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in Chief by sea and by land of his Britan

This proclamation immediately produ- | lated; and the 4th Article of this capitulaced the expected, or I should rather say, tion runs thus: The inhabitants and the preconcerted effect; for General people of all descriptions to conduct Beckwith, in his official letter of February themselves peaceably, and in conformity 1st, writes, 'Hitherto we have experienced to the orders and regulations of the Comno resistance from the militia of the mandant ad interim, under a full assu country; and they manifest a disposi-rance that their private property will be tion, every where, to return to their protected, and their true interests consihomes, in conformity to a joint procla-dered, by the respective Commanders mation by the Admiral and myself, which is obtaining a very extensive 'circulation:' and Admiral Cochrane concludes his official letter of Feb. 4, in the following words: The militia, who were 'forced to serve, have returned to their 'homes.' On the 8th of February, a detachment of the 63d regiment (consisting of only 200 men) was sent to take possession of St. Pierre, the capital of Martinique, defended by strong forts and batteries, containing a population of more than 20,000 inhabitants, and comprising among them the major part of the embodied militia. Major O'Rourke, the British Commanding Officer, advanced against this place, not with a battering train of heavy artillery, but with the following letter from General Maitland, addressed to the Commandant of St. Pierre, who happened to be also the Commanding Officer of the militia of the island.

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nic Majesty's forces, in their definitive regulations, founded on the basis of the proclamation already published.' On the 24th of February, the garrison of Fort Bourbon, being thus left to themselves, also surrendered; and the conquest of the island was complete. The capitulation made by the Governor contains very stipulations respecting the inhabitants. Indeed he must have been well aware, that they had stipulated for themselves: he merely therefore proposed, that the laws, religion, and the administration of justice, should continue in their present state, which was granted, subject to such alteration as his Britannic Majesty might think necessary. This reservation, however, can be no bar to the claims of the inhabitants. They were no parties to this capitulation: they had made a separate capitulation for themselves, founded on the basis of the proclamation which had been addressed to them exclusively; and on which they now stand, as their Magna Charta, and Bill of Rights. This procla mation assures them, that the sources of their prosperity will be renewed; that their ancient laws shall be restored; and that Government, to which they were subject under the British flag, shall be re-established in the colony. If there be any meaning in words, these words convey a

Camp, La Coste, Feb. 8, 1809. SIR; Lieutenant-Colonel Barnes, who ' commands a brigade in the army, under the command of Lieutenant-General Beckwith, proceeds to St. Pierre, to 'take possession of the town in the name of his Britannic Majesty. I therefore ́ summon you to surrender the forts and batteries to the troops under his com'mand, being part of my division. Inclosed is a proclamation, issued by the Commanders in Chief. This proclama-general assurance, that they would be

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tion is the basis upon which you are expected to capitulate; but the detailed conditions can only be explained when the capitulation takes place, at the surrender of the fort besieged. In the 'mean time, I require, by order of the Commander in Chief, that you receive the troops sent; and that observe faithful and loyal conduct towards the British army; and this I demand, under pain, in case of refusal, of severe mea'sures being taken against you.

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I have the honour to be, &c.

FRED. MAITLAND.'

Immediately on this letter and proclamation being read, the inhabitants capitu

replaced in that situation in which they before stood, while under the British

Government.

The Commanding Officers of his Majesty's forces seem to have been placed in rather a delicate and embarrassing situation. They were instructed to capture the island of Martinique: they were also instructed, not to consent to the insertion of any article in the capitulation, which bound his Majesty's Government to admit the produce of Martinique into the home consumption of Great Britain. They seem to have felt that the conquest of the island was not attainable with the force under their command, if they were to be opposed by the combined force of the inhabitants

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and the garrison; but that it was attainable, | mation taught them to expect, we expose if the inhabitants could be separated from ourselves to the charge of insincerity and the garrison. Either to have abandoned want of candour, and are furnishing a most this enterprise, or to have failed in it, formidable weapon against ourselves and would have been disgraceful to the British our posterity, in case of future wars and arms, and a triumph to the enemy. future enterprises against the Colonies of Under these circumstances, they would France; for we are teaching their inhabinaturally consider the conquest of the tants, that no dependence ought to placed island as the great object; the restrictions on the promises and assurances of British to be imposed upon the produce of it, as Commanding Officers. I might remind a subordinate object; and that if both the House that, last war, we took Guadawere incompatible, the latter ought to give loupe by the assistance of the inhabitants, way to the former. On this principle, and were driven out of it again, after a we may account for the tenor of the series of bloody and destructive conflicts, proclamation and I think that in issuing in consequence of having alienated their it, they acted wisely; availing themselves affections; but I will not make this a quesof that discretionary power which all tion of policy. I stand upon the good officers are at times under the necessity of faith and honour of the British nation. exercising, in such manner as they judged best calculated to promote the interests of their country.

