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GHAP. in.] WEST INDIES. 185 



was nevertheless thought necessary to guard against 

 the conclusions which Spain might deduce from them. 

 This precaution partly gave rise to the seventh ar- 

 ticle of the treaty above referred to, which is con- 

 ceived in the words following, viz. "The king of 

 " Great Britain, his heirs and successors, shall have, 

 " hold and possess, for ever, with full right of sove- 

 " reign dominion, property and possession, all lands, 

 " countries, islands, colonies and dominions what- 

 " ever, situated in the West Indies, or any part of 

 America, which the said king of Great Britain and 

 his subjects, do, at this present, hold and possess; 

 so that in regard thereof or upon any colour or pre- 

 " tence whatever, nothing may or ought ever to be 

 " urged, nor any question or controversy moved con- 

 <( cerning the same hereafter. "f 



Hitherto, it must be admitted that the sovereign 

 authority was properly exerted in defence of the just 

 rights of the crown, and in securing to its distant sub- 



o 



jects the enjoyment of their possessions; but unhap- 

 pily Charles II. had neither v steadiness nor integrity. 

 About the period of the American treaty a scheme 

 having been formed by him, or his ministry, for sub- 

 verting the liberties of the people at home, it is the 

 less wonderful, that the privileges enjoyed by the co- 

 lonists abroad, should have been regarded by the king 



f From this recital may be seen the folly of the very prevalent notion, 

 that the sovereigns of Spain, or some of their subjects, still keep up pre- 

 tensions to Jamaica, or claim property therein, as not having been for- 

 mally ceded to the crown of England, 



Vol. I. A a 



