Truth, we humbly hope Your Honours will consider this our "Representation, as proceeding from a strict, impartial and sound • Enquiry. In Witness, &c. This first Day of September, 1737. THE Orginal of this was signed by all the Forty Four, and sent Home; but was taken no Notice of by the Trustees for any Thing ever we heard; and we hope it will appear evident to every judicious Reader, that this Jury was neither byassed nor intimidated by Causton, to the Prejudice of any Person whatsoever, as Mr. Westly asserts in his Journal Printed at Bristol, 1739. He likewise says, there were a professed Atheist and Deist in the Number; but for our Parts we know of neither; But a Man of Mr. Wesly's Principles, who makes no Scruple of writing wilful Falshoods (as may be seen by any Body that compares this Narrative with his Journal) and of damning every Person of a contrary Opinion with himself; may, without Hesitation, give People what Appellations come in his Head: However this put an End to any further Prosecution of Mr. Wesly's Schemes; for soon after this, he departed the Colony privately by Night, and went to Charles-Town, and from thence to England. Mr. Wesly had Address enough (as he says in his forementioned Journal) to persuade several Persons who were Members of the Grand Jury, to retract (by some Paper which he drew up for them to sign) their former Sentiments; but this, if it was at all, proceeded entirely from the solemn Assurances which he gave them, that his main Design Home was to represent the Grievances and Oppressions which the poor Colony laboured under; and upon this Account was charged with divers Letters and Papers from private Persons, relating to the Colony; which he undertook faithfully to deliver: But as we have since found, that all Mr. Oglethorpe's Interest was employed to protect Mr. Wesly; it is no wonder those Promises were never fulfil'd; nor indeed could it ever be ascertain'd, that even the private Letters which he carried, were so much as delivered. ON the other Hand Mr. Causton ever after bore a mortal Hatred to the Members of this Grand Jury, and took every Opportunity to shew his Resentment; and we doubt not but he prevail'd upon three or four of them to a Recantation, having either terrified or starved them into a Compliance: But we bore these Things the more patiently, as being satisfied the Trustees were Gentlemen who had our Interest at Heart, and who would hear and redress our Grievances in due Time; and that Mr. 0- -pe might still be a Friend to the Colony; but at last G we heard He had procur'd a Regiment for its Defence, of which he was made Colonel; and that He was likewise made General and Commander in Chief over all his Majesty's Forces in SouthCarolina and Georgia. This News was confirmed by William Stephens, Esq; who was sent over as Trustees Secretary, to represent the State and Condition of the Colony as it really was, and to assist and consult with the Magistrates: But Mr. Causton soon found the Means to bring over the old Gentleman to his Interest, or at least to acquiesce in every Thing he said or did; for he had still the Command of the Cash and Stores, and Mr. Stephens had Nothing to live upon but his Salary, which he could stop the Payment of at Pleasure; so our Secretary remained passive until Causton's Government ended. AT last Mr. Oglethorpe comes over for the third Time, in September, with the Remainder of his Regiment; the other Part having come with Col. Cochran in May: But alas! this Regiment was of no Service, otherwise than to strengthen us in Case of an Attack; for we could neither furnish them in Cloaths, Provisions nor any one Thing they wanted: And to put us out of all Hopes of Bettering our Condition, Mr. Oglethorpe was pleas'd to declare in the Court-House of Savannah, That as long as he had any thing to do with the Colony, there should neither be Allowance of Negroes nor Alteration in the Titles of Land; and if any such Thing should happen, he would have no further Concern with it. The People thus seeing there was no Hope of Redress, left the Colony daily; and the Trustees Credit receiving a great Shock by their refusing Mr. Causton's certified Accompts, and an entire Stop being Put to the Publick Store; many poor Wretches died of Hunger: For at this Time Mr. Causton was turned out of all his Places, and the Store was ordered to be sold, in order, as was said, to pay off the Trustees Debts: One Thomas Jones, a Favourite of Mr. Oglethorpe, whose Character we shall have Occasion to give afterwards, was put in his Place, as Cash and Store-keeper, only with a different Title, viz. that of Magazine-keeper; for none but the Trustees Servants were to be supplied from it: But the Contrary soon appeared; for the Sola Bills that were sent over, were ordered to be issued out in the Names of William Stephens, Esq; Mr. Thomas Christie and Mr. Thomas Jones, or any two of them; but the other two agreeing together, entirely excluded Christie, and paid them to whom and for what Purpose they thought convenient: They bought New-York Cargoes, and any other Commodities that could be got in Quantities, and put them into the Magazine, where they were sold out by Jones in Wholesale and Retail, for ready Money, at exorbitant Rates. This Trade · they have carried on ever since, to their vast Advantage; but to the no small Distress of the poor People, who are obliged to give at the Rate almost of Cent. per Cent. for their Provisions. Thus under the Colour of no Store, these two keep as open a one as ever Causton did; and by having the Publick Money at their disposal, the Payment of all Salaries and Pensions coming through their Hands, they are become as absolute; with this Difference, that Mr. Causton's Power in every Respect, extended over the whole Colony when it was most populous and Money most plenty; but theirs seems only to affect the wretched Remains of Savannah. We might have imagin'd, that the Trustees were somewhat moved with our repeated Complaints and that Mr. Causton's Removal was owing thereto: But alas! in this we were mistaken; Nothing (as ever we could understand) was laid to his Charge on our Account; and it was of small Benefit to us, whether the Mismanagement of Money, which was the Reason of his Dimission, lies at his or Mr. Oglethorpe's Door: And we cannot but here take Notice that Mr. Causton's Case fortifies the Common Observation, That those who prostitute themselves to carry on illegal and oppressive Schemes, when they have once stuck in the Mire, they are forsaken by their Employers, and despised by all the