The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-23 00:00:00

ete •.. 4,44

LONDON,
THURSDAY EVENING. FEBRUARY 23, 1832.

We last night printed, in a Second Edition,
the whole of the Extraordinary Gazette, con-
taining all the particulars yet known of the in-
surrection in Jamaica; and we this day re-print
it for those subscribers who only received the
first impression. From all that appears in the
voluminous documents it does not come out dis-
tinctly what was the real cause of the revolt ;
but the objects which the negroes had in view
were freedom and exemption from labour. To
obtain this end they adopted the most improbable
means in the world—and foolishly thought that,
by destroying the properties of their masters, their
immediate emancipation would ensue, without
at all considering that the distress consequent
on such wicked proceedings must ultimately
affect themselves. The major part of the popu-
lation seem to have been deluded with an idea
that letters had been sent out from Eng-
land granting unconditional liberty, but that
the planters would not communicate the good
tidings. This belief, however erroneous,
naturally irritated the slaves, and their pas-
sions had at length become so worked on
by designing persons, that a resolution had been
come to in several plantations not to work
after New Year's Day. From what cause
the carrying of this threat into execution
had been precipitated nearly a fortnight does
not appear ; but great stress is laid upon
the insidious interference of the missionaries,
who seem to have instilled a wild confusion of
religious notions, blended with glowing ideas of
liberty, into the ignorant minds of the slaves—
and to which beneficial purpose a hundred burn-
ing plantations bore testimony !
As we have already expressed our opinions on
this calamitous affair, it is unnecessary now to
enlarge upon it.

_ .
The next accounts will in all probability bring
us more favourable news, as the progress of the
insurrection was evidently arrested by the prompt
measures of Sir WILLOUGHBY COTTON.

In the House of Commons last night, Mr.
KNIGHT moved that the House go into Com-
mittee on the Master of the Rolls' (Ireland)
Bill, which was a Bill to enable the right of that
Judge to appoint his own Secretary, to be tried
at law. A long discussion ensued on the sub-
ject, the Bill being opposed by Government
and supported by the Opposition, assisted by
Mr. O'CoNNELL, Mr. lIuME, and others.
A division consequently took place, which
resulted in the triumph of Ministers by a meagre
majority of four ! In the course of the evening
Mr. O'CONNELL announced that on Tuesday
next he should propose the re-committal of the
Irish Tithe Report ; and also for a statement of
the amount of Mr. STANLEY'S emoluments as
Irish Secretary, and the number of days he had
been in Ireland since his appointment to that
office. In answer to some questions put by Sir
R. VYVYAN, respecting the Belgian treaty,
Lord PALMERSTON said, that though he con-
fidentlyexpected the exchange of the- promised
ratifications, yet that he feared they would not
arrive by the 28th.

Brussels and German Papers, received this
morning, are occupied with regulations respect-
iivr quarantine from the cholera being in Eng-

land. Six days are fixed as the time off' quaran-
tine at Ostend, Antwerp, and Nieuport. The
political news from Germany is contradictory ;
but, on the whole, of a pacific tendency. The
typhus fever was making dreadful havoc in
Gallicia.

The French Papers of Tuesday contain no
news of importance. Extracts will be found in
another column.

From the first public announcement of the
appearance of the cholera in London, there has
been a feeling abroad that the medical men have
been getting up what is vulgarly called a job,
and that the accounts of the disease have been
magnified and exaggerated for purposes not the
most praiseworthy. We must not be understood
to concur in throwing anything like reproach on
the scientific persons, from whose reports the
public derive what knowledge they have of the
malady, but we cannot avoid doubting whether
there has not been some precipitancy in publish-
ing from authority the existence in London of a
disease of which the world is in terror. There
is much difficulty in believing that the metropo-
lis is now afflicted with any disease which it has
not had for months past, and in reconciling what
we know of the nature of such disease, with the
accounts of that malignant scourge which has
depopulated whole towns and districts in other
parts of the earth.

The more we see of the state of medical
knowledge, the fuller it appears to be of uncer-
tainty, contradiction, and confusion. The Fa-
culty was nearly equally divided some years
since upon the question whether the plague
was contagious, and there is at least suf-
ficient difference of opinion in the pro-
fession at present in regard to the cho-
lera, to have recommended very grave cau-
tion before proclaiming its actual existence in
London. The effect upon trade by withhold-
ing clean bills of health will be most disastrous,
which the Government could not but have fore-
seen. That the Government acted with the ut-
most good faith towards foreign nations cannot
be disputed, and in adopting the reports of the
physicians, it is impossible to say the Govern-
ment is chargeable with having prematurely of
itself decided the question. But, we do say,
that if the physicians shall turn out to be mis-
taken as to the identity of the disease, they will
have done a more serious injury to the national
industry, and consequently to the national re-
sources, than the cholera itself has perhaps ever
done in any country since its arrival in Europe.

