,^ej 'J AM A I G A. 



confiftent w?th the liberal fpirit and meaning of the a6t to fay, that 



an alien, having qualified in Jamaica, and purchafed a icttlement 



: in that ifland, but making a. voyage eveiy year to the North-Ame- 



• rican continent, in the way of trade, or for health, which might 



• caufe him to be abfent from Jamaica fomewhat more than two 

 -months, fliould therefore forfeit his acquired riglit of a natural-born 



fubjecl:. It is more reafonable to conclude, that a refidence in any 

 of the Britifli American colonies for the term of feven years, with- 

 . out teving bec;i abfent above two months from Britilh territory 

 during that Ipace, effeftually meets the intention of the a6l. 



Foreign proteftants, naturalized under tiie Jamaica law, poffefs 

 . all the rights of natural-born fubje6ls cimad that ifland. They may 

 purclwfe lands, or inherit, or take grants from the crown; iiave a 

 right to reprefent, and be reprefented, in the affembly, if they en- 

 joy the neceflary qualification in e(l:ate ; and may hold and cxercife 

 places of truft in the military and civil departments; for fome of 

 them have aded under commiffion as field-officers in the militia, 

 judges in the fupreme court and common-pleas, juftices of the 

 peace, &c.; and the late fecretary, Mr. Ballaguirc, was a natura- 

 lized German. But I do not remember any in the privy-council. 



The claufe, 7 and 8 William III. § 12, ena6ling, " that all 

 ** places of trufl, or what rehates to the treafury of the Britlfli 

 " Weft-India iflands, (hall be in the hands of native-born fubje^ls 

 *' of England or Ireland, or of the faid iflands," feems not to ex- 

 clude thofe who by naturalization are made natural-born. 



The foreigners, who have taken the benefit of thefe ads, are 

 not very numerous in Jamaica ; but, if any townfhips fliould be 

 Tormed in the central parts of the ifland, perhaps none would be 

 fitter for the purpofe of inhabiting them than French proteflants. 



I fhall next confider the flate of the foldiers quartered here. 

 The ifland flood but little in need of regular forces, for its defence, 

 till about the year 1730; when the depredations and outrages, 

 committed by the Maroons (or wild Negroes, as they were called) 

 had gone on to fuch a length, that the fettlements were in many 

 parts deferted, and the inhabitants thrown under the oppreffion of 

 very heavy taxes, for fupporting a continual intefliiie war, which 

 •gf:eatly interrupted the bufinefs of their plantations. Thefe mo- 

 tives 



