28/1/1786.






THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF TRINIDAD

AND TOBAGO.

Publication No. 452.

From Monsieur le Vicomte D'Arrot, Governor of Tobago,
to the Marshal, le Duc de Castries. 1786.

Source:-Paris. Archives Nationales.
State Papers Colonial. C 10. E 3.

Published by the courtesy of the Minister
of the Colonies. Paris.

Translated from the French.

Tobago.
28th January 1786.

Summary.

The Governor reports that the Council of Tobago
and the General Assembly have both formally discuss-
ed the imposition of 200,000 livres,which the King has
decreed.

These representative bodies are prepared to raise
the necessary funds to pay this Royal Imposition but
ask that this Imposition may be remitted for the year
1785. They complain that their crops have been small
and much below the usual yield since the boll weevil
parasite had seriously affected the cotton.

The Governor and the Ordonnateur recommend that
this prayer be favourably considered and that the Im-
position for 1785 be entirely remitted or postponed,as
four annual payments of 50,000 livres in the subsequent
years, 1786 to 1789.









2

The exact form of tax is still under discussion;
some favour a levy per head on the number of slaves,
others a tax on the export of produce.

D'Arrot.

Roume de St Laurent.