I know, Sir, that a memorial from the inhabitants of Martinique, praying his Majesty that they may be put on the same Of the effect produced by this procla- footing as last war, and that their produce mation on the minds of the inhabitants of may be admitted to home consumption, is Martinique, and the corresponding effect in contemplation, and probably now on produced on their conduct by the expecta- its way home. I know too, that this metions to which it gave rise, no doubt can morial has been promised the support of be entertained. The official dispatches of the Commanding Officer of his Majesty's our Commanding Officers prove that they forces, to whom they capitulated; and performed all the conditions required of who must be allowed, from having all the them that they retired to their respective circumstances of their case before him, to homes, and conducted themselves peace- be the best judge of the validity of their ably. They now call upon us to pretensions. Would it be just, Šir, would fulfil our part of the covenant; and to it be decent, that, under these circummake good the promises, on the faith stances, we should thus precipitately preof which they have put themselves judge the question, and deprive his Mainto our power. In deciding upon their jesty of the power of doing justice that claim, we are bound to interpret this we should deprive the inhabitants of proclamation in the most liberal sense; Martinique, not only of the privilege according to the established rule in every which they claim under their capitulation, capitulation, that where doubts arise as to but of another most valuable privilege the meaning of any article, it shall be common to all British subjects-the priviinterpreted in the most favourable manner lege of being heard in their own defence? for the weaker party. I am entitled, I cannot think, Sir, that this House will so therefore, to state the question thus: If act, I trust they will preserve the justice our Commanding Officers had candidly and good faith of the British nation inviotold the inhabitants of Martinique, that late and from a regard to this most imthey were instructed to exclude their pro-portant of all considerations, as well as the duce from the home consumption of Great Britain, would they have acted as they have now done? And unless that can be shewn to be the case, if we deny them any of the advantages which that procla

other considerations to which I have already adverted, I shall move as an amendment to the present motion, that this Bill be read a second time this day three months.

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liament, 934.
Portugal, 101, 408.
President of the Board of Con.
troul, 999.

Public Economy, Mr. Wardle's
Motion respecting, 1078.

S.
Sale of Offices Prevention Bill,
113, 268, 573.
Salt, Duties on, 785.
Scotch Judicature Bill, 1016.
Seamen's Wages Bill, 809, 923
Seats in Parliament Bill, see Cur.
wen's Reform Bill

Seditious Meetings Bill, 615.
Sinecure Places, 1028.
Smithfield Market Bill, 72.
Spain,104, 260,262,291,341,439.
Spirits Importation Suspension
Bill, 895.

Stamp Office, 340.

Storekeeper in Hyde Park, 571,
Sweden, 528.

V.

Vansittart, Mr., his Finance Re-
solutions, 1147.

Vote of Credit, 696, 810, 918.
Vote of Thanks to the Captor
of Martinique, 46.

W.
Wardle, Mr., his Motion respect
ing Public Economy, 178,
War Office Accounts, 976, 459.
West India Produce, 33.
White, Mr. his Petition, 175.

INDEX OF NAMES.-HOUSE OF LORDS.

A

G

M

Auckland, Lord, 25, 29, 71, Grenville, Lord, 171, 333, 405, Moira, Earl of, 164, 889.
326.

B

Boringdon, Lord, 713, 1039*.
Buckinghamshire, Earl of, 29.
31, 71, 278, 290, 435, 1040*.
C

Canterbury, Archbishop of, 330,

857.

Carysfort, Earl of, 70, 1039*.

D

Darnley, Earl of, 69, 173, 80%,
853, 889.

Douglas, Marquis of, 457, 713.

E

Eldon, Lord, see Lord Chancellor
Ellenborough, Lord, 807, SES.
Erskine, Lord, 169, 332, 553,
607, 605, 851, 893.

F
Fitzwilliam, Earl, 436.

891, 894, 912, 917.
Grey, Earl, 28, 29, 70, 71, 121,
691, 693.

Mulgrave, Lord, 550, 1040*.

N

Grosvenor, Earl, 174, 858, 1015, Norfolk, Duke of, 712, 832.
1035*, 1040*.

H

Hardwicke, Earl of. 458,

R
Radnor, Earl of, 330.
Redesdale, Lord, 407, 889, 894,

1016.

Harrowby, Lord, 290, 456, 712, Rosslyn, Earl of, 458, 1016,

832, 857, 917.

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