The Express.
London, England, 1865-12-09 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIES•

ARRIVAL OF OF THE CALIFORNIAN.
The West India and Pacific Steam Ship COM• I
pany's steamer Californian, Captain Baker, arri
unpre-
ved
in the Mersey yesterday evening, after an
cedented run of seventeen days from Kingston,
Jamaica. Her dates are, Colon, Nov. 16 ;Sin
Martha, 18 ; and Kingston, 24.
The Californian reports the arrival of the West
India and Pacific Steamship Company's vessels,
Hayti, at Kingston, on the 21st November, and
the Plantagenet, homeward bound, on the 24th ult.
The Kingston papers, in fact all the papers pub-
hshed in Jamaica, seem to be very quiet on the
late rebellion.
The following advertisement is published in the
Kingston Gleaner :

Nov. 13.
In order to afford oar employes an opportunity of
joining in the reception to be given to the Maroons to-day,
no paper will be Mined from our respective offices to-mor-
row (Tuaday).
The following proclamation was published on
the 3rd of November in the Kingston papers
It is hereby notified, by command of the Oaptain•Gene
rel and Governor-in-Chief, that martial law Will cease On
Monday, the 13th init., by the operation of the law under
which it was called into existence, in the county of Surrey.
(By command), EDWARD GORDON, Gov. Bee.
Governor Byre, it was understood, had accepted
the servioes of the volunteers under Captain Allen,
and, at the request of several captains, had also
consented to continue the services of the special
volunteers for a period longer, and in the mean- I
while to consider the proposal for their permanent
enrolment.
Her Majesty's ship Wolverine bad been ordered
to sail for the riarbadoes station. The Galatea was
trying to recover the engines of the Bull-dog off
Cape Hayti, and the Lily was missing.
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE MEASURES.
The papers contain the full texts of bills, autho-
rising the Governor to remove aliens and other
persons not being natural born subjects from the
island, for the regulation of places of worship, and
for the prevention of rebellious proceedings. The
clauses are very stringent, and the punishments
severe, and so far as the following extracts from
the Morning Journal of the 21st would lead us to
infer, they do not appear to give satisfaction even
to the white population. In a leading article the
Journal says
Let the constitution be amended by all means if it is per-
ceived that to its unsuitableness the rebellion in, in part, to
be attributed, but do not destroy the constitution alto-
gether ; do not, above all, deprive her Majesty's subjects
in this island of their freedom of speech and freedom of
religion,. It is absolutely necessary for the good of
society that there should be a strong government to deal
with that large clam in this country among whom the
late rebellion occurred, but the measures that are passing
the legislature seems to us to be aimed not, at the rebellions
but at the well-affected and loyal sections of the commit-

nit,.
The same paper says :—"The several noncon-
formist clergymen of this city held a meeting yes-
terday for the purpose of considering wh steps
should be taken against the passing of the bill to
regulate places of religious worship."
Mr. James Watson, the moderator of the Pres-
byterian Synod, in a letter to the Jamaica Guar-
dian, after asserting the loyalty of the dissenters
connected with the authorised churches of Great
Britain, says
A bill of pains and penalties haring express reference
to dissenters generally, and to all dissenters, has been
introduced, requiring them, at great expense of
stamp duties and registration fees, and under heavy
penalties of lines and imprisonment, to submit
heirto
the island secretary their claims to have registered t
places of worship, meeting-houses, and school-rooms of every
kind and description, those for Sunday-schools included,
and under one of the Claute4 confiscation of the chapel or
other buildings to the crown is named u the penalty for
using it without registratiou. Now who are the dissenters of
this island? Are they religionista, who deserve a treatment
so contemptuous, humiliating, and injurious? And who
are the members of the Church of England, Scotland, and
Rome, and what proportion do they form of the copula-
tion, that they should be exempted from the operation of
so monstrous • law? We would not speak invidiously, but,
being thus placed on our defence, we ask what in
these respects are their deserts from government as com-
pared with those of the dissenters? Let the conscience of
candid religious men answer this. This bill actually pro-
poses to raise a revenue by taxing with heavy stamp dents
every Dissenting place of worship in the island, big and
little, every school and Sunday school of Dissenters, while
those of the churches of England, Scotland, and Rome era
to go free ! The bulk of our population consists of Dis-
senters- Will such • bill make no unfavourable
impression? Is such a bill • safe and expedient
measure ? it is easy to disregard the public opinion
of England until it be expressed ; but often it has
been expressed, as it will be against the proposed bill, in
no measured tone ; the boldest will not be able to do it.
The causes of the late rebellion have not yet been fully
ascertained. We trust that no time will be lost, and that
the inquiry will be of the moat thorough and uncomprcr
mixing kind. We believe that the causes will be shown to
be of a different character from those that have been sup-
posed or assumed, and that it will be time enough to initiate
or pass measures aa subversive of religious liberty when the
wed necessity fur them has been established'
The Jamaica Guardian says :
It is anticipated that on the bill becoming law, should
it become so, the action will be unanimous throughout the
island, and every dissenting chapel and Sunday and day
school will be closed in obedience to it, and the whole re-
sponsibility will be thrown on the government, without
whose sanction the measure cannot become law—whilst
several of the most effective speakers from each denomina
tion will be prepared to proceed to England, and denounce
the interference with religious liberty throughout the
length and breadth of the land.
A bill to provide for the expenses of extinguish-
ing the rebellion had been discussed in the House
of Assembly, and agreed to, and ordered to be

engrossed.
A very stringent Alien Bill bad also occupied
the House of Assembly.
The Jamaica Guardian gives the following as ;
a draft of the proposed new constitution for the
island.
1. That there should be one chamber. 2. That such
chamber should be composed partly of the nominees of
1 the crown
quisualidfie for
qualificationc:funiptemiesbeirns
shouldecal
and partly of members elected. 3. That
tphme p
oe i
rte ro
oi oin. s 61
be rallied. 5. That the franchise should be raised.
6.
That
4.Thouladt Mite
it should be lawful for her Majesty to appoint two om
missioners from England to act in lieu of an executive
committee. 7. That no person, except one to be nominated
i
by the governor, should be nominated or elected who held
any office of emolument payable out of the public terse.
The Guardian rays these principles were even_
tually submitted to a large mumble of members
and acceded to. The government would introduce
amendments to their bill in order to carry out these
principles.