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legal government in England. The inha

bitants even of the most diftant fettlements under the crown of Great-Britain must not adopt any polity that is effentially inconfiftent with the Maxima fecuritas, ordained and required by the common law of England.

The community of free African fettlers, however, have already adopted (as I am informed) a fmall variation from the old English model of numerical divifions, by forming themfelves into divifions of dozens, instead of tithings or tens; but as this little change is by no means inconfiftent with the true principles and intention of our legal English frankpledge, I am at liberty to acknowledge a moft hearty approbation of it, as being an arrangement far more convenient and effectual for fecuring perfect fubordination, peace, and good government, even than the antient legal diviB 2 fions

fions into tens or decinaries, because each dozen will have one chief or headborough, and one affiftant headborough, to govern and lead a complete complement of ten deciners; fo that the divifion may still with propriety retain the old legal name of a tithing or decenary; and the hundred divifion may be rendered literally and ftrictly an hundred families, by appointing one hundreder, two chiefs of fifties, and one town clerk (or clerk of the hundred) over every eight dozens; whereby the legal bundred, in its civil capacity (for the maintenance of peace, justice, and common right, according to the first principles of cur conftitutional polity, the most effectual for all the purposes of good government) will confift of.

I Hundreder, or centurion*,——
2 Chiefs of fifties-fuperior conftables,
and prefiding justices in the
weekly Tithing-courts †;

1 Town-clerk, or Clerk of the hun

dred‡,

8 Headboroughs being conftables in

ordinary.

8 affiftant Headboroughs or conftables extraordinary.

80 Deciners-mafters of families or

householders §, viz.

100 Householders in all, who must

equally

Who, in the common law, is a high conftable and "jufticiarius," or juftice of the peace.

+ Or rather, in the courts of four tithings, or dozens collected together,

With a proper falary, to regifter all judgments and debts, and to be allowed two or more affiftants, if neceffary, from the best qualified of the deciners, with fuitable falaries also for their trouble.

Who, jointly with the chiefs of their feveral divi. fions, pledge each other, and their respective families or dependants for the publick peace and common right, and are termed in law, boni et legales homines, !' good and true men.”

equally contribute to fupport all the burthens of the ftate, and of courfe muft be entitled to an equal voice in the "common council," or parliament, of their fettlement; which on the African coast is called Palaaver; and if the whole body of householders fhould hereafter, by God's blefling, become too numerous for a perfonal attendance in their common council they will be all equally entitled to elect a proper number of deputies from their refpective divifions to reprefent them in the fupreme council; and that in a due and equal proportion to their numbers; for otherwife their reprefentation would be rendered moft banefully delufive and corrupt!

And

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Amounting altogether to

To thefe muftalfo be added the fons, apprentices, and indentured fervants of the deciners, viz. all the males of 16 years of age and upwards, who by the common law are required to be armed, and of courfe to be difciplined in the

arms

100 f free militia men

ners.

ufe of arms. The average of zoo Privates or rank

males above 16 years of age may be ftated, I believe, at three to each family, including all the perfons above defcribed fo that in a few years, if the fettlement fucceeds, there may probably be added to the 100 armed deciners at least

In all 300

and file.

militia men

in each hundred divifion, a corps that may be rendered fufficiently effectual to fupport the executive juftice of a free, legal government, within any extent of

land

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