Star.
London, England, 1824-01-31 00:00:00

INSURRECTION IN JAMAICA.

Dispatches flom Jamaica, of the date of the 9.1. th
of December, have been received at the Colonial
Department, in Downing•stteet, stating that con.iier-
able alarm had for some time existed in the parish

of St. George, but that as active preparations had been
made to guard against mischief, that parish was
then quiet. Insurrectionary movements had been
concerted in the estates on the coast, which were to
have broken out on the 17th December, but which
had been happily frustrated by the evidence of a
Ida who :disclosed the matter to his master in suf-
fic rot time to enable the Magistrates to adopt the neces-
sary measures of precaution. The principal agents in
this conspiracy, eight in number, were duly convicted

of being engaged in a rebellious conspiracy, and were
executed on the 24th ult. These Dispatches state that,
as the Regiment of Militia were on duty and distri-
buted on the different estates in the parish, the strongest
expectations were entertained that the holidays would
pass away without any serious disturbance taking place
to which result the execution of the slaves in St. Mary
was likely to contribute. The most judicious arrange•
meats had been made for the employment of his
Majesty's troops in the event of any farther symptoms
of revolt ; and no doubt was entertained of the means
of suppressing such any attempt before an serious con-
sequences could be felt.

The following further particulars of the recent events
in the Colony are

FROM A JAMAICA PAPER OF DEC. 23.

Extract of a letter from St. Mary's, dated Dec.2o :••••
" WC have had the whole regiment out, and seven re-
bellious fellows belonging to the Frontier have been taken
op. Three were tried, found guilty, and sentenced to
suffer death. Four more have been convicted, and sen-
tenced to be hanged. The sentence awaits the approval
of his. Grace.
Extract of another letter, dated the 21st. —" The
Militia here have all been under arms since Thurs-
day, in consequence of a plotting among the negroes,
which had for its object the burning of the estates, and
the destruction of all the White People. Those of
Frontier Estate and Port Maria were to have begun
the insurrection. There were eight men, seven belong-
ing to Frontier, and one to James Walker, Esquire,
condemned yesterday to be hanged. The expresses
to the Governor left Port Maria at half - past six
last night. The head driver on Oxford Estate was
taken into custody yesterday afternoon. No others have
yet been taken, but great alarm prevails, and the greatest
♦igilance is being used.
FROM THE PAPER OF THE 11TH.)-- A Resolution
has been agreed to by the House of Assembly for ao
portation of arms for the use of the militia of the island.

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Late accounts from Cuba state that the pirates had
again began to appear and infesttbe coast from Rebara
to Neuvitas, as no cruiser, either-British or American,
had visited that part of the coast for some time.

The relations of a parent State and its Colonies, are as
delicate in politics as those of the members of a family
are in domestic life, and whenever the harmony that
should subsist
,between them is interrupted, there are
always feund some perions More anxious to widen the
breach than to heal it. Such individuals, we regret to
find, are very active Ott present in some of our West
India Islands.

By the Jamaica Mail which reached us this morning,
we have papers and letters to the 94th of December,
which give painful evidence of the dreadful irritation
and exasperated feelings of the Colonists. An indepen-
dent State could not speak more strongly against our
Government, while the intemperate language that is
held is subversive of all subordination. In the House
of Assembly, on the 11th inst. a Mr. IiARRETT moved
an address to the KING, couched in terms that are
scarcely respectful to his MAJESTY, and are highly in-
sulting to his Government.
The Ministers are accused of endeavouring " to con-
fiscate the wealth of a few, who are weak and at a dis-
tance, to lighten the contributions of the remainder,
who are powerful, and who surround t?►e seat of Go•
vernment." The House of Commons is accused of
" falsely assuming that the labouring population of the
island are ill-treated and unhappy," and of seeking to
subvert the Constitution of the island. The memorial,
which assumes stronger language as it proceeds► next
charges the Ministers with hurrying the once prosper-
ous island of Jamaica to desolation and anarchy, ofl
submitting to the dictation of its avowed enemies and
rivals, of loading the Colony with additional exactions,
heaping insults and injuries on the Colonists; and one
of the Cabinet, the SECRETARY of SPATE for the COLO.I
NIES, is charged with having, " either from error of!
judgment, or natural incapacity," used " the influence,
of his high station, rather for the introduction of revo-
lutionary principles amoni:st them, than to confirm the
quiet and content that have distinguished Jamaica."

These are indeed serious accusations, and such as one
would suppose no Person would make on slight ground%
much less on no grounds at all,and yet there is not a single
act of the Government which justifies one ef the many
sweeping accusations. Mr. BARRETT brings against it.
This Gentleman, in his memorial, carefully avoids
stating the grounds of his vituperation ; but in another
article, which we subjoin at length, it will be found that
they rest solely on the resolutions passed at the close of
last Session in the 1-louse of Commons; and how any
man possessing reasonable faculties can draw such an
inference from them astonishes us, even whets we make
every allowance for interested motives and rooted dis-
like. What are these appalltng measures, that are to
ruin Jamaica? Why, that Ministers are anxious to
" ameliorate the condition of the Slave population," by
the adopting of such measutes as " shall be compatible
with the well being of the slaves themselves, with the
safety of the Colonies, and with the equitable considera-
tion of the interests of pi i vate property." This is the
suns and substance of the Nlinisttes crime, " the very
head and front of their offending bath this extent--no
more.' Had the Ilouse of Commons, instead of adopt-
ing these resolutions, declared that the slaves should be
at once admitted to an equal participation of rights and
property with their masters, the latter could only have
been justified in using such intemperate language as
Mr. BARRETT indulges in.
Hut we shall be told, that when these resolutions
were transmitted to the Colonies, they were accom-
panied by a letter from the Colonial Secretary, Earl
Baeueuse. That letter we inserted in the Sean of
Saturday last, and it will be found to give as little
ground for the charges of Mr. Balsam, as the resolu-
tions of the House of Commons. His Lordship de-
clares the wish of his MAJESTY, " that the punishment
of flogging should for the future cease with respect to
female slaves; but with the utmost delicacy to the
local authorities, Earl Ilaeunner does not assume
the power -of commanding it in the name of his
SOVEREIGN, being desirous that the prohibition should
proceed from the Court of Policy, as he was •• un-
willing to deprive them of the satisfaction which
he was sure they would feel in erigioating and sup-
porting a measure which has been approved of by
all classes." His Lordship expresses a further hope,
that " the practice of driving the slaves to their work
by the sound of the whip, and the arbitrary infliction of
it by the driver, as a stimulus to labour," will also be
abolished by the Court of Policy.
It may be true, that the factious in some of the Colo-
nies may have excites! the negroes to revolt with false
alarms about their emancipation, but Ministers are not
chargeable with this—their object is equally to protect
the property of the colonist and ameliorate the condi-
tion of the slave ; and nothing could be more tempe-
rate than the resolutions of the House of Commons,
as preparatot y to the measure, nor could Earl BATHURST
have made known the views and wishes of Government
to the colonists in terms less likely to create alarm or
give offence.
The following are extracts from the Jamaica Paters
last received :