, fufficient as well to preferve their internal tranquillity, as to defend them against a foreign enemy, and (as effential to the protection and fafety of the remaining British colonies) that the conduct of those British com manders, who affumed a right to levy a general contribution on the inhabitants of the French captured islands, or to confifcate their property, in contradiction to his Majefty's proclamation, may be folemnly and publicly disavowed. No. 16. Copy of a Letter from his Grace the Duke of Portland to the Weft I have received, through Lord Penrhyn, your Memorial, praying for a ftrong military force, hoth by fea and land, for the general protection of the British Weft India islands, and a separate garrifon to be ftationed in each island, alfo for a public difavowal of the proclamations iffued during the command of Sir Charles Grey and Sir John Jervis. The anfwer already given by Mr. Secretary Dundas, and the exertions which have been, and which continue to be, made for the protection of our Weft India poffeffions, render it unneceffary for me to dwell upon those parts of your Memorial which relate to the military fupplies you require. With regard to a public difavowal of the above proclamations, I cannot help referring to my letter to you of the 30th of April, as Containing the most direct and conclufive teftimony of the light in which thofe proclamations have been confidered; the proceedings under them have been already countervailed, and I do not therefore fee how they can ferve even as a pretext to the French for executing the purposes which your Memorial fuggefts. You must be well aware that it is not merely at this moment, but from the very commencement of the war, that the attempts of the French to carry anarchy and devaftation into our Weft India islands, have been uniform and fyftematic; originating with themselves, and founded on those principles which have been openly avowed by them in that quarter of the world I fhall therefore only add, that a general declaration of the nature of that required by the prefent Memorial, and involving in itself queftions of the law of nations, cannot, with any degree of propriety, be made in the prefent cafe by his Majesty's ministers, acting as fuch, and not in any judicial capacity. Weft India Merchants and Planters. I am, &c. |