The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-24 00:00:00

iTronb7Zbition

SUN OFFICE, Three o'Cloch.

The Duke of BUCKINGHAM and the Members of the
agricultural Association, of which he is Patron, or
nore properly, Dictator, are determined to keep up the
'arce, and denounce the small measure of Sir ROBERT
PEEL as one ruinous to their interests. A numerous
neeting of the Aylesbury Association was held yester-
lay, at which the DUKE presided, with closed doors,
iven the reporters of papers favourable to their
interests being shamefully excluded. The talkers, how-
iver, it was ascertained, made a terrible noise, inveigh-
ng, in strong terms, against the new scale and the new
i'remier, and when the DUKE spoke he was, of course,
cheered to the top of their voices. After mature deli-
beration, they at last came to the following resolutions—

" Resolved,—l. That it is the opinion of this meeting, that the
sliding, scale respecting the duty on corn should be adhered to.
" 2. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the farmer
should be protected to the amount of 60s. per quarter, whilst the
proposed scale of Sir R. Peel's Government extends that protection
to only 565. per quarter.
" 3. That the,thanks of this Association be given to the Duke of
Buekingham and Chandos for the manly, firm, and consistent course
he has taken in the defence of the agricultural interest, and that
this resolution be entered on the minutes."

‘.ll this looks very hostile, and a Tory paper, to keep up
he joke, Makes a serious matter of this secession, and
counsels the Corn-law Duke and his followers to keep
;he peace towards Sir ROBERT PEEL a d all his Cabinet.
After the secret meeting there was a public dinner at
he inn, where the talk was renewed, and to such an
extent was this mock rebellion carried, that the.Bucx-
iNGHAM nominees for the borough-of Aylesbury were se-
.-erely blamed by his Grace foe voting with Sir R. PEEL,
13 if they were not well aware that in him they live,
nn 00 lace.vn es andaTd haveh
weßill,
when
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esl
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his vate of that
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ee Cg
atomina
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.vill be played; strong speeches against the measure will
')e made by BUCKINGHAM, and possibly also by Ricn-
.loND, about the ruin of agriculture, and the
'yeat boon given to a discontented, ungrateful,
tnd troublesome manufacturing population. When
he scene closes they will secretly rejoice that they
have made such a good bargain, knowing well that
he new sliding scale will protect them as much as ever.
['he people, however, are not to be deluded by such bare-
-ed mockery, and will continue the agitation till a tho
cough reform is effected, and a measure of relief granted
which shall give them the substance, and, not like this
.'ollow scheme, the mere shadow.

With reference to - the question put by Mr. O'CoN-
NEL,L, in the House of Commons, last night to the
goble Secretary for the Colonies respecting a mas-
,acre of the coloured population of Jamaica, we
have seen extracts from a letter addressed to Mr.
.losErit STunGE by a resident in that island,
upwards of 150 years it
detailing all the particulars of this very horrible
affair. The account is too long 'for insertion
in our columns, but in substance it is. to the
following effect;-For
had been Customary in the Island of Jamaica to permit
the black population to celebrate- the festival of Christ-
mas with a degree of license as unbounded as that which
.prevailed in Pagan Rome during the Saturnalia. They
. were in the habit of traversing the streets with musical
instruments, dancing, singing, and disguising them-

selves in ridiculous costumes. This license tl.e
Mayor of Kingston determined to put a stop to,
with a view to annoy the blacks for having so strenu-
ously struggled for emancipation, and afterwards proving
themselves so worthy of that boon. He accordingly
directed the police to disperse the musical proces-
sions, seize their drums and other instruments ; and if
they met with resistance to seize and imprison the ring-
leaders. These orders were carried into effect with
all the brutality of which a licensed police force are
capable. They beat and insulted the unresisting people,
broke their drums, and compelled them at last to have
recourse to missiles in their own defence. The Major had
everything in readiness for such a state of things ; he
read the Riot. Act in a corner, where not a dozen per-
sons could hear him, and instantly the word was given to
fire upon the defenceless crowd I Four persons were
killed at the first discharge, of whom two were
respectable young men who were mere specta-
tors, and two young women, one of them far
advanced in a state of pregnancy. Ten or twelve were
wounded, some of whom died within a few days. Fright-
ful atrocities followed, which the writer states he wanted
time to recount, and for which he declares it would be
, absurd to look for justice, except at the hands of the
British Legislature.

From Madrid the papers received direct are of the
15th inst. They state that the Regent had received des-
patches from the revolutionary Government of Portugal,
declaring that the QUEEN entertained the greatest friend-
ship for his Highness„ and that no measure would be
sanctioned by the Cabinet opposed to the established
Government of Spain.

On :he Madrid Bourse the Five per Cents. were at 29
for cash.

The right of search question is the only political topic
of any interest in the French papers. The Opposition
Journals are not content with the conduct of the Govern-
ment, in declining for the present the ratification of the
Treaty of the Fve Powers. They now demand a decla-
ration from the Government, that the Treaty will not be
ratified at any future period by France, and that the
country will get rid of the Slavery-suppression engage-
ments of 1831 and 1833. They contend that to ratify
the Treaty would provoke a war with the United
States, in which the navy of the only Power,
capable of enabling France to beat England,
would be destroyed. Every consideration of justice
and humanity gives way before considerations sug-
gested by anticipations of a war with England.
Were we as vain as we are a great people, the conduct
of France would supply ample food for the gratification
of our vanity.- We can propose no great object to our-
selves for the amelioration of the miseries of the human
race, in which we desire the co-operation of our neigh-
bours, without awakening their fears and exciting their
jealousy. If our missionaries seek to diffuse a know-
ledge of the Gospel among the heathen, a cry is raised
that we are seeking to extend our Colonies. No allow-
ance can be made for religious enthusiasm—none for an
apostolic sincerity of purpose, however mistaken, on
the part of British propagators of the Gospel. It
is known to all Europe that the Anti-Slavery Society
in England was long oppposed by the Govern-
ment and the Legislature ; that it was after long
struggles, and overwhelming force of public opinion,
that the - Government was driven to discountenance
slavery, yet now the French Press Rill have it that the
right of search is only sought for the dishonest purpose
of extending the maritime greatness of England. France
refuses to ratify the Treaty of the Five Powers, solely
because her people are jealous of the superiority of our
navy. It is to no purpose that our Government offers
that the number of cruizers, exercising the rights given
by this Treaty, should be equal on the part of France
and England. They will listen to nothing but the sug-
gestions of their unworthy fears and groundless appre-
hensions.

The Ministerial Journals are endeavouring to discre-
dit the reports of a CHRISTINO rising being contemplated
in Spain. There is not, however, the shadow of a doubt
of the fact. Still there is a possibility that it will not
take place, owing to the strong opinions upon the atro
city of such a "proceeding expressed in the English
House .of Cornmons.

We have received the following letter from St. Denis, Isle of
Bourbon :—" We have' taken possession of the island of Nos.Be,
which will eventually becoriie a good military post, but it is a most
unhealthY one. Out of a detachment of fifty infantry we lost thirty.
four in two months, and eleven artillerymen have died out of thir.
teen. This island is not so large as Bourbon; it contains 18,000
innabitants, who are half savage, it is true, but who were perfectly
willing tO submit to the. dominion of France. Ido not know
whether we shall be able to retain it; but, at any rate, as we have
established a garrison there, we shall at least adopt the sanitary
precautions prescribed by prudence."— Temps.
BOURSE—Pius, TUESDAY, FEB. 22.