The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-09 00:00:00

COLONIAL.

TRINIDAD.—A meeting of persons interested in the rum
trade was held on the 21st of Aug., to take steps in op-
position to the rum ordinance at present before the Board of
Council. The following resolutions were imbed :
I. That the ordinance now before the council of government, for
imposing • duty of one shilling sterling per gallon on all rum distilled
fur consumption in the island la objectonable in principle and difficult
of execution ; and that, if passed into law, distillation will thenceforth
came in Trinidad, or be materially diminished, and the planter
be thus deprived of • large portion of his annual revenue.
2. That any duty imposed on rum directly or indirectly payable by
the,planter in the flint irstanoc is impolitic, and that this duty as im-
posed by the enactments of the ordinance now before the council, will
act as a bounty to the smuggler. 3. That the moat ligitimate and
least expensive mode of raising a duty on rum will be by In-
creasing the amount payable for spirit licenses, and affording
to the licensed retailer that protection which he in vain attempts
to obtain under the existing defective state of the law. 4. That the
proposed tariff of import duties will yield an amount of revenue at
least equal to that at present collected, and that the said tariff is yet
capable of such modification as will further augment the resources of
government without Inconvenience to the trading community.
The remaining resolutions were for the formation of a
committee to frame a memorial to the governor, and for a
standing committee, to watch over the further progress of the
rum ordinance, and if it be peraisted in to correspond with
the rural districts, for the purpose of framing and obtaining
signatures to a memorial to the home government, praying
for its diullowanee.
Sr. Ltcta, SEPT. 4.—The island has been deluged with
rain during the last month ; and yet the temperature has been
at times intolerably close and sultry. There has been no
wind of consequence for the time of the year ; but several
shocks of earthquake have been experienced, of which the
smartest occurred at about a quarter to 4 p.m., on the lit
inst. The plantations must have derived great benefit from
the showers that have fallen. The last packet brought out the
commands of her Majesty that Mr. Atthill, suspended about
five months ago for his libellous writings in the Indepen-
dent Press, be restored to his office of attorney-general.
Upon this subject the St. Lucia Palladium uys :—" On
the part of the inhabitants of St. Lucia, as well as in the in-
terest of that public justice which it is the attorney-general's
peculiar vacation to maintain with independence and firm-
ness, we must pronounce Mr. Atthill in every sense of the
word disqualified for future usefulness in this island ; and
we should be glad, indeed, to hear of his removal or promo-
tion to some other colony.
Sr. VINCINT.—TIIO St. Lucia Independent Preis, 1* its
intelligence from this colony, rays: 'lt appears that some
parties have been tampering with the Portugneae immigrants,
in order to prevail on them te go to St. Kitt's, where they
were told they will get more money—a most irresiatible
temptaton to these avaricious people. In consequence of
this the lieutenant-governor has issued an address to the
Portuguese immigrants. We apprehend that, so far from its
having the desired effect of keeping the immigrants in the
island, it will increase their desire to leave.
DOMINICA.—The Dominican informs us that the editor of
the Colonist (Mr. R. S. Bengtson) was sentenced by the
Chief Justice, for a contempt of court, to pay a fine of 1001.
eterling, with full costs, and to be imprisoned for six calendar
moats. The name of the defendant was also, at the judge's
direction, struck out of the jury lid.
Dear Laza DUELLING. —A duel took place outside George
Town, on Sept. 29th, between the Hon. John Croal, mem-
ber of the Court of Policy, and Dr. Daniel Blair, Surgeon-
General of British Guiana. The seconds were the Hon.
Peter Rare, leading member of the Court of Policy, and
Dr. Mengel,. The Record, Demerara paper, thus speaks of
the duel, using at the same time expressions of the strongest
disapproval :—" Twice they shot at each other, and twice
they failed to kill each other. Mr. John Croal, not satis-
fied that his antagonist should live, demanded another shot,
which Dr. Bankhead most peremptorily Interposed to prevent,
at the same time offming himself to be shot at, and to shoot,
if Mr. Creel choose, as having himself been the author of
the letter which occasioned the quarrel."