The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-22 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

The Avon has brought us our customary dispatch
from our correspondent at Kingston, Jamaica. The
steamer left the harbour of that place at daylight on
the morning of the 25th March. There is no intel-
ligence of particular interest.
The Right Honourable the Earl of Dundonald,
Vice-Admiral of the West'lndia station, left Port
Royal, in the ship Wellesley, 74, for Bermuda, a few
days before the departure of the steamer. An address
was prepared and presented to his Lordship by the in-
habitants of Kingston, welcoming his Lordship to the
island, and at the same time representing to him the
inconvenience and injuries that will probably arise
from the alteration in the routes of the Royal Mail
Company's steamers. Ills Lordship made a suitable
reply, and promised to use his official influence for the
benefit of the island in respect to the measure. In
reference to the subject, on the following day his
Lordship addressed a second letter to the Mayor of
Kingston, in which he observes :
" Marring to our inclosed resolutions, passed at a
meeting of the merchants and other inhabitants at the
Court-house, on Wednesday, the 26th of December,
1849, I have no doubt that to exclude Jamaica from
direct communication with the mother-country, to di-
minish the number of mails, and convey theta by St.
Thomas's, would be injurious to the trade and commerce
of this island; that the geographical position of Jamaica
points it out as an entrcpot of commerce between Great
Britain, Yucatan, Maracaibo, the Northern and Western
coasts of South America, the Isthmus of Panama, and
Gulpn of Mexico; that Jamaica possesses a harbour of
great capacity and convenience, its marginal depth or
water at Kingston failitating the coaling of steam-
vessels, and the debarkation or embarkation of cargo
and passengers, without the intervention of boats, and
that all kinds of refreshments can be afforded hero to
the passengers cud better than at St Thomas's, which is
an island destitute of vegetation."
His Lordship then proceeds to point out the im-
policy of the island authorities of Jamaica in sub-
jecting vessels arriving there to the payment of ton-
nage dues, and recommends their assimilating their
laws in this respect to those of St. Thomas.
There were several vessels of war lying in Port
Royal. The following is a list :—Ship Itnaum (72),
Commander Sandow, with broad pendant of Commo-
dore T. Bennet; ship Trincomalee (26), Captain R.
L. Warren ; brig Helena (16), Commander N. Da
Courcy ; brig Sappho (12), Commander the Hon.
Lieutenant Cochrane ; brig Persian (12), Com-
mander A. G. Bullman ; steamer Plumper (6),
Commander M. S. Nolloth • schooner Bermuda (2),
Commander Jolly ; U. S. ship Raritan (60), Captain

The island newspapers contain a report of a case of
quite a novel character, recently adjudicated by a
Court of Admiralty sessions. It appears that upwards
of twenty-six years ago, a person named Klaber in-
duced an old black woman named Betsey Neilson
to proceed with her to Cuba, where, on their ar-
rival, she sold her into slavery. The old black woman
subsequently got her liberty, and after a very long
absence returned to Kingston, where she acciden-
tally met Klabcr. The prisoner was cmvicted, and
sentenced to an imprisonment of three years in the
penitentiary.
The Jamaica Bank had made its usual half-yearly
report, which was considered satisfactory by the
shareholders.

In the parish of Trelawny a very useful associa-
tion has just been set on foot, called " The Trelawny
Joint-stock Agricultural Association." Its objHct is
to cultivate the minor products of the soil, and, at
the same time, to furnish the means of employment to
many at present unemployed. The project has been
very highly spoken of by the press.
The weather was unchanged, and the island re-
mained healty.
EXCHANGES ON LONDON.—Jamaica B ink, 90 days,
par ; 60 days, a per cent. prem.; 30 days, 1 per cent.
prem. Colonial Bank, 90 days, per cent. prem. ;
60 days, 1 per cent. prem. ; 30 days, 11 per cent.
prem.

TRINIDAD.

The Port of Spain Gazette publishes a detailed se
count of a destructive fire which took place at that
town on the night of the 7th March. It says :
"It is our painful duty to record to-day the most e 35-
tensive loss of property, by fire, which has occurred in
this town since the memorable conflagration of 1808;
but at the same time, with heartfelt gratitude, to return
thanks to that Divine Providence which, in its mercy,
so signally aided the efforts made for arresting the pro-
gress of the devouring element; but fir which gracious
interposition the whole of the most valuable portion of
the busk ets part of the town—the substantial buildings
uud the immense amount of property stored in them—
must have been consumed to ashes; many of our most
prosperous merchants reduced to bankruptcy, and num-
berless families invotvel in the general beggary and
ruin. The loss sustained on this occasion cannot be es-
tinr,t-J1 at less than 12,0001. sterling. It is divided be-
tween Dr. Garcia (the owner of the whole of the build-
ings that have been consumed), Messrs. J. S. Wain-
wright and Co., Mr. Cra'ldock (proprietor of the Crown
and Anchor Hotel), Mr. N. Garcia, Mr. Carrera, Miss
Parker, and other owners of retail shops."

