and manifeftly dangerous to his majefty's fubjects returning from this country to Great Britain. VII. Refolved, That it is therefore becoming, and highly expedient for his majefty's fubjects in thefe provinces to endeavour by all legal and conftitutional means to obtain a repeal of fuch claufes in the faid act of parliament, as impofe thofe and other hardfhips upon them. And that for the purpofe of obtaining fuch repeal, petitions, humbly laying our grievances before his majefty and the two houfes of parliament, are advifeable, neceffary, and proper. VIII. Refolved, That a committee of fifteen gentlemen, felected for the inhabitants of Calcutta, be appointed to prepare petitions to his majesty and the two houses of parliament, and to correfpond with the inland ftations fubordinate to this government, and with the other prefidencies in India: and that it be recommended to them to take all fuch measures as they fhall judge neceffary for tranfmitting the faid petitions to Europe, and for promoting and obtaining an effectual redrefs to his majefty's fubjects in India. And that the faid committee be empowered to fill up vacancies, as they may happen in the course of time. IX. Refolved, That as confiderable expence must be unavoidably incurred by our endeavours to obtain redrefs of our grievances, a fubfcription fhall be opened by the committee who fhall be elected by this affembly; and that as foon as the petition fhall be ready for fignature, a book fhall be produced for the faid fubfcription, to the end that every man may have the opportunity of promoting, by a vo luntary facrifice of a fmall fhare of his property, that fecurity of the whole, which is the grand object of our petitions, X. Refolved, That all fubfcriptions be received, whether in fpecie, or in paper, and that the amount fubfcribed fhall be paid by each fubfcriber to fuch perfon or perfons as the faid committee, when elected, fhall appoint to receive the fame. XI. Refolved, That this affembly do authorize the faid committee to difpofe of and expend the whole, or any part of the fums of money fo paid, in fuch manner as fhall appear to them beft calculated for the general benefit of the caufe for which they were subscribed. XII. Refolved, That Mr. Charles Purling be a member of the committee, and that he be requested to propofe fourteen other gentlemen to the meeting for their approval. XIII. Refolved, That the following gentlemen are elected for the purpofes mentioned in the foregoing refolutions, viz. Colonel Patrick Duff, Philip Yonge, Efqrs. XIV. Refolved, That the affembly of the British inhabitants of Calcutta, having the most perfect confidence confidence and truft in the upright nefs, integrity, and abilities, of the committee chofen for the conduct and management of their intereft, and for the protection and defence of their rights, as fubjects of Great Britain, do, in order to give vigour and efficacy to their acts, and to free them from future trouble, embarrassment, and obftruction, delegate to them full authority; and do express a plenary reliance on them for the exercife of it, and do pledge to them the concurrence and fupport of the said affembly, in the fulleft manner poffible, to all meafures they fhall legally adopt, for obtaining a repeal of the oppreffive parts of the aforefaid act of parlia ment. legal and conftitutional meeting of the British subjects in this fettle ment, for the purpose of petitioning his majesty, and the two houses of parliament, for redrefs of those heavy grievances impofed on them by the before-mentioned act of the legislature. XVI. Refolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to Philip Yonge, Efq. the high fheriff, for his patriotic conduct in calling the affembly at the request of the grand jury. XVII. Refolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to Charles Purling, Efq. for the great preci fion, candour, and regularity, with which he has conducted the business of the day. XVIII. Refolved, That the above refolutions be printed and made XV. Refolved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the grand jury, for having convened a public. lity or of commerce, whether for food or for manufactures: but it is exprefsly agreed, that this ftipulation is never to be used as a pretext for establishing in that country any plantation of fugar, coffee, cacao, or other like articles, or any fabric or manufacture, by means of mills or other machines whatsoever (this reftriction however does not regard the use of saw mills for cutting or otherwife preparing the wood), fince all the lands in queftion being indifputably acknowledged to belong of right to the crown of Spain, no fettlements of that kind, or the population which would follow, could be allowed. The English shall be permitted to tranfport and convey all fuch wood, and other produce of the place, in its natural and uncultivated ftate, down the rivers to the fea, but without ever going beyond the limits which are prefcribed to them by the ftipulations above granted, and with out thereby taking an opportunity of afcending the faid rivers beyond their bounds, into the countries belonging to Spain. Art. IV. The English fhall be permitted to occupy the finall ifland known by the names of Cafina, St. George's Key, or Cayo Cafina, in confideration of the