The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-30 00:00:00

JAMAICA MEETING.

A Public Meeting of the Planters, Merchants, and
others intereste4 in Jamaica was held yesterday, pnr-
suant to intimation, at the Thatched House Tavern, St.
James's-street, for the purpose of offering to the Right
Hon. Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bart., on his return to this

country, an assurance of cordial participation with their
fellow-colonists in Jamaica, in the deep gratitude with
which they acknowledged the blessings of his adminis-
tration of the government of that colony, and their ex-
treme regret at, his resignation of it. The meeting
was most numerously and respectably attended. Lord
St. Vincent presided.
The CHAmmAN, having briefly stated the objects of
the meeting, as contained in the advertisement, called
upon Mr. Burge, the Jamaica agent, to explain them at
greater length.
Mr. BuRGE said, that in compliance with what he be-
lieved to be the universal feeling of all connected with
Jamaica, he had requested their attendance at that meet-
ing, in order that he might submit a proposition to them,
which he had no doubt would be in accordance with all

their views—a proposition for addressing Sir
Charles Metcalfe, on his return to this country, and

offering to him that homage of gratitude which they
owed him, for his admirable administration of the go-
vernment of Jamaica.—(Hear, hear.) Of the many
occasions on which it had been his (Mr. Burge's) lot to
address an assembly of gentlemen connected with Ja-
maica, he could not recollect one on which he did so with
more pleasure than on the present occasion. Too
often a feeling of regret at what had passed, or of anx-
iety at what was about to happen, was apt to cause an
unpleasantness to pervade their meetings ; they had now.
however, no other feeling but that which must be grate-
ful to the heart of every man, that of doing justice to a
distinguished public servant, acknowledging the inesti-
mable services he had rendered to them, and assuring
him of the heartfelt interest they took in every thing
that concerned his honour and welfare.—(Hear.) lie
believed the occasions had been rare in which they had
ever assembled to return thanks to a Governor 01
Jamaica on the close of his administration. Why it
should be so, it was difficult to conceive ; but so it was.
In one respect, certainly, there never was an occasion
when the situation of Jamaica was so critical, when the
difficulties to be surmounted were so great and arduous,
as when Sir Charles Metcalfe was induced to accept the
administration of the government of the colony. From
the period of the commencement of his administration to
its close, there was not only no part of his conduct
which was wholly free from exception, but there was
no part on which it was possible to dwell otherwise than
with feelings of the warmest gratitude ; and at the same
time it was impossible to entertain any other than feel-
ings of the highest admiration at the judgment and
ability with which he had conducted himself throughout
his administration. The very acceptance of the Governor-
ship ofJamaica of itself entitled him to their warmest gra-
titude. No one had forgotten that at the period when
that valuable colony was offered to him it was sur-
rounded with the most appalling difficulties—difficulties
which would have deterred almost any person from ac-
cepting the Government—difficulties which were such
as to have caused an apprehension in an honest and
honourable mind that they were almost insurmountable.
And, of all men, perhaps Sir Charles Metcalfe was the
person who might, if actuated by ordinary motives, have
declined the acceptance of the government of the colony.
He required no laurels; his reputation he did not need
to have increased, for already had he gained laurels
enough, already had he established a great reputation for
consummate ability and skill in a very important Go-
vernment, which he had before administered ; and
according to that measure of injustice with which the
world often meted, it might have happened that if Sir
Charles had failed in Jamaica his hitherto high reputa-
tion would in some degree have been impaired. But
that gallant man had one motive, and one only--it was,
to serve his country.— (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Burge)
felt his incompetency, in any language of his o am, to
express the motives which induced Sir Charles Metcalfe
to undertake the Government of Jamaica ; Sir Charles
had however, beautifully expressed it himself in a letter
which he had addressed to one of the parishes of Jamaica,
alluding,to the state of the colony when he entered upon
the Government. (The speaker then re-ad the letter,
Which was written by Sir Charles, and ascribed his
Motive for accepting the Government of the colony
purely to public grounds, at a time when he would
rather as an individual have preferred retiring into
private life.) With that motive he entered on the ad-
ministration of the Government of Jamaica, and every
act of his life, from the period when he first touched
upon the shores of that colony till he quitted them,
amidst the tears and benedictions of the people, was
directed towards the accomplishment of the object with
which he entered upon it. The difficulties he had to over-
come were great beyond conception, and one of thegreatest
of them all perhaps was this, that unhappily for years the
public mind in this country had been imbued with a
prejudice so deep and strong against that colony, that
the actual condition of the colony itself, and the character
and condition of its people were wholly unknown to the
Government—were wholly unknown to the people of this
country ; and it was in consequence of that ignorance,
and the difficulty of overcoming it, that the Governor
commenced his career in Jamaica. The first step he took
was to disabuse her Majesty's Government on these points.
With uncompromising honesty and fidelity, with a Jibe-
_ ality and candour all must acknowledge, he entered
fairly and fearlessly on the conduct of the colonists. He
reported it to the Government. He vindicated the colony
and the island Magistracy to the Government, from the
