The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-08 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA MAIL

, SOITTIIADIPTON, DEC. 7. —The Forth, Royal Mail
, Company's steam-ship, Captain Chapman, arrived yes-
terday afternoon at Southampton from the West Indies
and Mexico. She experienced boisterous weather from
Bermuda, and is, consequently, somewhat late in her
arrival.
Her latest dates are Tampico, 25th October; Vera
Cruz, Ist November ; Havannah, 10th November ;
Nassau, 13th November ; Honduras, 20th October;
Jamaica, Bth November; Chagres, 26th October; Car-
thagena, 28th October; Demerara, 3d November; Tri-
nidad, sth November ; Barbadoes, Bth November ;
Grenada, 10th November; St. Thomas, 15th November;
and Bermuda, 21st November.
The freight of the Forth consists of, in dollars,
125,810; gold dust, silver in bars, and doubloons,
182,509; a quantity of gold, weighing 3,1640 z.; silver
weighing 1081bs. 90z.; 6214 17s. 4d. in British coin, ono
box of pearls, two packages of platina, one seron of
bark, 66 packages of sundries, and general cargo, con-
sisting of 79 cases of cigars, 5 bales of bast.
The Forth has brought home about fifty passengers,
amongst whom are Captain Bailey, R.N., Lieutenants
Joyce, Allan, Hunt, and Pattison, 2d West India Regi-
ment, Captain Johnson, Captain Baillie, R.N., Mr. New-
man, Mr. Donovan, Dr. Cumming, &c.
STATIONS OF ILEA MAJESTY'S SIIIPB.—Vera Cruz.

her Majesty's ship Persian ; at Bermuda, her Majesty's
ship Vindictive ; the Endymion at Barbadoes ; the
steamer Vixen had arrived at Bermuda ; the Vesuvius
nas ordered down to Barbadoes, and the Trincomalee
had sailed there to relieve the Endymion, ordered home.
The Jamaica papers are chiefly occupied with accounts
of meetings, held at different places, for the purpose of
presenting petitions to the British Parliament on the
sugar and free-trade questions.
At a meeting held at St. John's, on the 30th Oct., it
was resolved unanimously :
" That this meeting view with very great alarm the
present state of the West India colonies, and the conse-
quences that may be expected to follow, produced by the
late measures of the British Parliament sanctioning the
admission of foreign slave-grown produce into the
British market upon such terms as must exclude the
produce of the free British colonies.
" That the great influx of foreign slave-grown pro-
duce since the adoption of the aforesaid measures has
already had the effect of reducing the price of free-grown
sugar, and other colonial produce in the same proportion,
to an amount that leaves a heavy loss to the grower
thereof.
"That in addition to the population of these colonies,
whether by importation or natural increase, though it
may in time cheapen labour, is yet too slow a process to
give a hope of competing with foreign slavery, and
therefore cannot afford that relief which, under existing
circumstances, is so immediately required.
" That if the present state of things be not imme-
diately amended the total ruin of this island must ensue.
"That if colonial produce be admitted ir.to the British
market free of duty, or if slavery be totally abolished,
and if the navigation-laws be repealed or modified,
these colonies will be retained as useful and beneficial
appendages to the British Crown, instead of becoming
uncultivated wastes, which nothing but the adoption of
one or other of the foregoing suggestions can now avert.
"That petitions for relief, accompanied by copies of
these resolutions, be forwarded to her Majesty the Queen
and the two Houses of Parliament."
Meetings of a similar nature have been held at
Black Rivet, St. Elizabeth, at Clarendon, and other
principal points, at which resolutions were passed to
petition Parliament to take the present state of the West
India colonies into serious consideration.
The following are the resolutions adopted at Cla-
rendon
" Resolved, that the present depressed state of the
agricultural interests in the West Indies is the result of
the low prices of produce in the markets of Europe, and
that no effort we can make can have any adequate
influence in relieving us from the effects of that de-
pression.

" That if this depreciation continue, not only will all
attempts at improvement be baffled, but the staples of
the country must be driven out of cultivation.
" That we have no desire to evade the responsibility
of increased and better-regulated exertions on our own
parts, if our energies be not paralyzed.
" That however. seeing the present consequences of
these and other recent events as regards our condition,
we earnestly and solemnly appeal to the British nation
and the Imperial Parliament, so to modify and arrange
the application of the principles now in action in the
mother country in reference to our circumstances as
colonists, that we may be enabled to continue the pro-
duction of the articles on which our existence depends,
with a reasonable remuneration for the outlay of capital,
and the expenditure of labour.
" That in the spirit of humble but strenuous remon-
strance against either the neglect or disregard of our
present condition. we submit that the admission of our
products, sugar, coffee, and other articles, the principle
establishect by the repeal of corn restriction, namely,
duty free, rum relieved of the present differential duty,
the encouragement of free and extended immigration,
the alteration of the navigation-laws, and the enforce-
ment of the treaties with foreign powers, which would
effect the total abolition of slavery, as means whereby
our condition may be bettered, and our existence as
cultivators of the soil continued.

" That petitions to both Houses of the Imperial Par
liament be framed in conformity with the foregoing re
solutions, and be sent round for signature."

COMMERCIAL.
The market has not been characterised by any im
provement since the date of our last publication, it,
therefore, continues to present the same heavy appear-
ance as it did at that period; if anything, the depression
has been enhanced by the continuance of the stricture
of the money market both here and in England, and the
distressing accounts relative to the state of mercantile
affairs received by the last mail from Great Britain.
Flour—ln our last we left the market for this article
in an improved condition, and with a very light supply.
Since then there has been but one arrival, bringing
1,470 barrels and 3fio half barrels from Baltimore, 500
barrels of which were for the supply of a Government
contract.

EXCHANGES ON LONDON.—Bank bills, 90 days 1,
and 60 days I per cent. discount. The commissary
would not accept tenders under i per cent. premium for
30 days.