The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-13 00:00:00

The Insurrection in Jamaica.
DEPUTATION TO EARL RUSSELL.
Yesterday a deputation, appointed at the meeting
of the men of South Lambeth, held on the Ist inst.
at Lambeth Baths, awaited, by appointment, on
Earl Russell, at the official residence of the First
Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-street, to present
the memorial agreed to on that occasion. The de-
putation consisted of the Rev. Newman Hall, Rev.
V. J. Charlesworth, Rev. Isaac Doxey, Rev. J.
Harcourt, Messrs. G. Granville, G. Joy, G. Hill,
G. Pritchard, G. Thomeloe, T. Harvey, G. M.
Murphy, and W. West.
Deputations in reference to the same subject were
received at the same time from Brighton and the
London Missionary Society, the former consisting
of Professor Fawcett, M.P., Mr. White, M.P., Rev.

Paxton Hood, Rev. Vaughan Price, Mr. Unwin,
Mr. Marriage Wallis, Mr. Jenner, and Mr. Edmund
Fry ; and the latter of G. F. "White (chairman),
Dr. Tidman (secretary), Dr. Lockhart, Rev. J. G.
Rogers, Rev. A. M'Millan, Rev. R. Redpath, Rev.
T. Pearsall, Rev. C. Dukes, Rev. T. Kennedy,
Messrs. G. Morley, H. Wright, C. E. Mudia, H.
Rutt, and Mannering Eusebius Smith, Dr. Fergu-

son, &c.
The deputation having been introduced to his
lordship,
The Rev. PAXTON HOOD, of Brighton, read the
memorial from that borough.
Mr. FAWCETT, M.P., supported the prayer of the
memorial.
G. F. WHITE, Esq., chairman of the London
Missionary Society, pointed out the great blessings
that resulted from the labours of their missionaries