mass of calumny with which they had been nigh over-
whelmed ; and he observed to the Government that
Jamaica, with regard to her institutions, and in every
other point, should be treated with precisely the same
consideration as the mother country.—(Hear.) He
asked to govern the country on a system of strict impar-
tial and even-handed justice, to maintain the just rights
of all, and to protect the Legislature and the Magis-
tracy, as well as the whole population, in the enjoyment
of their rights, and thus to give to the people of Jamaica
the proof that they were in reality, by the consideration
of the law, part and parcel of the mother country. They
saw then his Government proceeding on the vindica-
tion of the colony, and the protection of all in it, and
they had him laying down, in his despatches, the principles
for the Government of Jamaica. In these despatches he
stated his intention of always attending to the wishes
of the great majority of the population, and he always
expressed a strong desire that the same laws should pre-
vail in Jamaica as did in England. Those were the
principles with which he entered en his Govern-
ment, and those were the principles by which he
brought it to a successful close. He restored goad
feeling, and harmony, and order amongst all classes of
the community, and he closed his administration, having
rendered justice to all, protected the rights of all, and
having so administered the government of that grett
colony, that the affection and gratitude which had
sprung up towards him in the hearts of all classes in
Jamaica, would be responded to in England by the un-
qualified approbation of his Sovereign, and the testi-
mony of all persons who had regarded his administra-
tion, that it was one impartial and just, as well as wise
and able.—(Hear, hear.) It was, perhaps, a rare oc-
currence that the esteem and respect with which the ad-
ministration of the Government of Jamaica was regarded
by the people of that colony, was equalled, as on the
present occasion, by the manner in which it was re-
garded by the Sovereign. lie, however, enjoyed the
confidence, and the respect, and the admiration of the
people of the colony and the people at home ; and it
was the glorious effect of actions like his that their in-
fluence was neither confined to the age nor country in
which they were exercised ; the administration
of the Government of Jamaica by Sir Charles Met-
calfe would live in Jamaica in future ages as
it would be felt and acknowledged in every colony
of the British Empire, and no Minister—no voice of
the people of England—could ever hereafter commit the
fatal error of conducting the colony on any other form
of government than that adopted by Sir Charles Met-
calfe. Happily he had been supported by her Majesty's
Government—the Noble Lord the late Secretary of
State, as well as his successor. They ought to do justice
to the Government who responded to the feelings of Sir
Charles Metcalfe. It was an act of justice to the late
Government to acknowledge that they appointed an in-
dividual like Sir Charles Metcalfe, and then gave him
their cordial co-operation, confidence and support.
Lord John Russell deserved the
.highest praise for the
support and assistance which he rendered to Sir Charles
Metcalfe. He (Mr. Burge) need scarcely tell them
that unless Sir Charles's plan had met with the concur-
rence of the Government, his efforts would have been
wholly fruitless. These were the observations which he
(Mr. Burge) had thought it right to make in proposing
to them the course which they should adopt. He could.
not close his remarks without recalling to their minds,
not only the claims which Sir C. Metcalfe's public ser-
vices had upon those connected with Jamaica, but the
peculiar claims which he had also for the numerous acts
of liberality and charity bestowed by him in the most
generous manner, on all the charitable and religious in-
stitutions of Jamaica, and on every institution which has
the benefit of Jamaica in view. His generosity was great.
He laid an in., istible claim upon every one by the kind-
ness and condescen:don with which he conducted himself.
They were now about to make an expression of the obli-
gations which they owed to him for rescuing Jamaica
from the difficulties which surrounded her when he ac-
cepted the government. He should propose the adoption
of a resolution agreeing to present an address to him on
his arrival, expressive of a participation, cordial and
sincere, in the sentiments which their fellow-colonists in
Jamaica had expressed in acknowledging the benefits
which had resulted from his administration of the Go-
vernment of Jamaica. Mr. Burge then moved the fol-
lowing resolution—" That an address be presented to the
Right Hon. Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bart., expressing our
most sincere and cordial participation in the sentiments
of admiration, esteem, affection, and gratitude, with which
all classes of our fellow-colonists in Jamaica have ac-
knowledged the benefits which his wise, able, beneficent,
and impartial administration of the Government have
conferred upon them." The speaker concluded by pro-
posing an address which lie had drawn up for the consi-
deration of the meeting.
Sir ALEXANDER GRANT seconded the motion.
Sir I. L. GOLDSMID said, though he was not connected
with Jamaica, he trusted he should be excused for saying
a few worth, cordially approving, as he did, of the ad-
dress. He approved of that address in consequence of
the protection which the Right Hon. Baronet for whom
it was intended, had showa to that class of persons to
which he belonged.—(Hear,
hear.) He had shown the
utmost attention and kindness to the Jews of Jamaica.—
(Hear.) He (Sir I. Goldsmid) was anxious to express
his approbation of this address, too, on another ground.
Having been intimately acquainted with the Right Hon.
Baronet's father fOr more than
fifteen years, he could say
that the virtues which he possessed in so eminent a de-
gree appeared to their utmost ektent to have descended
to his son. He should be happy, as far as was in his
power, to testify his respect for Sir Charles Metcalfe in
some more solid way than by presenting him with an
Address; and he hoped the ;meeting would not separate