LETTER from the King to the Administrators, concerning the commutation of the penalty of the Galleys, and of that of Death against marrons, to that of a public chain gang

MESSIEURS the Vicomte de Belsunce and de Clugny, I previously granted to my Gouverneur-Lieutenant Général and Intendant of my Colony of Saint-Domingue the permission to commute the penalty of the galleys pronounced against enslaved nègres, in the cases where they must be sentenced to it, and even that of death against marrons and fugitives, to that of being branded with a fleur de lis on the cheek, chained, and employed for life or for a time, according to the different cases, on the fortifications or other works ordered in this Colony. The advantages that resulted from it, both through the preservation of these nègres and through the usefulness drawn from them, have made me think that by granting you the same power, great assistance would be obtained from it in my Colony of Saint-Domingue, above all in the present circumstances, when the question is to work on the fortifications of this Island. I have nevertheless not wished to make at once, &c.

All the rest of this Letter is copied word for word from that of the 14th of March 1741.