in Jamaica.
After the reading of the memorials,
Earl. RUSSELL said—l receive these memorials
which refer to a subject which has caused the Govern-
ment the deepest pain on very many accounts. It is
painful to think of the state of society in Jamaica.
Considering how long it is since the abolition of
slavery took place, it was to be hoped that the con-
dition of society there would have by this time
become of harmony and good feeling between
the different races, and it is deeply to be regretted
that it should still be one of so much ill-will,
complaint, and difficulty on the one side, and of
complaint, discontent, and dissipation on the other.
But what has occurred lately, I repeat, has affected
the Government with very great pain, and I cannot
wonder at the impression that has been made gene-
rally in the minds of the people of England, and
upon the meetings and bodies from whence these
memorials have emanated. It has been said, and
fairly said, that there is no wish to prejudge Gover-
nor Eyre. That is a proper and just feeling, and if
it be the general feeling of the public it is still more
the duty of Government not to prejudge Governor
Eyre. With that view it is necessary that we should
have an impartial inquiry, and that proper persons
should be selected to conduct it, which is a matter
of no small difficulty. It has been stated by several
gentlemen that in their opinion it is quite consistent
with not prejudging Governor Eyre that he should
not hold authority in Jamaica while the inquiry is
Pending. (Hear, hear.) I believe on his own part
that there is no wish to continue to hold that autho-
rity pending the inquiry, and it is perfectly con-
sistent with his not holding such authority that at
the end, if the circumstances appear to justify it,
he should go forth justified from that inquiry ; but
it is certainly not the intention of the Government
that during the continuance of the commission in
Jamaica, which may have much to inquire into,
many facts to elucidate, and much evidence to bring
forward, Governor Eyre should hold his authority.
Let me repeat again what has been said by several
gentlemen, that while I say this we do consider that
it is quite consistent with withholding our judgment
until we have the whole of the f acts before us. (Hear.)
Now, with regard to the rest, I should be very unwil-
ling to give an opinion at present on many of the cir-
cumstances—circumstances which have struck the
Government of the country, as you may be sure they
would do, very much as they have struck the sub-
jects of her Majesty in general—at the same
time, with regard to certain parts of the case to
which I will allude, there has been a misappre-
hension in the public mind as to, for instance, whe-
ther there was that great and general conspiracy
which Governor Eyre speaks of ; whether there were
facts to prove such conspiracy. Upon that question
I am not going to give any opinion ; but as to the
first outbreak, I must say that it is hardly of that
character which is described in one of these memo-
rials, in which it is inferred that a crowd, a peace-
able crowd, assembled in a yard near a court-house,
were fired upon by certain persons without any
provocation whatever. The official documents which
we have received, though wanting in many of the
facts and details, are sufficiently voluminous, and
were written, not by Governor Eyre, but by those
who furnished the account of what took place to
Governor Eyre, , as you will see the matter is made
sufficiently grave. The noble earl then read extracts
from the already published letters addressed to the
Governor by Captain Down and the officials in Ja-
maica, describing the outbreak and the state of the
island, the rescue of Bogle, the seizure of the police
sent to apprehend him, and the alternative given
them of joining the blacks against the whites or
death, the attack on the Court-house and the mur-
der of the custos and the other persons who at-
tempted to escape, and proceeded—All these tend to
show that it was not a peaceful crowd which the
volunteers fired into without provocation, as some
of the memorialists seem to infer. It might have
been like a mob here, where stones were thrown
and riot took place. It might have been unwise or
not to order the volunteers to fire, but that does not
appear. The whole matter, however, is one exceed-
ingly painful, and no wonder that the letters writ-
ten by some subalterns in a tone of unbecoming
levity in regard to these events have shocked the
good feeling of every one who has read them.
(Rear, hear.) But however much we may lament
what has taken place, we may at the same time
hope that—the state of society in Jamaica having
been so unsatisfactory for so many years, and so
many complaints having been constantly made, just
complaints, perhaps, and in other respects great
misunderstandings having existed—out of these
dreadful occurrences we shall find means to see our
way to new measures that shall make that island
less the scene of discontent and conflict, and sub-
stitute harmony and goodwill. In that case we may
yet anticipate good results even out of those dread
ful occurrences. The Government have every dis
position, both to act justly with regard to all whose
conduct might be inquired into, and also to look
into the whole state of the island ; and we hope
that, aided by the labourers of the various Christian
missions, the London Missionary Society, and others
who have for many years exerted themselves—l
am sure with a view to establishing Christianity and
humanity in the island—our efforts will be so far
crowned with success that we shall not witness such
lamentable results again.
The deputation then thanked his lordship for the
courtesy with which he had received them, and
retired.

ENGLAND AND AMERICA.—Our latest exchanges and
advices from the United States show that not only is there
uo danger of the disturbance of peace between that country
and Great Britain, but also that there is much cordial
feeling between the two Governments, which even the
Shenandoah question will not be allowed to destroy. This
influence, which has long been felt in business circles, is
extending even to newspapers. We trust that ere long
an entente cordiale, more powerful and lasting than "an
offensive and defensive alliance," will be fully established
between these two natural allies. -- Anglo American Times.
REDUCED TAXATION MOVEMENT IN AMERICA.
Senator Sherman, of Ohio, and a party of prominent offi-
cials, have recently visited the coal regioas of Pennsyl-
vania. During their stay they were serenaded, when
Senator Sherman spoke with reference to litigation in re-
lation to the industry of that district as follows :

"During the war Government was compelled to resort
to the utmost limit of taxation; but I am happy to say
that the business of Congress will be, after securing peace
upon the basis of universal liberty, to relieve ourselves
from taxation no longer necessary. In making this re-
duction we naturally look to those articles, the chief cost
of which is low labor. The foundation of wealth is and
should be as free from burdens as the air. The cheerful-
ness with which all classes and occupations bore taxes
during the war, makes it doubly the duty of Congress to
lessen and equalise the taxes now. I confidently antici-
pate that in a short time the duties on imported goods, a
moderate income tax, and taxes on luxuries, will enable
1 us honorably to perform all our obligations."