158] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



dominions, with its original pro- 

 visions, and with . additional 

 clauses, and was published by 

 the authorities of the Caraccas 

 on the 20th of last September. 

 These authorities, to prevent all 

 doubt, and to remove all ob- 

 scurity, on a point so important, 

 add the following interpretation 

 of the Royal Clemency. 



1. That the pardon which 

 his Majesty grants to those guilty 

 of insurrection being general, and 

 without any limitation whatever, 

 there shall be comprehended in 

 it and enjoy its immediate benefits, 

 all persons implicated in revolu- 

 tions anterior to its pubhcation, 

 whatever may have been their 

 speeches or their actions, unless 

 there be some other cause for 

 their detention than their insur- 

 rectionary conduct. 



2. For the same reason, those 

 shall remain free and unmolested 

 who remain in the province with- 

 out having been incarcerated. 



3. That the restriction of the 

 royal pardon, with a reference to 

 former provincial laws, shall be 

 literally observed, only sending 

 to Spain such pardoned persons 

 as may be thought dangerous to 

 the tranquillity of the provinces 

 by remaining in them. 



The 4th article regards the 

 mode in which the claims of 

 delinquents to pardon shall be 

 ascertained. 



5. Six months are allowed to 

 those who have fled to foreign 

 countries to return and share the 

 Royal Clemency. 



6. The property that had been 

 confiscated on account of rebel- 

 lion, shall be restored to its 

 owners on their acceptance of the 

 Royal pardon. 



7. All pending prosecutions 

 shall cease, and not be renewed. 



8. This proclamation and ex- 

 planation shall be published with 

 the greatest solemnity in the 

 capital and towns of the province, 

 and the neighbouring colonies. 



A Madrid Gazette of Jan. 8th 

 published this decree of the 

 authorities of the Caraccas for 

 carrying the amnesty into effect. 



On October 21st 1817 a royal 

 decree was published containing 

 regulations for increasing the 

 white population of the island of 

 Cuba. The preamble of this 

 decree, addressed to the Gover- 

 nor, Captain-general, and In- 

 tendant of the island, alludes to 

 the representations made by 

 those officers, in conjunction 

 with the Junta and the Economi- 

 cal Society of the Havanna, re- 

 garding the extent of the colony, 

 the number and quality of the 

 inhabitants, and the state of its 

 agriculture. These representa- 

 tions had demonstrated, that the 

 possessions of the Spanish crown 

 in that quarter were in a depopu- 

 lated and defenceless condition ; 

 that the soil which remained 

 uncultivated was capable of pro- 

 ducing commodities which were 

 the objects of desire with other 

 nations ; and that the only means 

 of rendering it more productive 

 lay in increasing the white popu- 

 lation of the island from the 

 Peninsula, from the Canaries, or 

 from the Catholic states in Europe 

 in alliance with the Spanish 

 Crown, by an extension of the 

 regulations and advantages grant* 

 ed to Puerto Rico, in August. 

 181,5. The regulations which 

 had been proposed by the local 

 authorities were assented to by 



his 



