The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-22 00:00:00

SECOND Ei-ATIoN.
SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

THE LONDON GAZETTE

EXTRAORDINARY.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22.

COLONIAL DEPARTMENT.

Downing-street, Feb. ?2, 1832.
The following communication from the Governor of Jamaica
was received at this Office on Sunday last :

King's House, Jamaica, Jan. 6, 1832.

MY Loan,-1 have a painful duty to discharge, in detailing to
your Lordship the substance of accounts I have received, by
which you will learn that an extensive and destructive insur-
rection amongst the slaves in the western district of this
island, has followed a season of unusual sickness and distress,
and that I have felt myself compelled to resort to the most ac-
tive measures, even that of proclaiming martial law, to arrest
the progress of so great a danger.
It was not until Thursday, the 22d ultimo, that I received
any accounts to excite alarm. The apprehensions which ap-
peared to disturb the public mind during the summer had
nearly subsided. The planters complained of poverty and dis-
tress—the delegates sent forth an ambiguous declaration, depre-
cating )as they expressed themselves) " the insidious attempts
to undermine and render valueless what little remains of their
property"—but the brink of danger on which they stood formed
A) part of their deliberations.
On the lead of December 1 received a despatch from Colonel
Lawson, a Magistrate, and commanding the Saint James's regi-
m nit of militia, dated the :nth, stating that on the Friday pre-
ceding he met the overseer of Salt Spring Estate, who informed
Dim that on the previous day the negroes had behaved with
great insolence to Mr. Grignon, the attorney or chief manager
of the estate that two constables, who had been sent to con-
vey the ringleaders to Montego Bay, had been assaulted and de-
prived of pistols, with which they were armed, as well as their
mules, and that the negroes had expressed their determination
riot to work after New Year's-day. Mr. Grignon having re-
paired to Montego Bay, a special Session of Magistrates was
assembled, when he and other persons employed on the estate
gave information of the circumstances which had occurred, and
of the riotous and disorderly state of the slaves; in conse_
of which an order was issued by the Magistrates to Ma-
,or Coate;, as the nearest Field Officer of Militia, to send a
detachment of the Saint James's regiment to Salt Spring estate,
for the pu .pose of restoring order. Major Coates immediately
communicated the direct ions he had received to Colonel Lawson,
commanding the Saini James's regiment, and who, anxious to
avoid the necessity of having recourse to the militia, and being for
many years well known to the negroes of the estate, delayed
the detachment from marching, and accompanied by Mr. Tharp,
a neighbouring proprietor, proceeded to the estate in the hope,
by his influence, to prevail on the negroes to return to their
duty. He found the negroes assembled in groups about the
buildings on the estate, and was informed that the senior book_
steeper had suffered ill-treatment, and that his life had been
threatened. He endeavoured to expostulate with the negroes,
telling them he came as their friend, and asked them to listen
to him ; they would not, however, sutler him to approach them,
and walked off ; and finding all his endeavours to restore order
ineffectual, he left them. Soon after, a party of fifty men of
the militia arrived, when almost every negro on the estate dis-
appeared. The next day they began to return, and when
Colonel Lawson wrote his despatch, the principal offenders only,
amounting to six persons, were absent. This conduct of the
negroes on Salt Spring Estate, and information which the Ma-
giatrates had received that the negroes on other estates would
not return to work after new year's-day, induced the Magistrates,
assembled at Montego Bay, to forward a requisition to Major
Pennefather, commanding the 22d regiment, at Falmouth, to
order a detachment to march to that town, which Major Pen-
nefather immediately complied with. On the following day I
received an application from certain Magistrates and inhabitants
of the parish of Portland, desiring that a vessel of war might be
ordered to Port Antonio, on account of some unpleasant ru-
MOON which had reached them of discontent amongst the slaves
in that quarter.
Being in Kingston when these accounts arrived, I 'mine-
diately communicated the information I had received to Sir
Willoughby Cotton. I applied to Commodore Farquhar for a
ship of war to proceed to the port of Port Antonio, and, as a
precautionary measure, I also recommended that ships of war
should be despatched to Montego Bay and Black River, which
Commodore Farquhar, with his usual promptitude and atten.
Con, immediately -complied with. I directed circulars to he
addressed to custodes of parishes, inclosing the King's pro.
elamation, and also letters to be written to the 3lajor-Generals
of the Militia, copies of which (Nos. 1 and 2) I inclose.
On the morning of the 28th 1 received a despatch from the
Custos of Trelawny (No. 3), inclosing one forwarded to him by
Colonel Lawson (No. 4), containing certain affidavits, copies of
which (Nos. 5 and 6), I herewith inclose, and further stating
that he considered the information they contained to convinc-
ing of impending danger, that he had determined to assemble
the whole strength of his regiment, and referring to me for fur-
ther instructions. From Mr. M`Donald, the Custos of Trelawny, I
also learned that he deeply regretted to find a strong spirit of
insubordination amongst the slaves. That, on the and instant,
the trash-houses on York Estate, in Trelawny, had been par_
posely burnt down, and that the attorney who lives on the pro-
perty was strongly impressed with the idea that they intended
to burn the rest of the Works. One company of militia was or-
