The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-16 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen was graciously pleased yesterday to knight and
. invest John M‘Neill, Esq., her Majesty's Minister Plenipo-
tentiary to the Shah of Persia with the insignia of a Knight
Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the
Bath. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.8., her Majesty's principal
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Sir William Woods,
Deputy Reg`•strar, and Secretary of the Order of the Bath, and
Mr. Martins, Gentleman Usher, hearing the Sword of State,
assisted at the ceremony. Mr. M‘Neill was knighted by the
Queen with the Sword of State.
The Court was attended by Viscount Torrington, Lord in
Waiting; Lord Hill, G.C.8., Gold Stick in Waiting; Hon.
Major Keppel, Groom in Waiting ; and Colonel Buckley,
E.,uerry in Waiting.
The Investiture took place in the Royal Closet.
Her Majesty rode out on horseback yesterday, attendel by
the Hon. Miss Murray, Baroness Lehzen, Miss Quentin, Vis-
count Torriegton, Colonel Buckley, Earl of Uxbridge, Lord
Alfred Paget, and Sir George Quentin.
The Earl of Albemarle and Viscount Melbourne had audiences
yesterday of her Majesty at Buckingham Palace.
The Royal Dinner Party in the evening included Viscount
Melbourne, Viscount Falkland, Lord Byron, and Mr. Di by.
The Duchess of Kent visited the Princess Augusta yesterday
at Clarence House, St. James's.
A Deputation respecting St. Lucia, consisting of Mr. Mar-
ryatt, Mr. Russell Ellice, Mr. W. Borradaile, Mr. Hyde, Mr.
Cavan, and Sir George Stephen, had an interview with the
Marquis of Normanby yesterday at the Colonial-office.
The Russian and French Ambassadors transacted business
yesterday at the Foreign Office.
A deputation from the Van Diemen's Land Company, con-
sisting of Mr. Cripps, M. P., Governor ; Mr. Burnie, Deputy
Governor; Messrs. Cattley, Rougemont, Fletcher, Pearse,
and Mr. Samuel Ewen, the Secretary, had an interview with
the Marquis of Normanby at the Colonial-office yesterday.
Despatches from Sir George Arthur, Lieutenant-Governor
of Upper Canada, were rece►ved yesterday at the Colonial-
office.
The Bishop of Nova Scotia, Captain Norman Campbell, and
Mr. Irvine, had interviews with the Marquis of Normanby
yesterday.

On Friday a large meeting of the proprietors of
estates in Jamaica, and others interested in the Island,
was held in the great room of the Thatched House
Taven. At half-past two o'clock the Chair was taken
by S:r Wm. Wiling in the absence of the Earl of St.
Vincent, who was unavoidably detaned in the country.
The advertisement calling the meeting, and the reso-
lutions which were passed at the last meeting having
been read,

Mr. Btract said, in consequence of the resolutions
which they bad just heard read, the deputation bad
waited, by appointment, upon Lord Melbourne, and at
the same fme they met Lord Normanby. He (Mr. B.)
had heed requested to lay the statements of the pro-
prietors of Jamaica before the Noble Lords, and, in
consequence, stated that the resolutions he had the
honour to lay before them, emanating from a
very large meeting, prove d that the large
majority of the proprietors were convinced that the
proposed Bid of the Government for suspending the
functions of the Assembly of Jamaica, were not only
unconstitutional, but would materially affect their own
interests, as well as those of the whole popula-

;ion of the Island. Lord----N
e;Manby reminded them
hat there were some of the Proprietors in
Parour of the measure, and that a deputa-
tion had w aited upon him on the same day they held

,heir meeting, also i❑ favour_of the measure.

He(Alr

B.) said he was aware that seven hands had been held

up aga.mst the resolutions at the meeting, end as it was
a free y called meeting of the Proprietors and others in-
terested in Jamaica, he had a right to suppose that that
was the utmost number of Proprietors who were in fa-

your of the measure of the Government. As to the

deputation alluded to, he had made inquiry and found
that they were from the merchants of London, but they
could speak only their own sentiments, for that body had
passed no resolution giving them power to speak for the
body—they were merely a deputation to consult with
and see what the intended measure was. The result of
the conference with the two Noble Lords was, that the
Government refused to recede from their position—
they determined to proceed with it on .the day
named, but it was postponed till after Easter,
because there was no House on the original
day.—(Hear.) It was introduced on Tuesday last,
and had been delivered in a printed shape that morning.
He had no doubt that all present had already seen the
Bill, and the discussion tbat took place upon its intro-
duction. In that discussion it was admitted on both
sides of the House that the Constitution of Jamaica
was upwards of 200 years old, and was based upon the
principles of the English ConstitutiOn. In calling for
the suspension of such a Constitution, even for an hour,
they were bound to show that the Assembly, whose pri-
vileges ware to be abolished, had been guilty of some
great mistake, nay of some very great crime.—( Hear.)
One circumstance attending the condut of the Govern-
ment was, in his opinion, the most tyrannical which had
ever been seen in this country. It was a measure of the
most striking injustice, and none which had ever fallen
under his notice contained such a total direleetion of
sound principle as the measure introduced the other
night. In order to justify the introduction of the Bill
it was said the Assembly had abandoned their func-
tions. This was not true ; havitrg a Constitution, and
that Constitution having been invaded by an
Act unnecessarily and hastily introduced to the
Imperial Parliament, they took a constitutional
means of seeking for redress—they appealed to
her Majesty against the invasion made by the
Government upon their privileges. Was that an aban-
donment of their functions by the Assembly. Then
came another ground ; some said that the Legislature of
Jamaica would not in future legislate in a spirit of fair-
ness towards the black population, or fairly carry out
the abolition of the Apprenticeship system—that was
stated by Lord John Russell. Now what authority had
the Noble Lord for making a statement of such a kind,
how could lie be aware of in what manner the Legisla-
ture of Jamaica-would act in future? Did the Noble
Lord think that the Island of Jamaica did not contain
men of sound sense enough, and of integrity enough to
legislate for those to whom they had given freedom.
This language came with a bad grace from those who
had driven Canada into rebellion. But Jamaica was
not in the same situation with Canada. For five years
the Canadians had totally refused to raise any supplies

