The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-26 00:00:00

EXCELLENCY.
" The House trust that your Excellency's anticipation
may be realised, and that no repetition of the recent cri-
minal and horrid rebellion may again bring destruction
on the inhabitants of Jamaica. The House thank your
Excellency for the precautionary measures your Excellency
has taken to avert the possibility of a renewal of the atro-
cities perpetrated only a few months since ; but the House
feel it their duty to state that no permanent tranquillity
can be expected, and that no security for property or life
can exist, so long as Jamaica is kept in constant agitation.
Our present uncertain state paralyses alike the energies of
agriculture and commerce, and necessarily tends to subvert
all assurances of permanent security for persons or property.
" When the miseries inflicted on all classes by the re-
cent rebellion (which your Excellency has so well charac-
terised as criminal) are considered—miseries which your
Excellency did not witness and ca❑ scarcely imagine, it
cannot be matter of surprise to us that the free inhabitants
of every class should endeavour by all means to save their
properties, familiea, and lives, from conflagration, rape,
and assassination ; still we are satisfied that the energies
of the lass's of the island, administered by your Excellency,
are sufficient to repress all acts destructive of the public
welfare.
" This House was no party to the measure by which
an inquiry was obtained in the Commons' House of the
British Parliament by the West India proprietors residing
out of the island ; nor do we admit that the House of
Commons can institute any effectual inquiry in relation
to the social institutions of this island or its internal
affairs. To understand the laws of any society, and the
influence of customs and habits over those laws, a per-
sonal residence among the inhabitants of the country is
indispensable. No evidence can convey over 4,500 miles
those circumstances which most materially affect the wel.
fare of a people, and which, to be appreciated, must be
seen. Countries might be mentioned, where the laws in
theory have been considered perfect ; but where, after
centuries of legislation, the people are starving and
wretched. This, we are proud to say, is ❑ot the case in
Jamaica, notwithstanding all the defects incident to the
state of slavery, originally forced on us by Great Britain.
" As this House never did recognise the resolutions of
Parliament in 1823—as this House never did admit the
right of the House of Commons to legislate on the internal
affairs of Jamaica, even when the West Indies were in-
directly represented in Parliament, we never can concede
that a House of Commons, which is to exist upon the
principle that actual representation should be the founda-
tion of legislation, can justly claim to legislate over us,
their free fellow-country-men, in all respects their equals,
but who have not, and cannot have, any voice whatever
at their election, by whom, in consequence, we are not
represented—who are strangers to our condition and in-
terest, and whose attempt to dictate to us would con-
sequently, upon their own principles, or their own
existence as a legislative body, be tyranny, and not
legislation.
" Experience prevents us from deluding ourselves with
the hope of a dispassionate and impartial result from the
proceedings of any Committee of the Commons' House in
relation to the West Indies, nor are we strangers to the
fact, that pledges are now being exacted from candidates
for seats in the new Imperial Parliament, to vote, in respect
of the colonies, according to popular dictation, and not
after ample and patient examination.
" This House has always declared that they will con-
stantly and really adopt every measure for substantially
benefiting the condition of the slave population, which our
own local experience convinces us would really conduce
to their welfare, and not injure those rights of property
which our constituents were forced by the British Go-
vernment to acquire,
" By a reference to the laws of Jamaica, your Excel-
lency will perceive that this island was spontaneously pro-
viding for the protection and civilization of the slave,
whilst the country which sold him to us was only calcu-
lating the profit of the traffic.
" Our Sovereign has declared to us that his Majesty
has observed with great satisfaction various provisions for
the improvement of the conditio❑ of the slaves, which, as
his Majesty has stated, originated entirely with the Co-
lonial Legislature.
" The finances of the country have been so impove-
rished by the recentlinsurrection, that it will scarcely he
possible to provide for the island pay and subsistence of his
Majesty's garrison, and this House regret that your Ex-
cellency has not as yet received from his Majesty's Minis-
ters any answer to the humble memorial to our So-
vereign for relief in this respect—but we do trust that the
reply to it will be dictated by a desire to show consideration
for the effects of the late unfortunate revolution.
" Your Excellency may with confidence rely on our
aid in enacting every measure which may be required to
discourage seditious and inflammatory language, of the evil
effects of which the recent disasters and our present suffer-
ings have furnished most melancholy proofs.
" No endeavour of this House shall be wanting to unite
all classes of our society; and your Excellency may depend
upon our zealous co-operation in every effort directed to
maintain the honour of our Sovereign, and to promote the
welfare of this island."

To this address his Excellency was pleased to make the
following reply :
" Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Assembly.
" I return you my most sincere thanks for those por-
;ions of your address personal to myself, in which you
express confidence in my character, and approbation of the
first acts of my Government. These assurances acquire
even an additional value from their being shared, as you
state them to be, by all classes of your constituents. I
have also heard with much s itisfaction, that it is your in-
tention to take measures for preserving inviolate the pub..
lic faith, as well in relation to the garrison, as in all other
respects, so far as is compatible with the consideration for
the distress of your constituents, which it is your peculiar
province to show, and in which distress I most truly sym
pathize.
" 1 wish that, consistently with my sense of duty, I
could here close my reply, and refrain from expressing to
you the extreme surprise, and the deep disappointment
excited in my mind by various sentiments, and by much
of the general tone of your address. The speech with
which I thought fit to open your Sessions, was one which,
there is none amongst you can doubt, was conceived in the
most conciliatory spirit; nor do I believe that any one has
thought of accusing it of containing one word at variance
with such a spirit. It broached no theory, it required no
sacrifice. It announced only for the present a boon and a
concession; and for my part to report faithfully and fully
from hence; I know not, therefore, how it called for a
reply of so extraordinary and so desultory a nature. You
state mutual forbearance and conciliation to be the prin.
ciples by which the Legislature of Jamaica has always been
guided ; I regret the more that this day, when I thought
I had least right to expect it, you should have shown to-
wards me this exception to your general rule. Many of
the topics you have introduced I consider most inoppor-
tunely addressed 'to me on this occasion, and to them,
therefore, I hold it to be needless to make any reply.
" How far, for instance, you may consider it fitting,
in the present state of society, to snake a disclaimer of
any community of interest with the great body of the
West India proprietors residing in England is a question
entirely between you and them, and on which I shall give
no opinion further than this; and when you make that
distinction in protesting your utter disregard and indiffe-
rence with respect to the proceedings of the Parliamentary
Committees, you might in consistency have recollected,
that the first of these inquiries to which you state your-
selves to have been no party, was repeatedly pressed upon
the Government, in conjunction witb the West India
I body, by your own accredited agent, with whom your
constant communications, at the very moment, too, when
you bad vacated the chair of your own House, in order that
your most distinguished member should, according to
sour own votes, embark for England, so as to be in time
to meet the next Session of the Imperial Legislature.
" It certainly would not become nie to enter into any
discussion with you as to the principles on which you
suppose the representation of the people of England to
have been amended by the Bill passed for its reform ; nor
do I know by what right you assume in addressing me,
that the West Indies were indirectly more represented in
Parliament than they will be now. It was then, as now,

only as representatives, legally elected by the people of the
United Kingdom, to superintend the interests of the whole

empire, that gentlemen connected with this island could
Have a seat in the House, or could belong to one branch