tereft, for advancing the price; and provided alfo that the faid limited fervice of the contract be not claimable by any individual, but by the publick Exchequer only, after the redeemed perfon has confented to work out the price; whereby all poffibility of domestic flavery, or private oppreffion, will be excluded; and the Exchequer will give an ample equivalent to the redeemed perfon, to insure his voluntary confent to a contract for a limited time of labour, not only by the protection it will afford him, but also by putting him in poffeffion of a portion of land, equal to the quarter part of a deciner's lot, to be increased as he discharges his debt of labour; and by finding him provifions until he fhall be able to raife provifions from his own land. The publick Exchequer will be enabled, by the confent of a majority of the fettlers, thus to difpofe of land, because all the unoccupied land in the fettlement

is

is to be deemed as common, in which the whole body of fettlers, fent out from England, if above fixteen years of age, whether indentured or not, fhall be entitled to an equal share, and therefore no land must be appropriated, but by common confent. Suppofe the redemption of a man fhould coft ten pounds (which I believe is about the average price on the coaft) and suppose the labour of fuch a ftranger be estimated only at fixpence fterling per day (though it is certainly worth much more, perhaps three or four times as much) a limited fervice, by the redeemed perfon, of five years to the publick Exchequer, as an equivalent for the purchase of a full lot of protected land, with a gradual introduction to all the privileges of a free English fettlement, will amount, at 310 working days per annum (fifty-two fundays and three holidays being deducted for the reasons already mentioned under the head of Free Labour)

2

Labour) will amount, I fay, to 381. 155. out of which, after paying 10l. the price of redemption, and 10 per cent for the advance of money, viz. l. more, there will remain in the publick Exchequer (towards fupplying food and neceffaries to the labourer, till he can provide for himself, and for rifque of lofs by ficknefs or death) the fum of 271. 15s. the furplus of which, if the redeemed perfon lives and does well, becomes the property of the publick, in which he bimfelf enjoys an equal fhare of profit; fo that the purchase of a slave, under fo equitable a regulation, will be really and truly a Redemption from Slavery to a state of freedom and protection. And if the voluntary labour of a man should really be worth three times what I have estimated (as I really believe it is) the profit for redemption, for 111. difburfed, will amount to 105l. 5s. which is 9561. per cent. in favour of the publick

publick Exchequer! Nay, the profit may be fairly estimated at a much higher rate! for if the free labour, which the redeemed perfon pays for his lot of land, be employed by the elected trustees of the Exchequer in the publick lots of land, they may expect to receive at least the ordinary production of land, for the labour bestowed upon it; which even in our northern climate may be rated at a triple amount (and much more may certainly be expected in the fertile and productive climate of Africa) fo that the ordinary profit may fairly be ftated at 3151. 158. for 111. difburfed, which is at the rate of 28701. per cent. in favour of the publick Exchequer in which the redeemed person himself would have an equal property with the reft of the community. Let the advocates for flavery fhew, if they can, that involuntary fervitude is equally profitable! The intolerable expence of all kinds of labour wherever

flavery

flavery is permitted, when compared with the price of labour in free countries, will fufficiently confute them. But more fhall be faid of the great profits of Free Labour, under the head of Publick Revenue, &c.

AGRARIAN LA W.

Money for purchafing Land, to be invested in Prefents for the African Chiefs.-Chiefs to be previously acquainted with fome neceffary Conditions. All the Settlers to be restrained from purchafing Land for private Property, until the Bargains for the Publick Land are concluded. The Prefents to be deemed Publick Stock.-All the Settlers above fixteen Years of Age to be equally entitled to the Land.—Precautions for fixing on the Spot for the first Township.-Settlers to be obedient to the Agent and how long.-Referve of Land.Limitation of Land.-Limitation of landed Poffeffion.