Hender Molesworth letter to William Blathwayt 28 September 1686 (CW)

Jamaica the 28th September 1686 per Captain Stub's

Sir

The inclosed is copy of what I writ you by a Madagascar Vessell that put in here by chance and having before given you an account (by Captain Ware) of my Proroguing the Assembly to the 16th Currant I shall now proceed to tell you that I dissolv'd them to the 24th ditto but forasmuch as the minutes of the Council will sufficinetly show the causes of it, from [every] dayes proceedings, and the said minutes will now be remitted you by the Secretary, I shall omit repeating the particulars here and onely tell you that they having voted a Poll Bill, which (as it was agreed upon) would have answer'd all our ends, after having directed their Committee in every clause thereof, for laying a Duety upon Offices & Titles with a certain Rule for the charging of Plantations, which was fully adjusted by them in every circumstance & the bill when drawn agreable to the same, never the lesse at the first reading thereof, threw it out againe (16 to 14) giving noe other reason for soe sudden a change then that they had been unwarely catch'd in it and now found it to be an unequall Taxe- Which when the Speaker had inform'd me of, & which all that he thought they would make some other offers for the raysing of 1500 £ for the payment of present & future Partyes - I told him they had been in all their proposals soe fickle & inconstant that I would hear noe more from them, but once for all they should have one from me wherein

they should find me unalterable, & having then deliverd it (according to the minutes) I charg'd him to put the same unto the vote, which if they either voted against, or refused to [support] the same suffer it to be put to the vote, (as they had often done) then to adjourne till morning, and bring me word what they had done. Which he performing accordingly did let me know that they had refused to suffer it to be put to the vote, with such tumult & noyse that he feared the house would have gone together by the eares, if he had not adjourn'd them as he did, And that being sure of the ire number, they would carry all things after their owne way, by which he was convinc'd that nothing reasonable was to be expected from them. Which being agreable to my owne opinion, wherein I was confirm'd by divers other good men of the house - I propos'd the dissolving of them the next morning to the Councell, who concurring in the same, I did it, with this inclosed speech whereunto referre you.

As soon as the Assembly was dissolv'd, I sent for all the Field officers that were amongst them, (according to the forme of our Act) & then proposed to the Councell and them, that putting in force the Law Military, for the imediate reducing of some out lyeing & rebellious Negroes (you have not yet heard of) that very much infest some particular Parishes according to the account given thereof in a Petiton to the Generall Councell and Assembly from the Parish of St. George's (which you will see in the Minutes) And have lately been more mischeiveous then formerly soe that they ought to be reduced suddenly for preventing of further evill. Upon which Major Archbold (who was a dissentinge member, & chosen for this poor Parrish) considering how ill

he should be able to justify himself to his Electors made an offer that he would with a Volunteer Party of 30 Men, (which should be ready to march in to [two] dayes) without any charge to the Country, doe his best against them without deserting the service untill he had done something considerable against them. And named some others, (who were under the same predicament with himselfe) that would doe the same with partyes of 20 men, which I expect will be comply'd with much after the same Rule their proposals & Votes in the house have bene, However to take from them the occasion of reflecting upon the Government for putting the Island under Martiall Law, when soe fair an offer was made for the eas of the Country, (which I suppose was the onely design of it, without expecting to be accepted) the whole board gave their opinion to have the Law Martiall deferd untill we see what effect their Volunteer Partyes would produce - Which as soon as we find to fall short of what is necessary to be done, then to call another Councell of Warre and order the putting the Law Martiall in force for some short tyme, during when I will order soe many partyes from the severall Quarters of the Island against the said Negroes as in all probability must either absolutely destroy them, or force them into the remotest partes of the mountains to perish there. As to the number of those Negroes it hath been variously reported of, from 40 to 100, whose beginning is suppos'd to be from a Ship that was cast away on the eastermost parte of the the Island, about 16 or 17 yeare agoe who having since associated them selv's with other runawayes thereabuts, have made theselves Plantacions in the Mountaines from whence they often

descend into the Plaines, in great numbers, for Provisions, in obteyning of which, Mischeife doth sometimes happen, for prevencion whereof, there are almost constantly 3 partyes abroad, out of the parishes of St. Maryes, St. Georges, & St Thomas which is soe hard a duty, & soe very discouraging to the poorer sorte of people, that those of St. Georg's are ready to desert their Settlements if not tymely Releived ~ At the Expiracon of the said Law Martiall (having [?] a while under it) I doubt not but the most obstinate will be sufficiently convinc't that it will bee much better to pay (by way of Taxe) others to doe the duety, then to have our Servants horses and our very persons, also comanded away at the will of an Officer, without Contradiction, ~ Wherefore I doubt not but the next Assembly will comply with all that shall be desired as to that poynte. And my hopes are, that noe Governor will ever comply with them as to their future Security, untill they have taken care for repayment of the borrowd mony, and former partyes, by which they have been hitherto secured, Since the honour of the Government stands ingaged for it.

I now send by Captain Stubbs authentique Copyes of the few Acts past this Session - Vizt. An Act for ascertaining the tyme of Servitude of the Transported Rebells. &c An Act for better Recovery of fines & forfeitures, &c Also 3 private Acts - vizt. One for confirmacion of the sale of the Land of Henry Houser, made to Peter Beckford &c one

One ditto for confirmacion for Antonio Cartwrights Title to a parcell of Land on Port Royall, bought by vertue of a Letter of Attorny &c. And one for prolonguing the Act for clearing of Rio Cobre &c

All which I desire you to lay before their Lordships of the Comittee in order to thier recommending the same to his Majesty for his Royall Assent, in such manner as hath formerly been done, beseeching their Lordships that they may be returned confirm'd, with their first Conveniency, which concludes this from

Sir Your very humble Servant

Hender Molesworth

Mr. Blathwaite