—the House of Assembly had never done so. The
Canadians followed their refusal by open rebel-
lion, but still the Government put the abolition of the
Constitution upon the ground that those who
constituted the. Assembly, were the actual promoters
of the rebellion. The 13111 was said to be necessary,
because the House of Assembly had refused to legislate
at all. Now the fact was, that the House had not met
since the apprenticeship had been abolished. This Bill
was, as usual with all aggresive' measures, not intro-
duced with its spice, and in that instance it was in the
shape of three salaried Commissioners, who were to
form part of the Government. No Minister, however
regardless of the principles upon which he entered into
the Government, would dare to proceed with such a
Bill, unless he was supported by the proprietors con-
nected with the island ; and that meeting would put an
end to the insinuation that the measure had been coun-
celled, and was the work of the proprietors. - The reso-
lutions passed at the last meeting, had received
the support of Sir Edward Hyde East, of Sir
George Rose, and Sir Alexander Chrichton—all
men of the highest attainments, and who were
quite prepared to go along with the meeting in any
lawful opposition to such a gross and unnecessary viola-
tion of the Constitution of Jamaica.—(Applause.) The
country here were not at all aware of the circumstances
attending the introduction of the Prison Bill. The
whole policy of the Government , was calculated to in-
duce a belief in the minds cf the people of England and
of Jamaica that the House of Assembly was deserving
of nothing but distru,t. What did they do with respect
to the Prison Bill ? It might be supposed from the
language which had been held in print, that there had
been no prisons in Jamaica, and that it was a life and
death affair to pass the Act of the 16th of July of last
year. At that time there existed an Act, which was
passed in 1834 on the recommendation of Lord Sligo,
who said it was most beneficial in its arrangements for
the regulation of the prisons. The rules and regula-
tions passed in 1838 were a verbatim transcript
of those of 1834—(Cries of " Hear, hear")—and the
only variation consisted in this, that whereas
under the one the rooms were to be white-
washed once in six months, under the other they
were to be whitewashed once in fire months.—(Hear.)
And yet this was the urgency which led to the Bill being
introduced by Lord Glenelg on the 16th July, and
which was hurried through both Houses of Parliament,
when it was known that, if this Bill passed, the collision
would arise which had now actually takeni place.—
(Hear.)hf
The Government bad
rendered
intoit
impossibletie mut
too
its Governor language which
continue the system of apprenticeship ; and he virtually
h telling the
abolished it when he made a
Assembly that he bad no hesitationspeec in saying Jamaica
it. was
physically impossible for the system longer to continue.
If the present Bill lied not been made a pretext for doing
what had been done, the Governor would have been
instructed to soothe the feelings of the Assembly, but
up to this time the Assembly' remained in perfect
ignorance-of the reception which her Majesty bad given
to the appeal which the Assembly had made against the
oppressive conduct of her Mjesty's Ministers.—(Hear,
hear.) Now, with respect to the Government of Ja-
maica, the functions of Government were to be vested
in the Governor, 12 Councillors, and 3 Commissioners ;
but they were all liable to be dismissed by the Gover-
nor, and therefore this was nothing but a pure and
solute • despotism.—(Hear, hear.) What came next?
Why, the revenue. The people of England did not pay
for promoting the agriculture of Jamaica, as for the
North American colonies. The whole civil government
of Jamaica was borne by Jamaica, and with the excep-
tion of the Bishop's salary, and that of the Deacon, and
an inconsiderable sum for stipendiary curates, the whole
ecclesiastical establishment of Jamaica was defrayed by
the colony. The whole of the expense of the judicial
government was defrayed in the same manner. It was
true that the garrison was provided by the Government,
but the expense of fortifications, &c,, n
fell upon the colony.
A revenue allparoadefile
iin nearly
g militia,
500,0001. bad to be provided
by the taxes, exclusive of
the parochial assessments, w 1 telt must be defrayed by
each' parish. Now here was a very large revenue to be
raised by these Commissioners, and to be disposed of by
them ; and it should also be recollected that the Com-
missioners would have to raise their own salaries in this
manner, and therefore it could not be supposed they
would be over-scrupulous ; and the proprietors would
have to pay for the whole of this despotic system of
Government.—(Hear.) But there was another still
more' important question, which would result from this
change in the Constitution of Jamaica. It had been said
that the bulk of the population were favourable to the
change in the Government, but whoever read the
Baptist addresses would not scruple to affirm that they
were all the language of Knapp,—(Hear, hear.) Some
people seemed to imagine that the Baptist missionaries
had no earthly object but the protection of the negro
population ; but the meeting would allow him to call
their attention to a letter addressed to Mr. Sturge,
signed John Clarke, which appeared in the Patriot of
the Bth April. The writer stated that the present
was the greatest opportunity ever offered for carrying
out the voluntary principle—(Laughter)—and he be-
lieved that Jamaica would, before loni, be one of the
freest and most prosperous countries in the world—the
people would possess the elective franchise—they would
be able to return a majority of the Assembly, and then