The news from Mexico by this arrival is not of
the slightest importance. At Vera Cruz and Tam-
pico there is considerable actirity in commercial
affairs.

At Cuba we learn that the crop of coffee was likely
to be a failure. The tobacco crop, on the contrary,
would be most abundant. Mr. Bankhead, her Ma-
jesty's Minister for Mexico, took his departure from
the liavannah, in the Medway, on the 26th of March.
At Barbadoes nothing worth noticing has trans-
pired since our last advices. The island was healthy.
About one P.M. on Saturday, the 30th March, the
town and harbour of Nassau were visited by a sudden
squall, termed a " tornado," which scarcely lasted one
minute, but during that time it did much damage,
having destroyed about fifty houses, tearing up large
trees by the roots, &c. Eight persons were killed;
one man had his head carried clean off. Many per-
sons were severely injured; eight or nine are danger-
ously hurt. Several vessels were sunk and others
dismasted in the harbour.

At Antigua, the House of Assembly had been
specially called together by the Governor, in conse-
quence of the impossibility of adjourning at the pre-
vious meeting, owing to the separation of the council
before the adjournment was decided upon by the
House. A Bill authorising the treasurer to effect a
loan of 7,5001. was passed. Mr. B-iker's Bill to pro..
hibit the use of acetate of lead and other poisonous
substances in the manufacture of sugar, was read a
third time and passed. Mr. Walter's Bill to repeal
the Bill for encouraging the introduction of labourers
from Madeira, was thrown out by the consent of its
introducer, with an understanding that the House
would pass a Bill making the period of indenture of
such labourers three years, instead of one year, as at
present. A message from the Governor was received,
intimating his Excellency's intention of visiting Eng-
land on leave of absence, and informing the House
that the general Government would be administered
during his absence by the Lieutenant-Governor of
S. Kitt's. The house stands adjourned till the 4th
of April, when it is expected his Excellency will pro-
rogue the Legislature previous to his departure for
England.
The weather during the last week had been fa-
vourable to vegetation. The late long-continued
drought had been most severely felt. The scarcity
of grass and water had been so great that in many
places the cattle had died for want of food.
The Jamaica Dispatch, of the 25th of March, has
an account of the wreck of the Clarence, from Liver-
pool to New Orleans. Tier commander (Captain
James Mitchell) is said to have been accidentally
drowned on the Bth of February, when the mate
took charge of the ship. Being short of water she
neared Port Maria, in Jamaica, and got a boat on
shore, and in trying to get near the shore to meet the
boat, she missed stays, and was totally wrecked near
Castle Gordon. The crew and their effects were
saved.

An accident attended with loss of life occurred at
Demerara on the Bth of March. The royal mail
steamer Eagle, with the mails, on going out of the
harbour, run foul of the schooner Tay, and so injured

her that she filled and sank in a few moments. The
Tay had a large number of passengers on board,
and, notwithstanding that immediate assistance was
rendered, three or four lives were lost. Captain Ras•
tarrick is fully acquitted of all blame.
The British iron brig Josephine, of Liverpool, was
on the bar at Tampico.' the cargo saved.
A small steamer atid two barques (Americans),
en route to California, put info. Bermuda in distress.
The. English schooner, SeofS,aodd, of Newcasqe,
Ellis, master, bound to Cork or Falmouth, was run
down in the Bay of Biscay on the night of the, 6th
February last, by the Eaglish barque Ivanhoe, of
Liverpool, and brought to the Havannah 26th March,
all hands saved. The English schooner, Return, of
Halifax, was totally lost near Marie!, 15 miles west
of Havannah, within twelve hours after leaving port..
Foreign Vessels of War—Lll at Havannah : The
American frigate Raritan, Commodore Parkar ;
American schooner Flirt ; Sparel,h brig Isabel IL,
Spanish ship Soherano, Spanish corvette Colon; Louis
Ferdinand, 2I guns, sailed March 27.

Stations of her Majesty's Ships—Sappho, Persian,
Plumper, Vixen, and Bermuda, at Jamaica. Trin-
comalee and Alarn4 at Barbadoes. Wellesley (Vice-
Admiral the Earl Dundonald), at Bermuda. No
English ship-of-war in the Gulf of Mexico or
Havannsh.

Stations of the Company's Steam-Ships—The
Great Western, Captain Wolfe, at Havannah, bound
to Jamaica; the Tay, Captain Chapman, down the
Spanish Main ; the Medway, Captain Simmons, sailed
from Havannah 28th March, for Vera Cruz; the
Clyde, Captain Moss, arrived at Bermuda sth April,
from St. Thomas's ; the Conway, Captain Woolley,
arrived at St. Thomas's 31st 111-trch; the Eagle,
Captain Restarick, at Barbadoes.