in their hands, it is to be hoped the day will arrive, when they fhall be made answerable for it.

Óxingdon-ftreet, March 4. 1777.

ALEX. BLAIR. *

*The following anfwer was publifned to the above paper.

SIR,

To ALEXANDER BLAIR, Efq.

YOU have appealed from the minifters to Parliament, and from Parliament to the people: An individual has, therefore, a right to ask you to explain certain terms in which your information is conveyed. You fay, "Lord Dartmouth fent inftructions to the governor of Jamaica, in Auguft, 1775, for establishing "a legislative council on the Mufquito fhore, to be choten by the inhabitants." If we are to understand by a legislative council, a council vefted with the powers of legislation, and Lord Dartmouth really did fend an instruction to the governor of Jamaica, to establish fuch a council on the Mufquito fhore, his Lordship is the first fecretary of state that ever affumed the authority of establishing a legis lature by an inftruction. Hitherto there have been but three modes of conftituting legislative bodies, known to the conftitution; his Majesty's commiffion or charter under the Great Seal, and an act of parliament: but you tell us of a more compendious mode than either; an instruction from a fecretary of state. How very idle was it to apply to Parliament for authority to veft a governor and council with legislative powers in Quebec, when it seems the council alone might have been fully poffeffed of them by an inftruction from a secretary of state; and this too in a place where there neither is or ever was a governor, or other perfon commiffioned by his Majefty.

You call the fettlements on the Mufquito fhore a colony. Can you tell us by whofe authority this colony was established? Where is the charter or commiffion recorded that grants the foil, and defcribes its boundaries? Has the crown ever granted a fingle acre of the lands? Or is there a man in the country that has a legal title to one inch of what he poffeffes or lays claim to? When you have anfwered thefe queftions, and explained the nature of the legislative powers with which the council is vefted by Lord Dartmouth's inftruction, the public will be able to judge whether Lord North was right in refufing to allow the council chosen by the traders to the Mufquito fhore from among themselves, to be a legislative council, and to call fettlements made without authority, and without a legal title, a colony. AN INDIVIDUAL.

THE REPLY.

ALTHOUGH I do not think myfelf obliged to answer anonymous letters, I fhall reply to this; declaring at the fame time, that for the future, I will not take the leaft notice of any letter to which the writer does not fign his name.

AN INDIVIDUAL begins with asking for some explanations, and afterwards propose a long string of queries, with an exulting confidence, as if they were unanfwerable.

In the first place, as to the legislative council, I affert, that during my refidence on the Musquito fhore, from the middle of February to the latter end of July laft, there existed a council vefted with the powers of legiflation, and actually exercifing thofe powers in confequence of instructions from Lord Dartmouth to the governor of Jamaica: if either Lord Dartmouth in sending such inftructions, or the governor of Jamaica in executing them, exceeded their authority, it is their business to answer this point. The council confifted of the fuperintendant, appointed by the crown, who fat as prefident, and had a voice, but no negative, and of twelve perfons, chofen, (according to the inftructions) by the inhabitants, to reprefent them for three years: this council likewife heard caufes, by appeal, from the inferior courts of justice. Under thefe circumftances, (notwithstanding the cenfure of AN INDIVIDUAL) I fhall ftill continue to call it a legislative coun

cil:

cil: nor do I conceive it unconftitutional or fimilar to the council of Quebec, which required an act of parliament to give it validity; in the one case the mem bers are chofen by the people, who are to be bound by their acts; in the other, they are named by the crown, and removeable at pleasure.

AN INDIVIDUAL afferts, that there never was on the Mufquito fhore a governor, or other perfon commiffioned by his Majefty. My answer is, that ever fince the year 1741, there has been a fuperintendant, with a falary of 500l. fterling a-year, an allowance of 500l. a-year for contingencies, and 300l. a-year for prefents to the Indians, all paid by Great Britain; whether his commiffion is figned by the King, or by any other fervant of the public authorized by the King, is very immaterial; but if that will not fatisfy AN INDIVIDUAL, I must inform him, that a detachment of the 49th regiment was stationed on the Mufquito fhore, for upwards of twenty years; and that a regular commiffion of the peace has been issued, in his Majefty's name, under the great feal of the island of Jamaica, witnessed by the governor, from time to time.

