The Editor, Sir:

I refer to the article in Sunday's Gleaner (July 6) which reports that Senator Tom Tavares-Finson was calling for the names of four National Heroes, including Marcus Garvey, to be expunged from Jamaica's criminal records. The article went on to report that he said he had checked with King's House, which stated that no pardon had ever been sought or offered to Marcus Garvey.

But Garvey has already been pardoned by the Jamaican Government. The headline story of The Daily Gleaner on August 18, 1987 reported that Garvey had been posthumously granted "a free pardon". This was stated by then Prime Minister Edward Seaga at a civic ceremony in St Ann's Bay to mark Garvey's Centenary. Let me quote from The Gleaner report on the matter.

"He (Seaga) said that following on submission from the Government, based on a Cabinet decision. His Excellency, the Governor-General, signed two instruments, with reference to convictions for contempt of court on August 5 and September 26, 1929 respectively."

The instruments read: "Whereas the Privy Council has recommended that having regard to the circumstances of the case, a posthumous free pardon should be granted."

Mr Tavares-Finson was speaking during the State of the Nation Debate last Friday when he seemed to have forgotten this aspect of our history.

I am, etc.,

BEVERLY HAMILTON

P.O. Box 368

Kingston 10