HISTORICAL SKETCH. 137 



his admission, the number of persons composing his family, his 

 quality, and lineage ; and authentic copies of all such grants shall 

 be delivered to them, which shall serve as titles of property. 

 Article 4 enacts that every free negro and persons of colour shall 

 be entitled to one-half of the quantity granted to white people. 

 Article 5 stipulates that, after five years' residence, the new 

 colonists shall become naturalised Spanish subjects, they and 

 their children, and that they shall be eligible for public employ- 

 ment. Article 6 stipulates that no capitation or personal tax 

 shall be enacted from the new colonists ; they shall only pay a 

 yearly tax of one dollar. By Article 7 the new colonists are 

 authorised to retire from the island, on forfeiting their grants 

 and paying ten per cent, on all that they may have accumulated. 

 Article 8 relates to such as may die in the island ; their heirs 

 may inherit, provided they are Roman Catholics, and agree to 

 reside in the colony ; if the heirs do not choose to reside, they 

 pay 15 per cent. Articles 9 and 10 grant power of bequeathing, 

 and permission to leave the colony, under certain restrictions. 

 Article 11 exempts the colonists from tithes for a space of ten 

 years. Article 12 also exempts the people from all duties on 

 articles sold. Article 13 obliges the new settlers to be armed, 

 though not obliged to join the militia, except in urgent cases. 

 Articles 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 regulate commercial inter- 

 course with the French islands. 



It was also under that cedula that a code was issued for the 

 good government of the slaves, a code as liberal as any ^previously 

 published anywhere else. 



Article 21 orders that, from the province of Caracas, animals 

 — viz., horned cattle, horses, and mules — shall be sent to the 

 island, to be sold there at first cost. Articles 22 and 23 regulate 

 commercial transactions in certain cases, and the admission, free 

 of duty, of agricultural implements. Article 24 is relative to 

 the admission of priests speaking foreign languages. By 

 Articles 26, 28, the colonists are permitted to lay before the 

 king regulations for the government of their slaves ; also to send 

 memorials to Madrid, through the Governor, praying for the 

 redress of any grievances. 



Spain, being not in a position to colonise Trinidad with her 

 own people, did wisely in attempting its colonisation with the 

 concourse of foreigners. 



