The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-02 00:00:00

who could have a right to vote might be counted within
the walls of their Lordships' House. But it ought to
be recollected when this cry was raised, that in 1836
the House of Assembly passed an Act to raise the fran-
chise to 101. a year, for the express purpose of limiting
the number of voters, and another Act was
passed last year, which raised that which was
101. to 151. With reference to the expired
leases as to its not being necessary for their Lord-
ships to interfere in that respect, as no doubt the
Governor would renew such laws as . were necessary,
he did not feel it incumbent on him to prove that all
the expired laws were necessary. But there were the
appropriation laws—there were the rules and regulat ions
of war lawsewhich nobody could dispute to be neces-
sary for such a Colony, and that the Governor
Should not be left without the power both of raising a
militia and of forming that militia with all the necessary
regulations of war. Then again there was no provi-
sions for the Police. Sir Lionel Smith had re-
presented that the earnest desire of the missionaries
was to press on the negroes the necessity of oh-
se.ving the laws ; and indeed, he had said that
up to that time the missionaries had stood in
the place of the police—a fact highly credit-
able to both parties ; but that was not the state in
which a newly enfranchised colony should be left.
Then the additional pay for the officers ought to be pro-
vided for ; and there was the necessary provision as to
the Insolvent Debtors' Court. Upon the whole, as to
this part of the subject, he considered it sufficient for
him to prove, that some of' the laws which had expired,
were of the utmost importance to the well-being and
tranquillity of the country. To return again to this
bring a law to oppress the negro for the benefit of the
planter, he bad this day heard that the negro had
received the announcement of the former Act with
the most grateful expectation of permanent pro-
tection from an efficient source ; and if their Lord-
ships should reject this Bill, he would entreat
them to take care to qualify the disappointment
that must arise from that rejection, by an assurance
that they had provided a remedy for their grievances
which should not be lung delayed. The enthusiasm
with which the former Act was received by the negro,
was r: sufficient refutation of the charge that his interest
had never been thought of in that Act. After the
passing of the Emancipation Act in 1833, the Noble
Marquis had spent some weeks in travelling into every
corner of the island, explaining that Act, and pointing
out the necessity of patience until the period for their
being emancipated arrived. From the state of his
health, he was unable to remain in that country to see
the effect, but he bad been informed that from that time
to the Ist of August last, the slaves had never worked
better or more willingly than they had done in that in-
terval. Their Lordships had heard a great deal of' the Ja-
maica interests being opposed to this Act. There had
so doubt been meetings held of persons of great re-
spectability, and having a great interest in the colony,
but then their Lordships ought to give credit to the
feelings and views also of those who were locally ac-
quainted with the colonyi who had interests there, and
ago knew the working of the various measures in Ja-
maica. The House of Assembly was of such a cha-
racter that the respectable proprietors there had de-
clined to be Members of it. He knew that the most
influential attorneys of the island had refused to become
Members of it. His Noble Friend, whom he did.not
4ee in his place (the Marquis of Sligo),. and who had
Acted so creditably to himself as an Eeelisla landlord—
Hear, hear)----as lie had done, had a very considerable
stake there, and he was highly in favour of this measure.
thought it a misfortune that some of the Noble Lords
1,11)e pote having themselves many large concerns here, and
sufficient usefully to occupy their time, should have
lent such a ready ear to certain statements they had
heard, as to have induced them to be unfavourable to
this Act, because he was sure they would find they had
been deceived, and that it would not be for the per-
manent interest of the colony that these matters should
be left exclusively to the House of Assembly, He did
trust that this subject would be approached without
party feelings, In former attempts to provide a re-
medy for the evils and difficulties that had not been the
case. He himself knew those who were favourable to
the measure, but who were deterred, from party feelings,
from giving their support to it. He trusted if they
were to have a party fight, another field would be
chosen for it than that of trampling upon the rational
ground of humanity. Their Lordships would re-
collect that it was they themselves who had
called on the House of Commons to interpose in the
cause of humanity for Jamaica, and now that the
House of Commons called upon them to assist them in
carrying out their measures he hoped there would be no
refusal. If the British Parliament enacted emancipa-
tion, it belonged to the British Parliament to ensure
that enactment's Success, and unless they provided for
that he would not advert to the costs that had been
sacrificed with a view to obtain it, but he would refer to
the benefits that might be conferred by the opportuni-
ties their Lordships now had, and the loss of the advan-
tages of oneof the J 1014084 40. i in: the cause of huma-
nity that any Legislature could ever have enacted for
humanity. The Noble Marquis in sitting down moved
thesecond reading.
Earl HAREWOOD was sorry to hear the Noble
Marquis speak as he had done, considering the difficelt
political position in which that island was now placed.
