The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-17 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM JAMAICA, DATED
JAN. 5, 1840.

After sitting two months, the Assembly has ad-
journed until the 17th of March. They have displayed
considerably less than their usual violence of language
during the Session, but have not abated a whit of the
jealoas despotism which has ever distinguished their
legislation as it regards the Negro. Not a single step
has been taken for the protection and improvement of
the labouring population, whilst several laws of the
most stringent severity have been passed to restrain
and coerce them. The Tenements' Bill, and those to
prevent combinations and to protect fisheries, and par-
ticularly that for the registration of fire-arms, contain
clauses which will soon fill the now almost empty pri-
sons in every part of the island. A tax of forty shil-
lings is laid on every gun, pistol, and fire-arm of every
description in the possession of any individual. Heavy
penalties have been attached to the killing of a wild
pigeon in the trackless and almost impenetrable woods
of this island ; and it is made highly penal, in
the same way, to take a fish in any of the
numberless rivers and streams so abundant in the un-
cultivated and unoccupied parts of the country. A
vagrant law of intolerable severity has been enacted,
though there is not a vagrant in the Island. But the
House of Assembly is, it seems, determined to provide
subjects for the operation of their Bills. The tenements,
combinations, registration of fire-arms, and certain
clauses in the cruelty to animals, and even the petty
debt Bill, it is confidently relied on, will soon make
vagrants enough in Jamaica, in anticipation of which,
after a whole year passed without such a force in un-
exampled tranquillity, they have established an armed
police for the apprehension of vagrants made by the
above Bills. And what is worse, the command of this
force is given to the notorious Special Justice M'Lcod,
as a reward for his faithful services in the cause of the
lanters. This is a great mistake of Sir Charles Met-
calf, and so is his late order to the Stipendiary Justices,
ciireet:ng them to suspend their usual Quarterly Reports.
The Colonial Office will soon feel the want of this in-
formation. The Assembly have also vested new and
discretional rwers in the Magistrates, hoping to retain
by the removal Of the Stipendiary Magistracy, this in-
creased authority in their own hands ; they propose to
substitute for that body six barristers or attorneys
at law, with the understanding that they shall only
be chosen from those on the island rolls. Mr.
March, the Member, who brought in the Bill, is one of
the candidates. Indeed, incredible as it may appear,
many of these needy and unprincipled men are demand-
ing situations from the Government, in reward for their
virulent opposition to all its measures for the last six
years. Dr. Morales, the friend and associate of Dr.
Whittaker, and Dr. Barnet, the unblushing libeller of
that exce,lent man Sir Lionel Smith, are both candi-
dates for office. I much fear that the present stillness
will give place to a tempest, if the British Government
do not disallow the Bills I have alluded to above.
Quiet, orderly, and submissive as the labouring popu-
tion are, they will, in despite of themselves, be goaded
into bad feeling, if these laws are to continue in force,
and are to be construed and carried into effect at she
will of a Magistracy consisting of planters. Yet_this is
the present scheme in view, for they well know that
the substitution of the lawyers is sheer humbug—five
times the number of honest and impartial men would be
inadequate to the performance of all the duties required
of the Stipendiary Magistracy, and these people are
determined that none but themselves, or their friends,
shall hold the office. Lord John Russell is too old a
statesman not to see their drift, much too good a man
to do an act of such injustice to the present Magistracy,
and much to wise to trust to the late slave owner, or
to his partisans, the sole power of adjudication between
omplo)er and labourer, for years to come in Jamaica.

GUIZOT.—Some curious rumours arc in cir-
culation in the diplomatic salons of Paris relative to the nomi-
nation of this distinguished orator, philosopher, and statesman,
to the post of Ambassador to this country. It is said that the
appointment was the fruit of the political management, and in-
fluence of the Princess de Lieven, the well-known and highly-
esteemed lady, now widow, of the Prince de Lieven, formerly
and for many years Ambassador of Russia to this Court. The
attachment of M. Guiznt for the Princess led him not long
since to make her an offer of !iis hand, which it is supposed was
only declined for prudential reasc7s, arising out of the moderate
pecuniary circumstances of the piiilosopher, who is not re-
puted a rich man. His appointment and present high station
will, it is supposed, obviate the difficulty. The Princess may
shortly be expected to follow him here, when the union, it is
uoders:ood, is likely to take place. It is doubted even by those
who know him best and esteem him most, whether M. Gu:zot
will shine as a diplomatist equally as a Parliamentary man and
a Minister. But however that be, no one of the great public
men of France have claims so high upon the respect and consi-
deration of Englishmen, for M. Guizot has ever been a warm
admirer and most eloquent advocate as expounder of the insti-
tutions of this country, for which on frequent occasions he has
been charged with Anglo-mania, and as wishing to modify the
constitution and the legislative forms of France by the fashion
and more aristocratical standard of England.

THE UGLY IVlusiciAN.—Heideggar, the ma-
nager of the Italian Opera in the time of Handel, and a man of
infinite fun and merriment, was universally acknowledged to be
the ugliest human creature in the kingdom. A bet was made
between the celebrated Earl of Chesterfield and another noble-
man, that he (the nobleman) would produce an uglier person
than Heideggar. After searching every corner of the town,
an old woman was selected, and introduced to the Swiss Count.
The umpire decided against Lord Chesterfield, who moved, in
arrest of
,Judgment, that the venerable lady's cap should be
transferred to Heideggar's head, when, amidst thunders of ap-
plause, Lord Chesterfield was unanimously declared the winner.
—Musical Journal.

