The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-02 00:00:00

The papers relating to the Negro Population, receintly-
ptesented to Parliament, afford a striking illtistrAion
of the difference bAwcen passing an Act nf Parliament
and the practical working of its provisions. The frh;nds
of freedom rejoiced in the cltinction of slavery by the
Emancipation Act, but in oasaing that Act we created
a new world—a new people—at all events a new so-
ciety, requiring a degree of legislative exertion, rot to
be expected but from the most enlizbteßed pa-
triotism, indefatigably directed by earnest and lion,st
zeal, The accursed system of slavery, entwined as it
was with all the social institutions and relations cf our
West India colonies, sanctioned by the Legislature,
strengthened by the usages of daily life, end continued
by the natural distinctions of colour and race, had 10,:•come
a part of the substance of life itself, a thing whiali like
the presence of evil, for the moral world, seemed inse-
parable from existence. And )et, the ramnation of
the state of things was it:trusted to the Jamaica As-
sembly, to a !et of beings most deeply imbued with the
baneful influences to be removed. The proceedings of
the Assembly have dissipated the delusive hope which
the gene•rosity of the British people induced it to form
of the disinterestedness and Lenctv of that body.
They can no longer be entrusted with the awful duty
of fostering these influences by which, as well as by nacre
legislative enactment, the new society is to receive its
moral direction.

So vast a change as that by which the West Indian
Islands have been visited must be carefully watched
its progress, for the legislative powers of rthe Colonial
Government are still in the hands of the enemy of
emancipation, end unless the Parliament of England
shi,ll exhibit courage and energy in sustaining the law
which they have passed, their efforts in the eatse of
freedom will be defeated altogether. That the suspen-
sion of the Constitution of Jamaica, and the substitu-
tion of some temporary form of Government as pro-
posed by Lord John Russell, are bold and decisive
measures—not to be adopted without great caution
and upon satisfactory grounds—we are perfectly ready
to concede ; but if such caution be exercised, and such
grounds exist, then the friends of negro emancipation
cannot be too grateful to his Lordship for exhibiting in
the face of an insidious opposition a determination that
the Emancipation Act shall effect all that it was in-
tended to effect, and not become a fraud upon public
benevolence.

Considering the immensity of the change produced
by tilt.? Fosnancipation Act, and the thousand predictions of
fearful consequences so busily circulated by the West
Indian interest, the first question about which the friends
of emancipation would naturally feel anxious, would be
the negro's reception of freedom ; and the immediate ef-
fect upon his social and moral condition thereby produced.
On these points there is abundance of contradictory
evidence in the papers to which we referred at the be-
ginning of this article. We have the planters, the at-
torneys, and the managers of estates on one hand,
growling again in full chorus, and tolling as facts what
they told long ago as prophecies, their gloomy tales of
idleness and dissipation among the negroes—devasta-
tion and ruin among themselves. On the other hand,
we have the unprejudiced Report of the Special Ma-
gistrates, from which we confess that, notwithstanding a
few drawbacks, we are inclined to draw even more fa-
vourable conclusions than our most sanguine hopes had
pictured. The oft-repeated charges and complaints of
the parties interested in the continuance of slavery, and
the verification of their own predictions, we shall at
present leave unnoticed, and shall close our obserta-
dons with a few extracts from the papers before us,
having reference solely to the conduct and bearing of
the emancipated people of Jamaica. At the same time,
we would anxiously impress upon our readers the de-
sirableness of a reference to the documents themselves,
that they may see how nobly the Government exerted
itself to carry the Emancipation Act into effect, and
how ably and earnestly their endeavours have been se-
conded by the Governor of Jamaien.

In a dispatch addressed to Lord Glenelg, on the 27th
July, 1838, the Governor says :
I returned to Kingston on the 24th Lg., having visited
the precinct of St. Thomas in the East, the parishes 011)
Portland, Sr. George's, St. Mary's, St. Ana's, Tre-
lawney, St. James's, Hanover, Westmoreland, and St.
Elizabeth's ; and on the 25th inst. I visited the inland
parishes of St. Andrew's and Port Royal Mountains.
In all these parishes, I can assure your Lordship, I
found the negro population well prepared for freedom, and
nothing could exceed the enthasiasm ssith which they
everywhere received tno, and their loyalty and gratitude to
the Queen's Government. I addressed them in every pa.
nisi', and generally in the terms of advice contained in the
Proclamation, which produced the good et-Feet of removing
from their minds many doubts ou their future rights and
interests.

