The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-11 00:00:00

EVENESG EDITION

JAMAICA.

, meeting of Noblemen, Gentlemen, Planters, and
ehants interesteXl in and connected with the colony of
i ' ,ica, took place yesterday at the Thatched House Ta-
St. ' , James's-street, for the purpose of considering
N steps it might be necessary to take in reference to the
Cid lately introduced into Parliament for the suspension
of the Constitution efJarnaica. Among those present we
observed Earl St. Vincent, the Earl of Harewood, Sir
Alex. Grant, Sir Wm. Dalling, Sir E. East, Mr. God-
son, M. P., and Mr. R. Bernal, M. P.
At half-past one o'clock, the Earl of Ileeewooh was
I Ailed to the Chair, aria read the advertisement calling
i ' e meeting.
i Mr. BURGE, agent for Jamaica, said it had appeared to
n after the proceedings in the the House of Commons on
S'endey night last, that the occasion presented itself, and
that it was exceedingly important that the great pro-
prietary interest of Jamaica should express to the people of
England, that the result of these proceedings had not,
LI the slightest degrM altered or diminished the anxiety
~ they bad at all times felt to promote that spirit of legislation
/ e ,he Colony of Jamaica, which was best calculated to
1 , mote the beneficial working of the great measure of
1 lancipation. That so far from that anxiety being di-
i _ nished it had rather been increased, because it was ob-
e•ous that these prooeedings might lead individuals to ex-
ercise various opinions upon the motives which influenced
1 them and the people of Jamaica. It was therefore of the
1 greatest importance that the great Proprietary of Jamaica
in that country should set themselves right with the public,
and set the public right with regard to them. It ap-
peered also important that they should avail themselves
of the present occasion, to convey to their fellow :colonists
irit impression which they had received from the recent
Iproceedings, and the reasonable expectations which they
formed that the House of Assembly and the people of
Jamaica would carry out that spirit which, on several cc-
easions, they had expressed their confident belief would be
niccessful in promoting that legislation. However painful
might be to the people of Jamaica to have their
conduct and motives misrepresented, yet it would be gra-
tifying to find themselves supported by their fellow colo-
Mats ig that country in the hour when their Constitution
was assailed. He was quite convinced that the present was
a period whet) their friendly communication and co-opera-
tion with them would be most gladly received. When
the expression of 'their opinions would produce the most
beneficial results upon their future conduct and proceedings.
—( Hear, hear.) He had found these sentiments partici-
pated in by a large body of Jamaica proprietors in
the country, and he alluded particularly to the Noble
Earl who now presided over them —( Hear.) He had seen
the resolutions• Which were about to be proposed, and he
fully concurred in them—they conveyed the sentiments
which he and his friends advocated to the people of Eng-
land And the people of Jamaica. They abstain from all
allusions to persons or ...LIU and he trusted they would
receive the unanimous apiMlleillkl of the present meeting; for
the more unanimous they were the more powerful the ex-
pression of their opinions would be.—(Hear.) On these
grounds he was gratified to find that the resolutions cau.
tic tidy abstained from calling in question the conduct of
the preceding Goverment, or any persons who had sup-
ported them, or inviting any species of discussion on the
character or motives of any party or persons—they had
solely for their object to enable the people of Jamaica to
stand well with the public, and to assure them that no per-
sons wore more anxious to work out the great measure of
emancipation. —( Hear. )
Earl ST. VINO NT expressed his entire concurrence in
the sentiments o(his Learned Friend, Mr. Burge. He
and every Gentleman present were, he was satisfied, most
anxious to carry out the Act of Emancipation to the very
letter. He had no desire to reflect upon the conduct or
motives of any party, because he believed that many well-
intentioned persons had been led awes, by rnisrepresenta-
tien. They had all the same object in view—namely, to
benefit the negroes, and assist them in making a proper use
of their newly acquired rights.—( Cheers.) The Noble
Earl then read the resolutions to the meeting.
Sir A. GRANT wished, before the resolutions were put
Iseriatim, totrnake a few observations. He objected not to
any part of the resolutions that had been read, but he
thought the proprietary of Jamaica had so frequently
1 Alined the object of the members of the Association to be
th..t the great measure of emancipation should be carried
out to its full extent, that he bad expected the present
meeting would have had to go a little further. He would
er,:irely deprecate making this a party question. The
acivertisement invited the members to meet in reference to
the late proceedings in Parliament • of course, therefore, he
concluded that they would be called upon to take areview of
tl.e late proceedings in Parliament, and in any resolutions to
, which they came they would in some way advert to them.
What was their position ? The Bill was introduced into Par-