AN INDIVIDUAL feems difpleased with me for calling the Musquito shore <<a colony." If he likes Lord Halifax's appellation better, he has my permiffion ftill to diftinguish it by the name of "a British fettlement;" all I wish to prove is, that fuch arrangements had been made respecting that country, as gave Doctor Irving and myself a right to expect that our property would be protected in it. Notwithstanding the fhynefs of adminiftration to affert the right of the nation to the Mufquito fhore, I am fully convinced that our title to that country is as clear and unquestionable as our title to any of our other poffeffions in America. The Spaniards never had any footing on the Mufquito fhore. The country was voluntarily ceded to us, by the unconquered natives, in the reign of King Charles the First. This ceffion has been frequently confirmed; the Indians acknowledge themselves fubject to the crown of Great Britain; their chiefs receive commiffions from the governor of Jamaica, without which they are not allowed, even by their own people, to exercife any authority. Our title is confirmed by the famous treaty of 1670; nor is it impeached by that of 1763, unless by those who confound the Bay of Honduras with the Musquito fhore, which are perfectly diftinct.

The Mufquito fhore extends from Cape Honduras to the northern branch of the river, by which the lake of Nicaragua difcharges itself into the sea, being upwards of 500 miles in length; the breadth is various; but I believe I am well grounded in saying, that in almoft the whole of this extent there is no Spanish settlement within an hundred miles of the fea. The country is well watered by many large rivers, and is very happily fituated for producing cotton, indigo, rice, and many other valuable commodities. The face of the country is at prefent covered with immenfe forests of excellent timber, fit for ship-building, and other ufeful purposes. AN INDIVIDUAL asks, what legal title any man on the Musquito fhore has to the lands he poffeffes? Bred to arms, and having spent the best part of my life in that profeffion, I am not much acquainted with the nice diftinctions of the law, but I will venture to affert, that in cafe the fettlers on the Mufquito fhore have not a legal title to their lands, most of them have a just and equitable title. Government having never thought proper to establish any office, to which the fettlers could apply for grants of land, it has been usual for them to apply to the Indian chief, in whose district they chose to settle, who, with the confent of his tribe, granted fuch lands as were wanted. Thefe lands were entered on the records kept at Black River, and are confidered as proofs that the fettler had the confent of the neighbouring Indians. This, with poffeffion, cultivation, and the confent of the King's officers in the fettlement, is furely a fufficient title to fatisfy AN INDI

VIDUAL.

There are in Lord George Germaine's office authentic papers, containing the fulleft information refpecting the Mufquito fhore. If I have mifrepresented any thing, it will be eafy, by the help of thofe, to refute me.

Oxendon-fireet, March 13.

ALEX. BLAIR.

Some

Some account of the British fettlement on the Musquito shore.-Drawn up for the use of government, in 1773.

By BRIAN EDWARDS, Efq. of Jamaica.

HAVING the honour of a seat in his Majefty's council of this ifland, it has lately fallen to my lot to be nominated in a committee appointed to enquire into the rise of some difturbances and difputes among the British inhabitants on the Mufquito fhore. In this capacity many letters and papers of importance have been fubmitted to my inspection, and sundry examinations of perfons taken before me, from whence, and from other very authentic and well-selected information, communicated to me by fome intelligent friends who refided many years on the fpot, I have ftated the following particulars, which, I truft, not only prove, beyond all contradiction, the right of the British crown to the fovereignty of this delightful and most valuable country, but also fhew that fuch advantages will neceffarily refult to our revenues, commerce, and navigation, from its further fettlement and improvement; fuch eafy channels be opened from our poffeffion of it, of attacking the Spanish dominions in time of war, and fuch grateful returns be made to the private adventurer, for whatever fums may be expended in its cultivation, as well deserve the moft ferious attention of government. Left, however, it should be fuppofed that my duty, as one of his Majefty's council, requires me to fupprefs every information which I have received on this occafion, I think it neceffary to premise, that I have stated no one fact or circumftance, but what is of public concern to the inhabitants of Great Britain, and of common notoriety on the Musquito fhore.---But tho' I have ftrictly observed this rule throughout the whole of this paper, I think myself, at the fame time, free to declare, that, neither in my capacity abovementioned, or otherwife, have I yet met with any information, reafoning, or occurrence whatever, which either ought to, or can, in the smallest degree, invalidate or weaken the account which I am about to give. With

*For the defcription which follows of the country, and its native inhabitants, I am principally indebted to the Rev. Mr. W***** who refided fome years on the Mufquito fhere, and which I give chiefly in his own words, because I cannot hope to add perfpicuity or force to his very fatisfactory and elegant account.