They all expressed a determination to work, sad scorned
to understand well the consequences of idleness.
The negrots are well advised of the value of their labour
and I am satisfied that they will not be imputed upon by
employers, or be unreasonable in their own demands for
wages.
Your Lordship is too well acquainted with the character
of the numerous small planters in this island, to form the
conclusion, that we shall get over this change of oondition
among the labourers without some attempts of petty op-
pressions, incredible as such an evil course would seem,
with reference to mutual interests. These small owners
and overeeers when not properly controlled, arc giving the
labourers notices to quit the properties, and arc creating a
great deal of discontent and uneasiness, knowing their
attichment to their houses; this has generally been done
with the hope of reducing the value of labour, but I do
not think it will be camud to any great extent, or that the
experiment will be long persevered in.
I hope yet to be able to visit all the remaining parishes
before the Ist of August, but some arc so inaccessible from
bad roads, I may not be able to accomplish it through all ;
and from what I have already seen, there is not the smallest
cause for uneasiness as to the conduct of the free labourers
throughout the island;
they will be peaceable and indes-
trious where they have common encouragement and fair
treatment.

Such was the result of the Governor's personal ob-
servations a few days before the Colonial Act of final
emancipation came into operation. Our remaining ex-
tracts refer to a subsequent period, and are taken froth
the Reports of the Special Magistrates. It will be
seen that where there is an excoption to the favourable
result of the recent changes, the fault generally lies no t
with the labourers, but with their employers. Air,
Daly (Feb. 15,1839) says-
0f the orderly conduct of the peasantry I am enabled to
bear the most ample testimony, and, indeed, in the good
report of the industry of the labourers I ant borne out by
the current opinions of some gentlemen of considerable ex,.
perience, from whose names I quote with pleasure that of
Mr. Joseph Gordon and Mr. James Cockburn, the former
admitting himself perfectly sati,fied with the work on hie
estates, and the latter quite pleased with the great im-
provement in the conduct of his peasanty; and with a little
patience I am confident that all will speak in terms of sa-
tisfaction ; but the truth is, the persons who have hitherto
commanded the services of the people feel maw ilifficelty
in treating them now upon the general terms of free
people at liberty to bargain with their employer without
control on matters connected with their intercom. 1 hese
feelings will, I trust, soon subside, and a general confidence
will, I am sure, then be restored.

Mr. Finlayson and Mr. Facey (Jan., LAM) say—
On some estates much discontesit and ill-feeling kayo
been excited by serving the labourers with notices to quit,
by ejecting them from their houses, and by the wanton
destruction of their provision grounds. This has been,
particularly the case at Springaiount, Palmyra, Portobello,
Ironsliore, Spring, Tyrall, Worcester, Kirkpatrick flail
and Fairfield.

Upon a nntniDer of properties in the garish there
will probably be a falling off in the quantity of sugar,
from the delay and neglect of cultivation alroutly alladed
to. But upon estates where the managers have been tair
and liberal, such ai 13;uchole, Spring Garden, and others,
an increase is expected.
The people have been orderly and peaceable in thrtr
conduct.

Mr. Walsh (12th Feb., 1839) says—
In every instance in which they have been- mot with a
disposition to dishonesty, severity, and rudeness on the pert
of the owners and overseers, a most lattiontable falling off
to such people's success has been the result ; while some
management has gliaktd into a healthy and free condition ;
otlicr6 again, from extortion, ignorance, obstinate and N.,-
bellious principles, have already ruined the estates ear.
trusted to their care by the unlucky alneutee proprietor
and mortgagee.
I say unlucky in their representatives only. V tiro
proprietors, &c., will apply x quick rinnedy, the it,jured
estates will, and must, from the disposition of the people,
regain their stand in the market;
this can only be done by
a conciliating method in business, honesty in purpose, and
a self.interest for the owner of the sail.
The following letter from the Rev. S. It Stewart to
Mr. Grant, one of the Special Magistrates, will be read
with great interest :