Not contenting himself with speakirg of the Imperial
Parliament acting over the House of Assembly, a pro-
position
which he (Lord Harewood) would not, of
course, contradict, the Noble Marquis spoke of the
Imperial Parliament acting in hostility to the local legis-
lature.. It was also most unwise in the, Noble Marquis
talking of the imformation which influenced him, and
which he had received from private sources. He (Earl
Harewood) begged it to be understood that neither he,
nor any one e'se connected with the West Indies, was
not dispOsed to question the paramount authority
of the Imperial Parliament over the House of As-
sembly, .but be thought that Parliament should use
the greatest caution in the exertion of that para-
mount influences They should consider the island
of Jamaica as having an independent legislature and a
Constitution of its own, and they ought not to attempt
to interfere with it unless they could point to an emer-
gency so great as to justify them. Now the point upon
which the present proceeding turned was the Prisons Act
—but that was -not all. The Prisons Act was but the
crisis which brought out an extensive feeling upon seve-
ral questions. There had been a great deal of irrita-
tion in the island on account of the treatment they had
received—for the greatest inattention had been
shown
by the legislature at home to the representatives of
the colonists—every information was withheld from
them about the bringing forward and the passing
of the Prisons Bil.. Even in London nothing was heard
by the agent fur Jamaica, who was the only representa-
tive that island had here, until the Bill had passed through
several stages. The first information the. Assemby
had of it was seeing the Act stuck upon the door of
their own House.—(Hear, hear.) Now he would as-
sert that was not a way to treat any person.—(Hear,
hear.) Respecting the legislature of Jamaica, the
Noble Marquis said that complaints of the state of tile
prisons in Jamaica were made in the year 1832, but be
omitted to state that in 1834 the Governor corepli-
mented the Assembly on their irrnasures regarding pri-
sons—( Beer, hear)—and in fact the present Pt icons
Rill was copied verbatim from the Bill of the House of
Assembly. When Mr. Pringle was sent out as a Corn
riussioner to inquire into the state of the prisons, the
House of Assembly promised to act upon the sugges-
tions of his Report as soon as they should see it.
Even then they had a Bill fOr the better regulation
of the prisons in preparation, of Mr. Jordan, a
Member of the Assembly, and it was then
expected that it would be really read next session.
But Mr. Pringle made his Report here, and the Bill was
sent out without any consultation on the part of the
Government with those were principally concerned.
Put the question how the Noble Marquis might, the
effect of this measure would be, as no doubt the inten-
tion of-it was, to supersede the House of Assembly ;
and if they meant so, let them say so at once, instead
of making an instrument of the Governor of Jamaica to
come into collission with the Assembly.—(Hear, hear.)
He (Earl Harewood) had no doubt the object of the
Government was to put an end to the Assembly
—( Hear, hear.) But if the Imperial Parliament wished
to exert its paramount influence over the Assembly,
why did it not do so on the occasion of the passing of
the Emancipation Aet, which being a great national
question it might have interfered with propriety ?
( Heer, hear.) But in this question, which was at
first submittted to the Assembly, the Imperial-' Parlia-
ment could not properly interfere. Here he (Earl H.)
desired to state that so far from being an enemy to the
popular party, as it was called in Jamaica, he was a
hiend to it, and was therefore anxious to preserve to it
its franchise.. 1-1
—0 was sorry to perceive that inten-
tional injustice was done to the people of Jamaica. The
reports from the stipeadary
magistrates were like those
from another
place, all on one side.—(Hear, hear.)
1
The Noble Earl then, in a tone which conveyed but
a few words occasionally to the gallery, adverted to the
seventeen Acts already mentioned in this discussion,
seven of which being money
Acts, this measure could
not interfere with them. He also adverted to the Po-
lice Act. The House of Assembly might have acted
with improper baste. Possibly
the Imperial Parliament
have also acted in like manner. If that were the fact,
I,t them now acknoWledge
their error, and . a
few words of conciliation and kindness would have
the effect of inducing the Members of the
Assembly to come forward in the most friendly
manner, and of resuming their functions. He would
remind their Lordships that the House of Assembly
had been prorogued from the, 3d of February until the
present time, and that it had not been since tried whe-
ther they would go on
or not. Let an opportunity be
now giver; them, that it might be Seen what they would
do. He (Earl FL) should vote against the second
reedit).'
of the Bill unless the second clause were so
modified as to introduce that conciliatory spirit which
he desired to see established between the Government
and the Imperial Parliament, the House of Assembly
and the people of Jamaica.-_( Hear, hear.)
The Marquis of NORMA N B ' said in explanation
that he had only received his information tlisor,l! the 1
ordinary soigCq.