With this plea I proceed ;---and firft, in regard to the right which Great Britain has to the dominion of this country, the following facts appear to me to be clear and uncontrovertible :---namely, that the native Indians of this country have never been conquered by, nor did they ever fubmit to, the Spanish government ;--that the Spaniards never had any fettlement among them ;---that, during the courfe of upwards of one hundred years, they have maintained a ftrict and uninterrupted alliance and friendship with the fubjects of Great Britain;---that they have made a free and formal ceffion of the dominion of their country to his Majefty's predeceffors, acknowledging the King of Great Britain for their fovereign, before the American treaty concluded at Madrid in 1670;--that this ceffion of the Indians to the British crown, was accepted on behalf of the King of Great Britain, has been frequently, and very formally repeated by the natives ;---and. finally, that this accumulation of British right was not impaired by the laft treaty of peace. Thefe pofitions, I say, appear to me to be certain and indifputable.

The two firft are admitted by the Spaniards themselves. In regard to the next, namely the alliance of the natives with the fubjects and crown of Great Britain, and their fubmiffion to its government, previous to 1670; the following circumftances, which I prefume may be abundantly confirmed by original papers, now in the plantation office, are recorded by Sir Hans Sloane, who was himself present in Jamaica, when the Musquito king, in perfon, applied to the Duke of Albemarle, governor of that ifland, in the reign of James the Second, to renew his allegiance, and to crave protection. "The memorial and fubftance (fays Sir Hans) of what he (the Musquito king) and the people with him, represented to the Duke of Albemarle was, that in the reign of Charles the First, the Earl of Warwick, by virtue of letters of reprisal, poffeffed himself of several islands in the Weft Indies, particularly that of Providence (fince called by the Spaniards St. Catalina) which is fituated in 13° 10' N. lat. lying eaft from Cape Gratias-a-Deos (vulgarly known by the name of the Musquitos) between 30 and 40 leagues; which put the faid Earl upon all ways and means of future correfpondence with the natives of the faid Cape and neighbouring country, and in fome little time he was fo fuccefsful as to gain that point, and prevailed with them fo far as to perfuade them to fend home the King's fon, leaving one of his people as hoftage for

him,

him, which was Colonel Morris, now living at New York. The Indian prince going home with the faid Earl, ftaid in England three years, in which time the Indian king died, and the natives having in that time had intercourfe and commerce with those of Providence, were foon made fenfible of the grandeur of his Majesty of Great Britain, and how neceffary his protection was to them; and upon the return of the faid Indian prince, they perfuaded him to refign up his authority and power over them, and with them unanimoufly declare themselves the fubjects of his faid Majefty of Great Britain, in which opinion (continues Sir Hans) they have ever fince perfifted, and do own no other fupreme command over them." (Hift. of Jamaica, 1ft edit. vol. 1. p. 76.)

In the month of June 1670, the famous American treaty was figned at Madrid, of which the 7th article stands as follows:

"The King of Great Britain, his heirs and fucceffors, fhall have, hold, and poffefs, for ever, with full right of fovereign dominion, property and poffeffion, all lands, countries, iflands, colonies and dominions whatever, fituated in the West Indies, or in any part of America, which the faid King of Great Britain, and his fubjects do, at this present, hold and poffefs; fo that in regard thereof, or upon any colour or pretence whatever, nothing may, or ought, ever to be urged, nor any queftion or controverfy moved, concerning the fame hereafter." Let us now refer to the laft treaty of peace, of which the 17th article is as follows: "His Britannic Majefty fhall cause to be demolished all the fortifications which his fubjects fhall have erected in the Bay of Honduras, and other places of the territory of Spain, in that part of the world, within four months after the ratification of this treaty, &c."

From ignorance, as it would feem, that the first of these articles ever exifted, or from fome moft unaccountable misapprehenfion and mifconftruction of the fecond, has folely arifen any doubt of his Majesty's just right to the fovereignty of this country; for it must be remembered that theMufquito fhore,is no part of the Bay of Honduras, nor was it ever efteemed as fuch by the Spaniards themfelves, as plainly appears by every chart of this coaft in ufe among them. The Bay or Gulph of Honduras extends from C. Catoche in N. lat. 21° 0', W. long. 86° 20, (reckoning from London) to Cape Honduras, in lat. N. 16° and W. long. 85° 55'. From Cape Honduras to the northern branch or mouth of the lake Nicaragua,