circumftance of that part of the coafts oppofite to the faid island being looked upon as fubject to dangerous diforders; but this permiffion is only to be made ufe of for purposes of real utility: and as great abuses, no lefs contrary to the intentions of the British government than the effential interefts of Spain, might arife from this permiffion, it is here ftipulated, as an indifpenfable condition, that no fortification, or work of defence whatever, fhall at any time be erected there, nor any body of troops pofted, nor any piece of artillery kept there; and in order to verify with good faith the accomplishment of this condition fine qua non (which might be infringed by individuals, without the knowledge of the British government) a Spanish officer or commiffary, accompanied by an Englifh commiffary or officer, duly authorized, shall be admitted, twice a year, to examine into the real fituation of things. Art. V. The English nation fhall enjoy the liberty or refitting their merchant fhips in the fouthern triangle included between the Point of Cayo Cana, and the clufter of fmall islands which are fituated oppofite that part of the coaft occupied by the cutters, at the distance of eight leagues from the river Wallis, feven from Cayo Cafina, and three from the river Sibun, a place which has always been found well adapted to that purpofe. For which end, the edifices and ftorehouíes abfolutely neceffary for that fervice fhall be allowed to be built; but in this conceffion is alfo included the exprefs condition of not erecting fortifications there at any time, or ftationing troops, or conftructing any military works; and in like manner it fhall not be permitted to ftation any fhips of war there, or to conftruct an arfenal, or other building, the object of which might be the formation of a naval establishment. Art. VI. It is also ftipulated, that the English may freely and peaceably catch fish on the coaft of the country affigned to them by the laft treaty of peace, as alfo of that which is added to them by the prefent convention; but without going beyond their boundaries, and confining them felves within the distance, specified in the preceding article. Art. VII. All the restrictions fpecified in the last treaty of 1783, for the entire prefervation of the right of the Spanish fovereignty over the country, in which is granted to the English only the privilege of making ufe of the wood of the different kinds, the fruits and other produce, in their natural ftate, are here confirmed; and the fame reftrictions shall also be obferved with refpect to the new grant. In confequence, the inhabitants of those countries fhall employ themselves fimply in the cutting and tranfporting of the faid wood, and in the gathering and tranfporting of the fruits, without meditating any more extenfive fettlements, or the formation of any fyftem of government, either military or civil, further than fuch regulations as their Britannic and catholic majefties may hereafter judge proper to establish, for maintaining peace and good order amongft their respective fubjects, Art. VIII. As it is generally allowed that the woods and forests are preserved, and even multiply, by regular and methodical cuttings, the English fhall obferve this maxim, as far as poffible; but if, notwithstanding all their precautions, it fhould happen in courfe of time that they were in want of dyingwood, or mahogany, with which the Spanish poffeffions might be provided, the Spanish government fhall make no difficulty to furnish a fupply to the English, at a fair and reafonable price. Art. IX. Every poffible precaution fhall be obferved to prevent fmuggling; and the English fhall take care to conform to the regulalations which the Spanish govern ment fhall think proper to eftablish amongst their own fubjects, in all communications which they may have with the latter; on condition nevertheless that the English fhall be left in the peaceable enjoyment of the feveral advantages inferted in their favour in the laft treaty, or ftipulated by the prefent convention. Art. X. The Spanish governors fhall be ordered to give to the faid English difperfed, all poffible facilities for their removal to the fettlements agreed upon by the prefent convention, according to the ftipulations of the 6th article of the definitive treaty of 1783, with refpect to the country allotted for their use by the faid article. Art. XI. Their Britannic and Catholic majefties, in order to remove every kind of doubt with regard to the true conftruction of the prefent convention, think it neceflary to declare that the conditions of the faid convention ought to be observed according to their fincere intention to enfure and improve the harmony and good underftanding, which fo happily fubfift at prefent between their faid majefties. In this view, his Britannic majefty engages to give the moft pofitive orders for the evacuation of the countries above mentioned, by all his fubjects of whatever denomi nation; but if, contrary to fuch declaration, there fhould ftill remain any perfons fo daring as to prefume, by retiring into the interior country, to endeavour to obfruct the entire evacuation already agreed upon, his Britannic majesty, fo far from affording them the leaft fuccour, or even protection, will difavow them in the moft folemn manner, |