A. D. 1781. 681 



* TO THE king's MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 



* The petition of the Wejl-India planters and merchants mojl humbly P)ewetb, 



* Tliat your petitioners have very confiderable property, and debts 

 due to them in the feverai iflands in the Weft-Indies fubjecl to the 

 crown of Great Britain, as alfo in the iflands of Grenada, the Grena- 

 dines, Dominica, and S'. Vincent, which liave in tlie courfe of the 

 prefent hoftilides fallen under the dominion of France. 



' That they have always conceived it to be a maxim among civihzed 

 nations, eflablifhed in humanity and found policy, ' that war fhould 

 ' be carried on with the leafl poflible injury to private property found 

 ' in any countries or towns, which may be invaded or conquered ;' the 

 happy effeds of which wife principle your petitioners have hitherto 

 experienced in the fecurity of their eftates and eflecls from rapine 

 and plunder, which have been reciprocally difcountenanced by the 

 governors in the Wefl-Indies, as ruinous to individuals, and pro- 

 ductive of no decifivc advantage to any of the fovereign ftates con- 

 cerned. 



* Your petitioners are therefor ferioufly alarmed at the general feiz- 

 ure, made by the commanders of your Majefty's fea and land forces, 

 of goods, merchandize, and fpecie, found in the iflands of S'. Eufta- 

 tius and S'. Martin, on their furrendering without refiftance, and at 

 difcretion, to the faid commanders; humbly conceiving, that the in- 

 habitants of places which fubmit to the will, and furrender themfelves 

 to the difcretion, of an invading enemy, immediately upon fuch lub- 

 mifl^on become the fubjeds of that fovereign, or (late, to whom the 

 vidorious army belongs ; and confequently by their allegiance are 

 entitled to fecurity in their perfons and property ; it being as repug- 

 nant to policy as humanity to permit one clafs of fubjecis to plunder 

 another, the trader having an equal claim with the foldier to the pro- 

 tedion of government. 



' Your petitioners humbly beg leave to reprefent to your Majefty, 

 that thofe Dutch iflands did belong to a fovereign ftate, by whofe au- 

 thority and permiflion they were made, and have ever fuice been, yr<?tf 

 ports; and that they have been recognized as fuch by Great Britain 

 and all the other maritime powers of Europe, who have polleirions in 

 the Weft-Indies. 



' That Great Britain, in particular, has never interdidcd, or pro- 

 hibited, to her fubjeds the trade of thofe Dutch iflands, but has on 

 the contrary permitted the exportation of great quantities of various 

 articles of goods of the growih, produce, and manulidurc oi iliis 

 country, which have been regularly, and opcnlv, entered out at the 

 feverai ports of this kingdom for the faid Dutch iflands. 



Vol. III. 4 R 