World besides. Mr. Oglethorpe staid not long at Savannah, his common Residence being at Frederica, where they had, in Imitation of us, built a few Houses, and cleared some Land; but finding Planting not answer, they left it off, and as soon as the Regiment eame, almost every Body betook themselves to the Keeping Publick-Houses; and in this Manner do the few that now remain live. ALL the Publick Work being put a Stop to, and Clearing of Land being found impracticable, by which most of us had ruin'd ourselves; we were in a miserable Condition; and all hope from Mr. Oglethorpe being at an End, we could hardly tell what to do: But still thinking, the Trustees might be ignorant or misinformed of the present Condition of the Colony, we at last resolved to set forth our Grievances in a short and general Representation, to be signed by all the Free-holders in the Colony; of which the following is an exact Copy. To the Honourable the Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in America. May it please Your Honours; E whose Names are under-written, being all Settlers, and being sensible of the great Pains and Care exerted by You in Endeavouring to settle this Colony, since it has been under Your Protection and Management; Do unanimously join to lay before You, with the utmost Regret, the following Particulars: But in the first Place, we must beg Leave to observe, that it has afforded us a great deal of Concern and Uneasiness, that 'former Representations made to You of the same Nature, have not been thought worthy of due Consideration, nor even of an 'Answer. We have most of us settled in this Colony in Pur'suance of the Description and Recommendation given of it by You in Britain; and from the Experience of residing here 'several Years, do find that it is impossible that the Measures ' hitherto laid down and pursued for making it a Colony can suc'ceed. None of all those who have planted their Land have 'been able to raise Sufficient Produce to maintain their Families ' in Bread kind only, even tho' as much Application and Indus'try have been exerted to bring it about, as could be done by Men engaged in an Affair on which they believed the Welfare of 'themselves and Posterity so much depended, and which they 'imagin'd required more than ordinary Pains to make succeed; 'so that by the accumulated Expences every Year, of Provisions, Cloathing and Medicines, for themselves, Families and Servants, 'several hath expended all their Money, nay even run considerably in Debt, and so been obliged to leave off Planting and making further Improvements; and those who continue are daily exhausting more and more of their Money, and some daily increasing their Debt, without a Possibility of being ' reimbursed, according to the present Constitution. This being 'now the general State of the Colony, it must be obvious that People cannot subsist by their Land, according to the present Establishment; and this being a Truth resulting from Tryal, Practice and Experience, cannot be contradicted by any theorical Scheme or Reasoning. The Land then, according to the present Constitution, not being capable to maintain the Settlers here, they must unavoidably have recourse to and depend upon Trade: But to our woful Experience likewise, the same 'Causes that prevented the first, obstruct the latter; for tho' the 'Situation of this Place is exceeding well adapted for Trade, and if it was encouraged, might be much more improved by the 'Inhabitants; yet the Difficulties and Restrictions, which we hitherto have and at present do labour under, debar us of that Advantage: Timber is the only Thing we have here which we 'might export, and notwithstanding we are obliged to fall it in Planting our Land; yet we cannot manufacture it for a Foreign Market but at double the Expence of other Colonies; as for 6 C Instance, the River of May, which is but twenty Miles from us, with the Allowance of Negroes, load Vessels with that Commo'dity at one Half of the Price that we can do; and what should ' induce Persons to bring Ships here, when they can be loaded with one Half of the Expence so near us; therefore the Timber on the Land is only a continual Charge to the Possessors of it, tho' of very great Advantage in all the Northern Colonies, where Negroes are allowed, and consequently Labour cheap. We do not in the least doubt but that in Time Silk and Wine 'may be produced here, especially the former; but since the Cultivation of Land with white Servants only, cannot raise Provisions for our Families as before mentioned, therefore it is ' likewise impossible to carry on these Manufactures according to the present Constitution. It is very well known, that Carolina 'can raise every thing that this Colony can; and they having 'their Labour so much cheaper will always ruin our Market, unless we are in some Measure on a Footing with them; and as in both, the Land is worn out in four or five Years, and then 'fit for Nothing but Pasture; we must be always at a great deal more Expence than they in Clearing new Land for Planting. The Importation of the Necessaries of Life come to us at the most extravagant Rate; Merchants in general, especially of England, not being willing to supply the Settlers here with Goods upon Commission, because no Person here can make them any Security of their Lands or Improvements, as is very often < practis'd in other Places to promote Trade, when some of the Employers Money is laid out in necessary Buildings and Improvements fitting for the Trade intended, without which it cannot be carried on: The Benefit of Importation therefore is "all to transient Persons, who do not lay out any Money amongst us; but on the Contrary, carry every Penny out of the Place; and the chief Reason for their enhancing the Price, is because they cannot get any Goods here either on Freight or Purchase for another Market: If the Advantage accruing from Importation centered in the Inhabitants, the Profit thereof would naturally circulate amongst us, and be laid out in Improvements in the •Colony. Your Honours, we imagine, are not insensible of the Numbers that have left this Province, not being able to support themselves and Families any longer; and those still remaining, < who had Money of their own and Credit with their Friends, have laid out most of the former in Improvements, and lost the latter for doing it on such precarious Titles. And upon Account of the present Establishment, not above two or three Persons, except those brought on Charity and Servants sent by You, have come here for the Space of two Years past, |