194 JAMAICA. 



throw away one half of it into the fea, and with the other ere6l 

 this mif-fhapen pile, as a lading monument to convince poftcrity of 

 the inexpertnefs of their fore-fathers in military architefture. At 

 the entrance is a fmall magazine, and a barrack for about a dozen 

 men. Mofl of the guns are difmounted ; and dilutes are therefore 

 fired from a battery of fourteen Imall pieces, ranged before the 

 court-houfe. This building was ere£led in 1752, for holding a 

 court of common-pleas in matters of debt not exceeding 100/., 

 quarter-feflions of peace, eledions, and veftry-meetings. In 1758, 

 the afiize-court for the county of Cornwall was appointed by law 

 to be holden here; in confequence of which, the jurifdiftion was 

 greatly enlarged. Two years before, this port, together with 

 Kingfton, Montego Bay, and St. Lucia, was by adt of parliament 

 made free, for the importation of live cattle, and all other com- 

 modities except fugars, coffee, pimento, ginger, melafles, and 

 tobacco, the growth or produce of any foreign colony in America ; 

 and for the export of Negroes, and all other legally imported com- 

 modities in foreign Hoops or fchooners having only one deck. The 

 advocates for this bill, and the fubfequent one (cap. lii. 6 Geo. III. 

 which permits the importation of foreign melafles, paying only a 

 duty of one penny per gallon), alledged the great utility of ad- 

 mitting Negroes and provifions to be brought into our Weft-India 

 iflands from the foreign colonies, and in foreign bottoms, in order 

 that they might be plentifully and cheaply fupplied. On the other 

 hand, it was obje£led, that Ireland and the North-American pro- 

 vinces were very able to furnifh our iflands with much more pro- 

 vifions than they could confume ; that, if the price of Negroes is 

 high, this may arife from fome mifmanagement in the African trade; 

 but that it does not appear that foreigners can buy them at a cheaper 

 rate ; if they do, the trade requires to be better regulated ; but, if 

 they buy them upon equal terms, the high price is a gain to the 

 Britifli merchants ; that the capital miflake in thefe bills lay in the 

 .latitude of encouragement which they gave to the employing a 

 greater number of foreign fliipping and feamen than are at pre- 

 sent employed, and confequently diminifliing thofe of Great- 

 Britain. Nor is this evil remedied by allowing the exportation of 

 Negroes, ^nd certain other commodities from our iflands, to fuch 



foreign 



