DofAInhabitants

To His Excellency the R\/ Hon. Lord Charles /
Henry Somerset, Governor and Commander /
in Chief 7+c. 7+c. 7+c /
The Memorial of the undersigned Inhabitants /
of the District of Albany /
Respectfully Sheweth /
That your Memorialists /
after four Years of privations and distres+s from /
failures of Crops and others numerous and serious /
causes, were at length indulged with hopes that /
some improvement was likely to take place /
in their condition _ The attention of the British /
Government and Nation was drawn to their si=tuation /
_ Enlightened inquiry has began to inspire /
them with sanguine expectations of the future /
while the removal of various grievances that /
could not for a moment bear the light of dispas=sionate /
examination, which the Memorialists /
had ventured to represent to the British Govern=ment, /
seemed to be the immediate fruit of the /
investigation, and earnest of the attention likely /
to be extended to all their other reasonable requests /
and a convincing proof of the wisdom and liber=ality /
of the British Government. /
That the insecurity and alarm arising /
from perseverance in a fruitles+s hostility with the /
Neighbouring Tribes, had wholly disappeared from the /
moment that a more humane and conciliatory /
intercourse was established; that the appoint=ment /
of a Commis+sioner to define Boundaries /
and decide upon claims for Land, the en=couragement /
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couragement given to the Navigation of the Kowie /
and the disappearance of those destructive principles /
of Monopoly, which had so long left the supply of /
provisions to the Troops, in hands of a Government /
establishment, and which had in a great measure /
confined the growing of Forage for the Cavalry, to /
their own Officers, had altogether encouraged the /
Memorialists to believe that some field would /
length be allowed to open for their industry and /
exertions. /
That the growing of wheat opposed as it has /
been by constant and almost total failures, had /
naturaly been abandoned by all within twenty /
Miles of the Market that thus appeared to be o=pened, /
and every one had exerted them selves beyond /
their means in growing Forage, with the belief that /
they would not be exposed to a competition as un=fair /
as those which had been so lately abolished - /
That no sooner are their prospects improved /
by the Government relinquishing one monolopy, /
than an Officer of Government pos+ses+sing all the /
influence deserved from holding the chief judici=al /
and executive authorities, and all the means /
arising from his salaries in his civil capacity, as /
well as that of Commandant of the Albany Levy, /
having also the advantage of the Labour of Slaves, /
priz+e Negroes, and the command of the Labor /
of Hottentots beyond any other individual, at /
the same time enjoying the use of Govern=ment /
Lands free from burdens which are im=posed /
on others _ no sooner had the Memoria=lists /
exhausted all their means in growing /
Forage, than this Officer availing himself of /
all /
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all these advantages, which the fair Cultivator can /
never expect to enjoy, steps in and engros+ses the /
whole Contract, at a rate which can never repay /
free Labour and ordinary means. /
The effects of this interference must produce the /
total ruin of Many of the Memorialists, and ex=clude /
the rest from their means and Labor into com=petition /
with the Officers of Government. /
That Memorialists leaving to your Excellency /
to imagine the effects of this ruinous measure up=on /
their hopes and prospects of Securing a /
living by Agriculture, would entreat attention /
to the effect which such unequal competi=tion /
must have upon the state of the Settle=ment, /
and future supply of the Market, it be=ing /
evident to Memorialists, that when the /
fair Cultivator is ruined, a full supply of the /
demand can never be expected from sources /
so precarious, as the neces+sities or cupidity of a /
Local Functionary. /
That the Memorialists have understood, that /
it is a prescribed duty of the Landdrost, not only /
to visit all parts of the Provence committed /
to his case, but to consult with his Heemraden /
and the Farmers themselves, upon the measures most /
conducive to the interests of the District; but Memo=rialists /
leave it to Your Excellency to decide, how /
far this duty has been fulfilled in regard to them, /
when the Loans which the British Government /
had intended for their relief, are (after being grant=ed /
by Your Excellency and drawn by the Landdrost) /
returned /
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returned under protest from Cape Town, to the destruction /
of the credit of the few who had hoped to participate in the /
advantage of them; and when the Landdrost is enabled to /
monopoliz+e the supply, upon which a great portion of /
the Inhabitants depend for their daily Bread. /
That Memorialists humbly conceive that the sa=crifices /
they have made and the sufferings they have /
undergone, do entitle them to some degree of con=sideration, /
and that the British Government would /
see with satisfaction any encouragement extended to /
them even if that encouragement did involve /
some departure from general principles, but when /
as Memorialists humbly conceive, all toward princi=ples /
are violated to the prejudice; and when their /
attempts to raise themselves to the comfort which /
is not denied them by natural causes, are met on /
every side by artificial barriers, the Memorialists /
feel that they are doubly entitled to the favourable /
consideration of Government. /
That Memorialists on these grounds found /
their correct petition, that Your Excellency will /
be pleased to allow the contract for the supply of /
Forage to be again put up to public Tender, ex=cluding /
the Officers of Government (which pos+ses+sed /
of Such undue advantages) from all direct or in=direct /
participation in the supply both now and /
in future, as there is at present more than a /
sufficiency grown by the Settlers in the vicinity /
of Grahams Town. /
And Memorialists as in duty bound /
will ever pray 7+c. /
Albany 14\th/ December 1824 /
W\m/ Thomas /
Thom /
Joseph Lofts /
Ja\s/ Smith /
Tho\s/ Simson /
Geo Phillips /
Tho\s/ Caverley/
Wm Ford /
Abraham Robinson /
John Manley /
Thomas Bendbridg /
James Harner /
Edw Hiley /
Dun. Campbell /
James Daniels /
David Roes /
Rich. Forrester /
Wil\m/ Bowels /
S. Liversage /
Ralph Manley /
George Blakemore /
Jam\s/ Carman /
Rich\d/ Webb /
James Ginkins /
W\m/ Mountfort /
Henry Harper /
James Linsey /
Wilam pebler /
Wilam Tar /
John Poulton /
Tho\s/ Stanfield /
Don\d/ Mac Donald /