The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-31 00:00:00

WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS.

The steamship La Plata, Capt. Weller, arrived
at Southampton yesterday morning with the West
India and Pacific mails. The latest dates are as
follows :—Tampico, July 31 ; Greytown, August 2 ;
Vera Cruz, 4 ; Panama, 8 ; Demerara, 9 ; Grenada,
9; Kingston, 10; St. Vincent, 10; Barbadoes, 11;
St. Thomas, 16.

The La Plata has 104 passengers, 1,250,000 dols.
in specie, 113 serons of cochineal, 136 cases of
cigars, 105 bales of tohacc3, 132 casks of coffee, and
976 packages of sundries.
The Atrato has arrived out at St. Thomas.
The Paramatta was still on the Anegada Reef.
The Royal Mail packets Thames, Conway, Der-
went, and Prince were at St. Thomas.
A somewhat serious riot had occurred in Jamaica.
The following is from the summary of the Jamaica
Colonial Standard :

We regret to announce that some unpleasant
occurrences have taken place in Trelawny, which
have rendered it necessary for the governor to send
troops to Falmouth, for the purpose of suppressing
the riotous conduct of a portion of the population
at that place.

The disturbance appears to have had no political
character whatever, and to have orignated in strong
party feelings which had been imbibed by some
of the people in reference to certain questions of
litigation between a person of the name of Buie,
claiming certain rights in a property called Florence
Hall, and the rightful owner s of that property. It is
to be feared that a few persons who by position and
education might have been supposed superior to
such a course of conduct were, in fact, greatly in-
strumental in getting up this demonstration of
physical force, which was aimed directly against
the administration of justice. It is painful to add
that the disturbance was not without bloodshed.
three females having been shot dead, and several
other rioters severely wounded. The following is
an accurate detail of the whole occurrence, as given
by a Falmouth paper :
" Ever since the meeting ofthe present court, at
which several true bills were found for riot at
Florence Hall, and which, along with an action of
ejectment with respect to the same property were
to come off during the current week, very consider-
able excitement has existed in the town and about
the court-house, especially during yesterday, to the
repeated interruption of the business of the court.
This reached its climax about five p.m., when cer-
tain of the prisoners were being conveyed to gaol.
The mob violently interposed, and with bludgeons
and stones beat off the police, and rescued the pri-
soners—in the course of which Mr. Justice Castle,
who accompanied the cavalcade, received a blow on
the temple, which stunned him for a while, though
happily not preventing him from taking an active
part in the after proceedings. The prisoners thus
released made off, it is understood for Florence Hall,
where they were followed by a considerable num-
ber of their friends. Shortly after dusk, a mob,
which had been gathering from sundry parts of the
town, suddenly made their appearance before the
police station, which they proceeded to assault with
a shower of stones. Mr. Justice Castle, who had in
the meantime entered from the back of the pre-
mises, in company with Mr. Justice Kitchen,
urgently entreated the populace to disperse. They
persisted, however, in their riotous conduct, and
the Riot Act was read. The police being at this
time drawn out in military order, under the com-
mand of the inspector, the mob proceeded to the
Court-house' the windows of which were speedily
shattered. From this some took the direction of
Wellesley Bourke's house, which they treated in a
similar manner ; while others proceeded to the
houses of Mr. Justice Lindo and other gentlemen
who had earned the displeasure of the Buie party,
where the like outrages were committed. Even
the house of Mr. Mortlock, the collector of cus-
toms, where the judge resided, did not escape.
Shortly after this, it being now nearly nine o'clock,
another rush was made upon the police-station,
when the mob were repeatedly ordered to fall back.
This was followed by a shower of stones, in the
midst of which gun or pistol shots were fired from
the crowd, and several policemen were wounded.
The police then fired in return, when two persons
were shot dead—two females; and at least five or
six others, both men and women, severely wounded.

