Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

[The following article is translated for the N. York Mercantile Advertiser, from the Official Gazette of St. Domingo. It contains some regulations recently adopted for the government of the colony; and we presume, will be interesting to many of our readers.]

The General in Chief, considering that the citizens who possess landed property, commercial or mechanical, being more particularly interested in the observance of order, owe to their country and to themselves to bear arms for the maintenance of public tranquility and the protection of property; that in the colonies where every one is attached to occupations or to a profession which absorbs all his time, the citizens cannot be called to a permanent military service, but only to a temporary concurrence with the troops of the line, orders as follows:

There shall be formed at the Cape a National Guard composed of a company of Grenadiers, a company of Chasseurs, eight companies of Fusiliers forming a battalion, and two companies of Dragoons.

The Commandant of the place shall cause a list to be made out of all the citizens who are to bear arms. In that list shall be comprised the following denomination of citizens of all colours from the age of 16 years to 50:

1. Owner or tenant of an habitation of 50 carreaux at least, or a house at the Cape bringing an income equivalent to 700 francs.

2. A Merchant.

3. A retailer, paying house rent of at least 500 francs a year.

4. The principal of a work shop. Journeymen who are necessitated to work for their living, they and their family are not to make a part of the National Guard.

The above mentioned list is to be closed on the 24th of Sept. and immediately laid before the General in Chief.

The chief of battalion, Toussard, is named commandant of the National Guard at the Cape.

After the formation of the National Guard, and of the review made of it by the General in Chief, every individual not belonging thereto, & at whose house there shall be found arms or ammunition, shall suffer death.

The National Guard shall not furnish for the ordinary service more than a sixteenth part of its force. In extraordinary cases it shall be entirely at the disposal of the Commandant of the place. In such cases the cavalry may be employed out of the city. The infantry can in no case be employed but within the city or its precincts.

This arret is common to all the towns and parishes wherever the generals of divisions commandants shall judge it expedient to apply the same.

At the Cape and at Port.au Prince only, the commandants, adjutant-majors, & adjutants of the National Guard shall have a right to receive pay or rations. The General in Chief will grant honourable rewards to the citizens of the National Guard who shall have distinguished themselves by good services or brilliant actions.

The national guard being armed for the defence of property, they cannot be displaced from the territory of their communes. In case of invasion by the enemy they shall unite with the nearest armed force. When tranquility prevails, they shall only be subjected to the service of inspection.