A RENIARKABLE INSTANCE OF THE AD-
VANCE OF RENTS.—In the year 1782, the net annual rent of
the Barony of Duncow was 1761. 6s. 3d. as appears from the
records of the Court of Tiends ; and in the year 1830 the yearly
rent of the said Barony amounted to upwards of 2,000/. And
more strange to tell still, the average price of oatmeal, for the
seven years following the first period, was very nearly as high
as the average price of that article during seven years following
1830.

a maleeEtiDnaßUoffttGheffin,
inhabitants
12.—0 n Friday. evening last
Royal burgh of Jedburgh
i;tsof the
mofevt
eintittihoeniTngowpnarHliaamll,entot tfaokreainrtepo
ecaltiosifdethraeticonortnlrlap,r.so.prieotny
the motion of Mr. hunter Faller, Mr. George Clerk
was called to the Chair. The Chairman read the requisition
calling the meeting, and the perm's- ion of the Provost to use
the Town Hall for the meeting. The meeting was then ad-
dressed by Messrs. Thomas Kerr, manufacturer, Mungo Turn-
bull, cabinet-maker, Archibald Reid, grocer, and William
Elliot, saddler, in able and eloquent speeches ; after which a
petition for the total and immediate repeal of te laws against
the importation of human food was carried amidst great cheer-
ing. fhe meeting was the most numerous, orderly, and re-
spectable ever held in this burgh. There were a small knot of
Chartists, with their leader, attended the meeting, but they
were completely cowed by the appearance of the assembly, and
dared not disturb the harmony of the meeting. It rather por-
tends good to the cause, that a number of Whig respectables,
who refused to sign the petition last year, have this year come-
forward and signed it.

THI47, SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17 .1840

THE LATE DISASTROUS ACCI-

DENT AT GRAVESEND.

The statement in some of the Morning Papers of
Friday, according to the Sunday Times, has excited a
feeling of indignation among the inhabitants of Graves-
end, who appear to feel that a public calamity had been
attempted to be coloured and exaggerated, so as to im-
pose upon the London Joarnals. It was stated in all
the papers that Mrs. Cunningham was dead, and the
body of a boy found. Mrs. Cunningham, the wife of
the master of the Tyrian, is not dead, nor indeed in
anything like a dangerous state, and on Saturday after-
noon, at the house of Mrs. Ross, in Gravesend, was
seen as well as could be expected under all the circum-
stances connected with the unfortunate affair ; and
the " sixth victim of this melancholy occurrence" is
likely, in a few days, to be in as perfect health
as ever she enjoyed. The boy, too, whom it was stated
hail been washed ashore, and whose body, with that
of Mrs. Cunningham's, was awaiting the result of the
Coroner's inquest, has never been found ; and, in fact,
none of the bodies of the unfortunate persons have
yet been picked up. The wreck lays in midaatream
off the Terrace Pier, and at ebb tide the main and
mizen-masts are distinctly visible. The number of tales
told respecting this accident has doubtless led to the
publication of many erroneous statements, but the fol-
lowing facts may be relied on. When the Manchestrr
struck the Tyrian, the crew, passengers, captain and his
wife, were just retiring to rest, and Mrs. Cunningham
was in the ant of getting into bed when the shock was
felt . Captain Cunningham instantly conceived the dac-
gcrous situation in which he was placed, and seizing
his wife, he rushed upon deck and got into the long-
boat alongside. Mr. Sheen and Mr. Vandelly, the passen-
gers, were in the forecastle with the crew, and the party
here were of coursethe first who felt the shock. Bolton, an
officer of Customs, was thrown from his berth by the
concussion, and as soon as he could recover himself, Le
found that he was upon deck, anti the vessel sinking
under him ; seeing the captain and his wife in the
long-boat, he also jumped into her, and with the mate,
who had joined them, attempted to cut the painter or
rope by which it was attached to the vessel ; but, whilst
doing so, she settled and sunk, carrying the boat with
her, and precipitating them into the river. Bolton was
carried down nearly to the lock of the Medway canal,
and he states that the unfortunate passenger Sheen, who
perished, was swimming by the side of him for
some minutes before he sank. Bolton was picked
up in a most exhausted state by two Greenwich
watermen, and on being taken to Waite's hotel
was found to have suffered very severe corporal in-
jury by falling amongst the chains. Mr. and Mrs.
Cunningham, upon the boat upsetting, got by great ex-
ertion upon the deck of the vessel, where they stood up
to their chins in water, but were enabled to hold on by
means of the rigging till two Gravesend waterrnen,
named Lightfoot and De Warr came to theirassistance :
these two men were on the north shore near Tilbury,
engaged in weighing a sunken barge, and they state that
they heard a cry on board the steam-boat, of " star-
board," followed instantly by the contrary order, " port
helm," and immediately afterwards the crash took place :
they rowed instantly to the spot, and succeeded
in saving the lives of the captain and his lady,
the mate, and one of his men, the rest of those
saved being taken from the bowsprit of the sunken
vessel by the before-mentioned Greenwich water-
men. The number of those drowned is five, viz,
James Smith, George Walker, Robert Mason, appren-
tices ; William Lee, second mate ; and Mr. Sheen, the
passenger. Mr. Sheen was going out to South America
to superintend a gold mine, in which his father has an
interest, and considerable property on board. Poor Lee,
the second mate, had a strange presentiment of his fate,
and had most unwillingly engaged in the voyage, stating
that he was afraid he should never come back. He was
a married man, but had no family, and his widow and
his poor mother arc thrown into a state of the most
dreadful distress by his loss. The vessel, the Manches-
ter, which is said to have been much injured, has pro-
ceeded on her voyage. It is expected that the Tyrian
will be weighed in a few days.