The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-27 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

A correspondent in this island writes as follows,
under date the 21st of September:—"There is an
almost utter impossibility of realising produce of
any kind. The whole island is downright beg-
gared, and I see no prospect of improvement.
The planters are becoming poorer every day,
and consequently there is little or no money cir-
culating among the labourers. Numbers of estates
are out of cultivation. The Commissioners of Public
Accounts have been signing and issuing the New
Island cheques as fast as they can, and I suppose the
whole 50,0001. will soon be afloat. I should not be at
all suprised ere long to see silver at a premium in
consequence. The Planters' Bank Relief Bill has been
lost in the House of Assembly, and I understand that
the shareholders, at their meeting, a few days past,
determined on winding up the affairs of the Bank.
There can be very little doubt of their being ulti-
mately great losers, for a large amount of the assets
consist of sums due by planters ; few of whom I fear
will be able to pay up. Any one walking along
Port Royal-street now would almost fancy it was
deserted, particularly at the west-end, where in three
squares nearly two out of every three stores are
closed. Last week another of the large foreign dry
goods houses closed its business. The foreign trade
is again very slack, but I think there will be another
spirt of it towards the close of the year.
"During the past fortnight we have had some fine
heavy showers in Kingston and the neighbouring
parishes, and from present appearances I think we
shall get our October seasons.
" His Excellency Sir Charles Grey has almost en-
tirely recovered from his late accident, and has
allowed the House of Assembly to adjourn till the
24th of October next.
"In Hayti all is perfectly tranquil, and business
improving. The President, Soulougue, appears to
have adopted a different policy, which has
confidence and security among the population, a happy
termination of the worst fears which the latter had
entertained on the approach of the President to Port-
au-Prince."
REVIEW OF MARKETS.
(From De Cordova's Mercantile Intelligencer.)
Another fortnight has passed since oar las_t_
andisue,
we regret extremely to state that instead of being
improvement in the state of
able
to report even a trifling
trade, we are compelled to note increasing dulness in
every branch of commerce. Matters are daily growing
worse and worse. We have made it a point of duty, on
this occasion especially, to gather the statements of all
classes of persons—merchants, storekeepers, trades
people, mechanics, and labourers--and the result of our
inquiries has been one universal tale of gloom and dis-
aster. We do not believe that there is any person in
England who has ever considered the subject who is not
conscious that the most deplorable state of affairs is
consequent upon the manner in which this island, in
common with the other colonies of Great Britain has
been treated by the mother country.. There is no
doubt whatever that bad as the principle of Free
Trade has proved itself, so far as these islands are
concerned, its partial application has been worse a
hundredfold. And there is but one remedy for our
distress in the absence of that protection which has
been denied us. There is but one means by
which England can remove at least some portion of the
evil she has inflicted. We allude to the unrestricted ad-
mission of colonial sugar into the home markets. The
colonists make this demand in the shape of a claim upon
England, and while they clamour for it as the only
means of their salvation, of their redemption from utter
ruin, they base their arguments on the most solid and
secure foundation on which it is possible to build up a
case for compensation—the basis of justice. Slavery is
unknown in Jamaica ; it was abolished by the mighty
will of England. Free labour, as has been proved be-
fore a Committee of the House of Commons, and as is
obviously evident, is dearer by far than slave labour ;
notwithstanding which, the British Government; has
determined to admit foreign slave-grown sugar at the
same rate of duty as is charged on British free-labour
sugar, by which act England not only drives the produce
of her own sons' industry out of her markets, after tak-
ing from them the means of competition, but actually
offers a high bonus for the continuance of a traffic
which she has abolished in her own toil, and which she
declares to be inhuman and ilh gal. Her ostensible
object in this measure is purely and entirely the