arrival in the island, subject to the above disability exceptions. The minimum 
should be reduced to security for costs and charges should not exceed 
depositions of sureties as to such worth were to be received in the absence 
of reasonable proof to the contrary. Any person recovering a sum exceeding 
and appealing because of insufficient recovery should not be 
obligated to give any security. 8 Nothing came of these proposals. In December 
of the same year the Board of Trade advised against an extension of the 
fourteen-day period for taking appeals from chancery decrees in Barbados. 
This extension "being contrary to the General Constitution of the Plantations, 
who have all acted by the same rule without complaining," the Board was 
apprehensive of greater inconvenience attending the alteration. 9 
In February, 1701/2, a petition was presented to the Council Board by 
several merchants and others having interests in Barbados, 10 complaining of 
the .£5OO minimum set by the instructions, of the limited time for demanding 
an appeal, and of the necessity of giving security for greater value than the 
costs on appeal. 11 The Committee to which the matter was referred proposed 
alteration of the instructions, so that appeals would be allowed from the inferior 
courts to the Governor and Council, and from thence to the King in 
Council without any minimum requirement, provided the latter appeal was 
demanded within the space of six months after judgment and security was 
given to prosecute the appeal effectually and to answer such costs and damages 
as should be awarded by the Council. 12 Upon consideration of this Committee 
report and after several hearings of the interested parties, 13 the Council Board 
forwarded the matter to the Board of Trade to consider and report. 14 
At the Board of Trade hearing on October 20, 1702, 16 petitioners again as- 
8 CSP, Col, 1701, #636. 
9 Ibid., #1074. See infra, p. 236 et seq., on the 
question whether the existent instructions covered 
Chancery appeals. 
10 2 APC, Col., #856. Copies of all instructions 
relating to appeals ever given to governors 
of Barbados and inspection of such 
articles in instructions to other plantation governors 
were refused these petitioners by the 
Board of Trade (CSP, Col., 1702, #118). 
11 Since by the instructions no execution was 
to be stayed during the dependence of an appeal, 
it was presented for royal consideration 
whether there was any reason to oblige appellants 
to give security for any greater value 
than the costs of such appeal (ibid., #739 
iii). See supra, pp. 105-6, for some discussion 
of this instructional confusion. The same points 
were stressed in a later petition of other interested 
parties (ibid., #739 ii). 
12 Ibid., #739 i. 
13 2 APC, Col., #856. 
14 The Board of Trade was particularly directed 
to consider for what lesser sum it might 
be fit to direct that appeals be admitted, together 
with the time to be allowed for making 
such appeal and the method of admitting appeals 
from the Barbados inferior courts to 
the Governor and Council (CSP, Col., 1702, 
#739 i). 
15 After reading the conciliar order on August 
11, the Board of Trade postponed proceeding 
therein until a fuller Board was present (ibid., 
#824). On August 25 a copy of the order 
was dispatched to the Barbados agents for 
their answer in writing (ibid., $914-15). 
Upon the petition of Everard Cater for dispatch 
on the report (ibid., #1043) a hearing 
was appointed in the matter (ibid., #1035, 
1054-55).