No. 14

Since I had the honor of addressing you on the 22nd of May last,
I have held a meeting of Council for the purpose of taking into
consideration the instructions contained in your despatch No 5,
respecting the summoning of Assemblies of the Free-holders of this
Colony. I read to Council a draft of the proclamation, which I intend
to issue, for convening the Assembly: proposed that the Island should
be divided into four electoral Districts; and should return seven
members; and that the property qualification of members should be
free-hold estate of the value and not lower than 300 Sterling. The
property qualification of voters to be according to the terms of Her
Majesty's Commission, 20 acres or upwards of Freehold land.

The Council adjourned without coming to any decision, till
tomorrow, for the better consideration of the subjects laid before them.

The proclamation for convening the Freeholders will probably be
issued in the course of this week, and the Assembly will probably meet
about the first week in August.

There will be a difficulty in finding properly qualified
representatives and I fear that our early attempts at legislation will
make a sorry figure; though at all events they will have the effect you
contemplate of removing all doubts as to the validity of our local
enactments.

There has been at this place lately a large arrival of savages
from the Queen Charlotte Islands.
*

The son of their principal chief, who are both among the number of
those unwelcome visitors, was committed to Jail and whipped, at this
place, about two years ago for theft. It having, ever since, been
currently reported, that his Father the Chief had resolved to wipe out
the disgrace of the whipping, by making a hostile attack upon the
settlements, I yesterday, called him publicly to account for his
reported enmity to the whites, which he however strenuously denied. I,
at the same interview, charged him to watch his people very closely,
during their stay in this Colony, and to keep them from stealing
quarrelling drunkeness and riotous behaviour, warning him that for any
of those offences, they will be punished by whipping or imprisonment.

Unfortunately, his son, the same youth who, as already said, was
before whipped for misconduct, was this day charged with committing a
drunken assault, on an unprotected woman; and I have been under the
necessity of punishing him by fine and imprisonment.

This has caused great excitement among those savages, and my Indian
employ'es report that they are about to leave the Colony in disgust. I
have therefore placed them under surveillance, as a protection from
treachery, and it will be a great relief, when they leave the Colony, as
they are very ignorant and untractable.

I was induced to expect by letters from Rear Admiral Bruce, that
Her Majesty's Sloop "Alarm" would be here before the last week in May;
but she has not, as yet, made her appearance.