It is said that if it be not the Indian cholera
which is amongst us, it is a modification of it.
This is probably true ; but, upon the degree of
that modification, depends the whole question ofthe
measures and preparations proper to be adopted.
For what we know to the contrary, the influenza,
prevalent last summer, may have been a modifica-
tion of the typhus fever or the plague, but no one
was alarmed about it, because its effects were not
practically serious. The cholera in the north
has not been a disorder fit to excite public ter-
ror, either in its spread, or its malignity. It is
not, as it exists in London, a disease calculated
to excite reasonable apprehension in foreigners
who may have communication with us.
Men are in the hands of Providence in re-
spect of pestilence as well as other calamities.
But can that be deemed as a pestilence, such as
his visited nations of old, which in four months
has carried off but 1,400 persons ? Surely it
would be more becoming, and more reasonable,
for us to behave like a nation thankful for a large
share of prosperity, and an abundance of blessings
of which we are in the actual enjoyment, than
to raise so great a cry of lamentation about the
cholera, as if there were not among us other
matters a hundredfold more worthy of public
grief.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.)

FROM LLOYD'S.

DEAL, FEB. 2.2.—Wind E.N.E.—The Goodwin's South Sand
Head light vessel has this day been placed at her moorings.
Arrived the Betsey, Brunt, from Cadiz.
PORTSMOUTH, FEB. 22.—Wind E.—Sailed his Majesty's
ship Viper, for the astward.
PLYMOUTH, FEB. 2l.—Wind E.N.E.—The attempts to get
ofF the Sir David Scott having failed, she must remain until the
next spring tides.
FALMOUTH, FED. 21.—Wind E. to E.S.E.—Arrived the
Barkley, from Lisbon.
LIVERPOOL, Fun. 21.—Arrived the Edward Colston, Rey-
nolds, from Bengal, sailed the sth of October, and from St.
Helena the 31st of December.
DARTMOUTH, Fes. 21.—Arrived off port, the Lagoda,
Baker, from Charleston.

PENZANCE, FEB. 21.—Arrived the Marshal Blucher, Davis,
fr m St. Michael's.

GREENOCK, FEB. 20.—Arrived the Thomas, Ritchie, from
St. John's, N. B.

MEETING OF MIDDLESEX MAGIS-
TRATES.-(THIS DAY.)

This day a numerous assemblage of Magistrates of this
county took place at the Sessions-houSe, Clerkenwell, for the
despatch of the county business.

Sir JOHN GIBBON, after a few observations, in which he
highly eulogised the conduct of Mr. Const during the period
he had presided over them, moved that that gentleman be re-
quested to take the chair.

Sir P. LAURIE having seconded the motion, it was carried
unanimously.

F. CONST, Esq. hating taken the Chair,

Sir J. GIBBON informed him, that at a very numerous
meeting of Magistrates two days ago it was resolved to request
that he would continue to fulfil the duties of Chairman, an
office he had so long and so ably filled, and in which he had
given such satisfaction to his brother Magistrates, to the Bar,
and to the public.--;Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said, from the increasing duties attached
to his office of Chairman at Westminster and Middlesex, and
from other causes, he felt that it would be a relief to him to
have a successor appointed to fill one of those offices. How.
ever, under the most grateful feelings for the flattering manner
in which the request had been made, he would consent to re-
main in the situation, but with the understanding that it was
not for any specified period.—(Cheers.)
The minutes of the last Session were read and confirmed.
The Clerk of the Peace then read the resolution of a meeting
on the 21st inst., wherein it was recommended to this meeting
to consider whether any, and what alteration should be made in
the duties of the Chairman, his mode of appointment and his
salary.

Sir JOHN GIBBON moved the appointment of a Conimtttee
to enquire into, and report upon the subjects stated in the re-
solution.

Mr. KOTCH, in seconding it, said the office of Chairman of
the Metropolitan Courts was one of great importance, and one
which had been but little considered, arising from the security
they all felt at having so able an officer to preside over them as
Mr. Const.—(Applause.) He then stated the various subjects
which would come before the Committee ; first, as to the divi-
sion of business between this Court and the Old Bailey, they
only tried about 390 or 400 cases oflarceny annually, while at the
Old Bailey from 1,500 to 1,600 were tried, and many of them of
such a trifling nature, that the Judges had remarked that it would
have been far better to have had them tried at the county ses-
sions. 2d. The salary of the Chairman. At present that sa-
lary was paid by the Treasury, at whose will it might be in-
creased or diminished, or even stopped altogether. To render
a Judge independent the salary should be fixed, and such as, if
it were necessary to have an Act of Parliament to define, should
be made determined.
Sir P. LAURIE, Mr. CONST, Mr. MAnatorr, and other gen-
tlemen, addressed the Court, aver which the Committee was
appointed ; among the names were, Lord Kenyon, Mr. Byng,
Sir George Hampson, Sir James Williams, Sir John Sewell,
Mr. Broughton, Dr. Hodgson, the Dean of Carlisle, Sir P.
Laurie, Mr. W. Wynn, Colonel Wood, Sir J. Gibbon, &c.
The Court was proceeding with the other business when our
reporter left,