The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-09 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

Front this island there is little news of interest.
The House of Assembly have passed a bill appoint-
ing a commission for inquiry into the public and pa-
rochial institutions and establishments of the country.
The commissioners art invested with large powers,
and are to report to the house within a year.
The raunial Standard, of Dec. 10, says

We learn that on the north side of the island, and in the
central ridge of mountains, the weather has been fearfullly
violent during the latter days of the last week. On all the
coffee properties, from Shildon to Abbey-green, a perfect
hurricane has been experienced from the north, which we
are sorry to hear has blown almost all the coffee off the
trees. At Farm Hill the weather was so bad that there is
scarcely a negro house on the property left standing. In
Metcalfe we understand the came weather was experienced,
and with the same effort. Scarcely a pl intain tree has been
saved in the higher districts of the parish.

A. 4 regards the cholera, the Morning Journal. of
tho 11th is glad to learn that:it has slightly abated in
the town of Montego-11 y, but we regret to say, the
reports from the country are not more chicring
than those we received by the last accounts from
the parish.
The Chronicle states:

We regret to learn that the cholera has been raging with
great virulence on Copse estate, and that during the last
week eight persons had died. Its respectable proprietor, we
learn, had himself been a sufferer under its influence,
though we are glad to hear be ix now restored to health
again. It is said that the disease is located at Chceter
Castle, a few miles distant from Copse. lIANOVER.—The
disease ix still ragini with severity in this parish.
The ('Lester Castle district, on the borders of St. Jams's,
is fearfully visited, but the tea n of Lucca is tree
from the disease. We learn with regret the demise of
Mr. John Fr.uer, of Sod Hall. The Chronicle hen the
following from its Green Island correspondent: "Satur-
day, 6th December,—l regret to inform you that cholera
is still raging here badly. Mr. Edward Lawson, a brother
of the Rev. li. 0. Lawson, came down here on Wednesday
to spend a fow days with his brother, and en Thursday
evening about ii o'clock he was taken ill, and died on Fri-
day evening." In THELAWNY the pestilence is doing its
destructive work with rapid progress. Mr. Ilowden,
overseer of Shawfield estate, is among the victims.
The accounts from Fet.uovrit mention that cholera and
small-pox exist in Trelewny to an alarming extent. At
Deeside, the Hague, Bounty-hall, Swanswiek,
Orange-valley, M ales, Potosi, Retreat, Hampstead, Golden
Grove, Wakefield, and, is fact, upon almost every estate,
there has been several deaths. In the Duncen's district
(especially at Spring estate) the mortality is increasing, and
from the 23rd to the 30th of November there have been no
less than 103 cases and 41 deaths. Among the victims is
Mrs. Deans, the wife of Robert Deans, Esq. The Cuuntv
Union states that Mr. Deans also has fallen a victim to the
disease. There are at present in the immediate neighbour-
hood of Duncan's 196 eases of small-pox, and the deaths are
reported to be 19. WEVTMOKELAND.—The disease still
lurks in the pariah, but has lost that very malignant power
which, but a few weeks back, it so fatally exhibited.

A public meeting of the inhabitants of the precinct
of Saint Catherine was held on December 3, "for
the purpose of taking into consideration the neces-
sity of establishing a system of responsible govern-
ment in this island," when the following resolutions
were carried:

That the system at present pursued in the administration
of the public business of this island is based upon unsound
principles, and is in practice found to work disadvan-
tageously to the public interest, and that inasmuch as the
institutions adopted by, and fitted to, the requirements of a
slave state arc unsuited to the wants of a free people, it is
desirable as far as possible to assimilate the constitution of
the colony to that of the mother country.
That a system of responsible government, based upon the
model of the British constitution, offers the best security to
the people as well for the clue preservation of their rights
and liberties as for a salutary comical over the sets of their
representatives, and affords to the Legislature, without the
ucritice of any of their proper privileges, the best guaran-
tee tar consistent and wise legidation, founded on the indi-
vidual responsibility of its members, and that to this end the
bill now before the honourable House of Assembly, euti-
tied, " A Ltill fur the establishment of a responsible govern-
ment in this island," Is in every way well adapted to meet
the requirements of the cane.
That is memorial, embodying the above resolution, and
to be signed by the chairman on behalf of this meeting. be
presented to the hon. House of Assembly.
That the members of the parish be requested to give their
utmost support to the bill now before the house having for
its object the establishment of responsible government in
this island.

The Governor had appointed Simon Noyes, Esq.,
to be a justice of the peace and assistant judge of
the Court of Common Pleas for the precinct of St.
Thomas in the East, and George Barnes Vidal, Ho-
bert Francis Thomas, Jacob Segre, David King,
and Richard Spence liarrision, Emirs., to be justices
of the peace and assistant judges of the Court of
Common Plena for the parish of Westmoreland.
In the House of Assembly Mr. Hart moved that
the report from the commissioners of account.. in
respect to the taxes due by the governor, and levied
upon by the collecting constable of St. Catherine's.
be taken up and read. lie hoped the house would
do something to remove the stigma and disgrace
whioh had been cast upon the island by the conduct
of the St. Catlwrine's vestry, and that the would go
with him in the proposition he was about to make,
as the only means by which the house could be re-
lieved of the charge of having participated or mile-
timed an act which was as disgraceful as it was un-
paralleled in the history of Jamaica. (Hear and
laughter.) Alter much discussion a motion for
rejecting the report was carried by a majority of 11
to 10.