'lament for the temporary suspension of the Constitution of
Jamaica. There were two meetings of the proprietary on
the subject. The result was that a petition to Parliament
AciS agreed to, and signed by 580 persons interested in
Jamaica, the prayer of which was supported by 291 members
of Parliament. The first object then he should have
thought would have been to have passed a vote of thanks
to that portion of the Ilouse of Commons, who, satisfied
with their reasoning, and listening to their prayer, had con-
summated their object. He thought that was due to them. He
felt at the same time that some persons might consider that
that would be identifying themselves with parties ; but that
eould not be a fair construction, because some who
supported - their views were directly opposed to the
politics of the Tories, and he really felt it was due
1 to the 291 that the thanks of the meeting should be
tzndered to them. The proprietary here had a
right also to express to the House of Assembly their
1 Gpt,.ion on the subject, and to call on the House of
I Asiembly to consider what they owed to those in this
' country, who bad supported them. The meetings of the
i
proprietary were confined to Members of the Association,
and it might be a long time before another meeting was
theld at which mortagees and others importantly interested
I'
in the island, as well as members, might be present; there-
' fore he deemed it the more desirable for the future admi-
nistration of the Colonies that a declaration should be
made on the part of the meeting going further than the re-
&solutions which bad been read embodied. He had sketched
...rout two or three resolutions, which he should have inclined
to think would have been such as the meeting would have
apprevecl of, arid which he should read, not for the purpose
of moving them as an amendment, or for the adoption of
the meeting, but merely that they might, as they probably
would, present some topics for some other gentleman
to suggest in the shape of resolutions. The effect
of the resolutions was, that the thanks of the meet-
ing were eminently due to Sir Robert Peel, and those
who had supported him—that the meeting enter-
tained the strongest hope that the House of Assem-
bly would duly appreciate the exertions that had
been made hero in their defence, and that that
House would avail itself of the opportunity now
reserved to it of resuming its legislative functions with a
spirit in accordance with the feelings of the British nation,
and its represeetatives in the Imperial Parliament, and
that the meeting felt confidence that the colonial policy of
th 2 new Government, while it protected the newly enfran-
chi,ed population -from encroachments on their rights
and lib,rtiee would not neglect the general interests of the
Isltaid or of the landholders.
Sir EDWARD H. EAST said his Hon. Friend opposite
had no doubt expressed the feelings of the great proportion.
of the proprietary on this subject, but his suggestions came
rather late. The object of the present meeting was to secure
as fir as was possible, the unanimous voice of the proprie-
tore in England, in the steady and sober carrying out of
the Emancipation Bill—( Cheers)—and to adopt such a
course as would carry with it a recommendation to the
same eft ct to the negro population in Jamaica,
le:ceuee the Bill would fail altogether if there
IV aS not to be fair labour for fair wages.---( Hear, hear.)
1 the question of the Bill in Parliament had been still
::ding he might have gone along with the observations
vc...leh had just been offered to the meeting, but that was
I: t the case. The Bill had been abandoned' notice of that
,ndonment had been given by those who had been its
supporters, and therefore they were now all of one mind.
t --(Cheers.) It had been a Meat political struggle ; no
iebt there had been some party feeling introduced into it;
the parties had notes as it were, shaken hands, and there
it in end to the contest. Theflsad tried the experiment,
); . .'eund there were so many Reform Members opposed
r to J, on principle as to induce them entirely to give up the.
test. Nobody had questioned that the operation of the
f tencipatien Bill should be carried fully into effect—every
i ;., .iy was of opinion that it should; therefore, all they had got
se do was to tie grateful to those who had been instru-
:Loma] in preserving the Constitution of Jamaica, and to
ioegratulate the House of Assembly, to congratulate them-
ielvcs, and to congratulate the country on the escape of that
, if use.
I Mr. BERNAL wished to know from Mr. Burge, under
s I.ese notice the resolutions which had been read to the
i . eting, had been—whether, regard being had to the
qternent contained in the first resolution, there would not
Ibe a danger of the Proprietary here having to throw the
House of Assembly overboard, provided that House, when
;' met in April, should bring forward a measure proposing
, raise the franchise.
Mr. BURGR said, that as far as he was able to judge, he
le:td no hesitation in saying that the resolution precisely
i xpressed the feelings of the people in Jamaica; and if
he had not thought so, he should not have so ex-
• pressed it at the Bar of the House of Commons.
1, They would now be able to meet as men emancipated in
1 Ithcir minds as well as in their bodies. _ _