" The mob for some time continued to threaten
the station, but were evidently considerably stag-
gered by what had taken place, and perhaps also
by the fact that by this time a number of magis-
trates and special constables had congregated
within the station. Nothing further was, there-
fore, done at this time and place, and gradually
—it being now between eleven and twelve o'clock
—the mob withdrew. All was comparatively quiet
until about half-past three, when flames were seen
issuing from one of the buildings on the Trelawny
Wharf—the range lying almost opposite the resi-
dence of Robert Nunes, Esq., and within a stone-
cast of the judge's apartments. The fire engines
were speedily on the spot; and by the aid of a few
men and women—whose services, we are sure, will
not be forgotten by the proper authorities—the fire
was confined to the range where it broke out,
which providentially was empty—for had it been
otherwise, or bad even a strong breeze prevailed,
there is no saying where the destruction would have
ended. Not more than a couple of hundreds of
the lower classes, however, made their appearance
on this occasion at all—a most ominous circum-
stance—and the greater part of these either looked
on in sullen silence, or muttered threats and jeers
at the efforts made to subdue the flames."
Immediately on receipt of the intelligence two
companies of the 2d West India Regiment, under
the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gibbings, were
despatched to the scene of tumult, in the Royal
Mail Steam Compan's ship Wye, and we are happy
to state that by the latest accounts all serious in-
subordination had disappeared. The police, and mili-
tary escort, had succeeded in apprehending up-
wards of 60 persons who were charged with par-
ticipation in this alarming riot.
In pests have been held on the bodies of three
women who were shat by the police, and verdicts
returned to the effect that the deceased had come to
their death on the night of the Ist of August. from
the effects of gun-shot wounds received while asso-
ciated with a rebellious mob, and that such shots
appeared to have been fired by the police force
whilst in execution of their duty, and that the
homicide was justifiable.
In other respects the island is quiet. There is
considerably indisposition of a minor character—
intermittent fever prevails to a considerable extent,
and influenza is very prevalent. There is, however,
no serious fever, and on the whole the season can-
not be considered as by any means a severe one.
There are once more complaints of drought from
some parts of the island, especially from St. Thomas
in the East and St. David.

At Demerara there had been one sitting of the
Court of Policy during the fortnight, at which a
good deal of miscellaneous business was disposed of.
On the 27th ult. the Plantagenet, "a fine vessel,
which had lately brought emigrants to the colony,
was burnt in the river. At the time the accident
occurred the Plantagenet had on board 550 hhds.,
22 tres., and 4 brls. sugar; 357 puns. and 3 hhds.
rum ; 19,900 cocoanuts, and 361 hides. About 160
packages of sugar had been recovered, but very
much damaged, fire and salt water having done
their work. In the hold, or what was the hold,
there were some three or four feet of what appeared
to be molasses, but was probably melted sugar
mixed with rum and water, and at the bottom of it
there is said to be a layer of sugar. The Planta-
genet, it is stated, was insured. The fire is said to
haie Veen caused by one of the crew tapping a pun-
cheon of rum, and being careless in the use of the
light which he had with him at the time.
In Antigua some good showers had fallen ; the)
were not so heavy as to wash the land, but sufficiently
heavy to penetrate and moisten it. The crop was
gradually drawing to a close throughout the island,
and in a few weeks it was not unlikely it would be
quite finished. The public health was good. The
epidemic that existed during the latter months of
the past, and the earlier months of the present year,
seemed to have quite disappeared.
At Barbadoes only small parcels of sugars were
to be had at 41dols. Molasses were still abundant
at 17c. to 18e. per gallon, and casks 5 dols. each.
There was no demand wnatever for tonnage.
The weather was all that the planters could de-
sire for the young cane crop, and if the fine rains
extended over until January next it was fully ex-
pected that 60,000 hhds. of sugar would be made
next reaping season.
The island was quite healthy, and clean bills of
health were regularly issued by the captain of the
port.
The church party in Mexico were raising troops
to attack the liberals in Vera Cruz, and were sell-
ing lands and jewels for that purpose. The whole
of the Mexican seaboard was in the possession of
the liberals. If the liberal leader could raise a
loan he was likely to triumph. He had issued a
manifesto tolerating all religious creeds and na-
tionalising all church property. This had had a
good effect on the money market.
Trade was dull at Vera Cruz and Tampico.
The British ship Robert, of London, was entirely
wrecked at Tuspan, losing five sailors.