dered to proceed to this estate, but before they arrived the ne.
groes had cut down the plantain walk belonging to the over-
seer, and both men and women had ;led.
It happened that I had convened a CollftCll on the day I re-
ceived this despatch, for the purpose of enabling me to form re-
gulations of quarantine, should such a measure become neces-
sary, by which means an opportunity was afforded me of con-
ferring personally with Sir Willoughby Cotton, who came from
Kingston for the purpose of attending the Council, and being
fully satisfied, from the information 1 had received, that nothing
but prompt and decided measures would arrest the spirit of in-
subordination which prevailed so generally in the parishes pf
St. James and Trelawny, I strongly recommended Sir Wil.
loughby Cotton to proceed to Montego Bay with as little delay
as possible, taking with him such an amount of force as he might
deem expedient, anticipating that his immediate presence would
produce the most favourable effect. Sir W. Cotton readily ac-
quiesced in my proposal, and the following day he embarked on
board his Majesty's ship Sparrowhawk, with two companies of
the e4th Regiment.
On Thursday the 29th, I received various dispatches by post,
the substance of which I inclose, (No. 7,) which I lost no time
in communicating to Sir Willoughby Cotton, and immediately
issued the accompanying M. G. 0, (No. 8.) On the same day,
at 5 p. m., dispatches arrived by express, containing still more
alarming accounts of the state of the country. The work of
destruction had begun, and fires had been seen, both in St.
James's and Trelawny, to blaze the preceding night, in egrjous
directions. The Custos of Trelasvny stated that, in his opinion,
nine-tenths of the slave-population had refused to turn out to
work, and Colonel Lawson, instead of being able to oppose
these excesses, had drawn in his regiment to Montego Bay, and
even there appeared to feel apprehension, acting only on the
defensive. Not waiting to detail this information In A letter to
Sir Willoughby Cotton, who, on account of the regular wicois
which prevail in this latitude, could not leave Port Royal until
the following morning, I imnech AO) dispatched Captain
Ramsey, 77th regiment, my military secretary, on board the
Nparrotehawk, with the letters I had received, not doubting
that, on their perusul, Sir Willoughby Cotton would deem it
advisable to order a stronger force to follow him. By this
means also I communicated to Sir Willoughby Cotton my in-
tention to convene a council of war, according to the 50th
sieo. 111. ch. 17, cl. 74, on the following day, for the purpose
of submitting to them etreh information as I possessed on the
state of the country, in order to obtain their opinion pp the
necessity of declaring martial law, The next meriting (rite
JOth) Sir Willoughby Cotton, with the detachment, embarked
on board the Sparrotehotek, sailed from Port Royal for Mon-
tego Bay, and on the following morning, his Majesty's ship
Blanche, Commodore Farquhar, proceeded on the sense desti.
nation, conveying three huzulred men from the 33d and e4th re„
giments, and sixteen artillery soldiers, with two eight field_
pieces, and rockets, .Ac.
I did not come to the resolution of assembling a council of
war, for the purpose before stated, until I had thoroughly satis.
tied my mind that the immediate exigency admitted no middle
measures, that more than any thing else, it would remove an
impression, which had been made on the minds of the slaves,
that the Executive Government and the King's troops would
not oppose them. That speedy example, however greatly I
must regret and deplore the necessity of resorting to it, epuld
alone stay the destruction that had begin, and ultimately save
a greater effusion of blood, and likewise that under martial
law alone I could obtain complete controul over the militia
force, on whose services I must chiefly depend to put &awn this
rebellion.
By the 72d clause of the Act above referred to, your Lord,
ship will find the form directed for holding councils of war,
and that no council shall consist of less than twenty.one mem-
bers, on this occasion twenty-six persons were present. I.
communicated to them such information as I possessed, and
laid before them the letters I had before transmitted by Capt.
Ramsey to Sir Willoughby Cotton, copies of whioli (Nos. 9, 10,
11, 12, 13, and 14) are inclosed ; and in conformity with the
unanimous opinion of this oornerous council, on the 3abh foe,
/gent martial law was forthvvitts proclaimed. No time was
then lost in issuing general orders, ;4recting the St. Ann's
'Weatern Regiment to assemble at Rio sthe Clarendon
regiment on the confines of Trelawny, the Weser etland and
Hanover regiments on the confines of St. James, whefeb. I
endeavoured to cut off all communication hetween the dis,
turbed districts and other parts of the islaed with a force ready
to act under Sir Willoughby Cotton, on his arrival at Montego
Bay. At the same time I addressed a private cdmmunication
to sir Willoughby Cotton, a copy of which (No. 15) is here.
with annexed.
Accounts arrived on the Slit December, from Maurice
Jones, Esq., Custos of the parish of Portland, the northeast
extremity of the island, stating that the negroes on three estates
had refused to work, and had betaken themselves to the woods.
It is somewhat remarkable, that this same gentleman, a few days
previous,on learning that a man-of-war, as I have before informed
your Lordship, had sailed for Port Antonio, appeared to consider
the application of the Magistrates had proceeded from ill founded
apprehension or the hostile disposition of the negroes in that
quarter, although he was not ignorant that mime excitement
remained in the minds of the vegra.es about their being made
five, expressed his regret that such a precaution had been
adopted, stating that he never considered the negroes in that
neighbourhood to be more peaceable and contented Lithe