The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-09-27 00:00:00

his implicit confidence in the industry and wisdom of
Lord Melbourne ?

We defy any Mercury in the Heathen world (Mer-
cury, as we need not remind our readers, was the god
of thieves and conjurors, and the solver of riddles, and
very different from certain modern Mercuries, who
are no conjurors) to provide an answer for this per-
plexing question. He told the world, indeed, in his
celebrated Letter to Lord John Russell, that there was
one price at which he might be bought—their surren-
der to his mischievous crotchets on this subject. Have
even the Melbourne Ministers not gone far enough
for him ?—will they not yet go far enough ?—are they
determined, amidst all their wickedness, carefully to
eschew any particular wickedness which should bring
about the dreaded reconciliation with Lord Brougham?
And has he, in despair, abandoned at last this sole
condition, and surrendered himself at discretion to the
Mayor of Pimlico ? We dare not say. But this we
will venture to assure Lord Brougham, that even the
miserable Melbourne Ministry will not (because they
dare not) have him for a gift : he is so tricky and
intriguing and untrustworthy, that, galling as he is
while their enemy, he would be far more dangerous as
their friend. Offer what he will—implore what he
may—threaten what he can, he has placed himself far
beyond the pale of all political alliance, and no man in
his sober senses will dare to trust him for the future.
He offers the hand of friendship, as the Fox to the
Cock in Dryden's Fable; and any sane man will an-
swer him as the Cock answered the Fox—

Lest this truce with treason should be mixed,
'Tis my desire to have the tree betwixt."
We only wish his example may be a warning to rising
Whigs (if any such extraordinary creatures can be
found as rising Whigs) how far more valuable inte-
grity is than active intellect—sterling worth than vague,
declamation and fierce invective.

By the Skylark packet we have received our usual
files of the Jamica papers to the 17th ultimo inclusive.
The intelligence which they communicate is not of
much importance. The Jamica Gazette wishes us to
take note that there are 135,000 including whites,
brown, and black, entitled to the franchise in that island.
The number it is added, was on the increase. Such a
statement, if correct, of which perhaps there is no
doubt, must give rise to serious reflections with respect
to the state of the representation in that island, which,
it would appear, must fall before long into the hands
of the enfranchised population exclusively. How, in
the almost total absence of all education or moral fit-
ness for the exercise of rights conferring so much
power, or under the absolute guidance of parties
who,have proved themselves by their reckless intern-
perance of language and action so capable of goad-
ing them into any excess, the freed blacks may be
found to bear their new faculties, will naturally be..
come a subject of much uneasiness both here and in
the island. An indictment for libel brought by the
Rev. Mr. Knibb, the Baptist missionary, against Mr.
Dyer, of the Cornwall Courier, had resulted in a verdict
of " Not guilty." As a social peculiarity springing out
of recent changes, it may he noticed that the enfran-
chised negroes were not disposed to submit to the old
familiarities of being called solely by their Christian or
characteristic names, but insist on being saluted in the
more courteous fashion. After all, this is a merely
harmless exhibition of negro character, the leading fea-
ture of which is an excess of vanity, thus displayed in
affecting fine names, and fine or tawdry dress, in hum-
ble imitation of their superiors in station. It may even
be one and a principal means of exciting to better habits
of industry and good conduct, by the larger earnings
thereby acquired to be the more readily enabled to in-
dulge the ruling taste for luxuries seemingly above
their condition. .

The Governor of Jamaica had issued a proclamation
proroguing the meeting of the Legislature to the 10th
of this month, in the course of which he denounces the
conduct of the negroes in
,the parish of Trelawney
more especially, for refusing to work except at exorbi-
tant wages, and for insisting, as a condition for pay-
ment of rent, that they should be entitled to hold their
houses and grounds by yearly lease.

We have received a file of the Guiana Chronicle to

the sth of August inclusive. The News which they
contain is comparatively unimportant. They notice as
an interesting discovery, that the cocoorn of the silk-
worm had been recently found in the interior of the
colony. This had led to various speculations on the
practicability of introducing the growth of silk there.
It is properly observed in the Guiana Chronicle, that
as the climate of the East Indies, of various parts of
the United States, and of the southern states of Eu-
rope, is found well adapted for the rearing of silkworms
and the cultivation of the mulberry-tree, which is a
delicate plant, that of Demerara cannot be unfavour-
able. It is mentioned, indeed, that the neighbouring
French colony of Cayenne produces and exports silk
in some quantity. In the present depressed state of
sugar and coffee cultivation, and with no very cheer-
ing prospects of amelioration for the future, the plant-
ers are urged to enter upon this new and more profita-
ble career of cultivation and production, for which,
from the less laborious exertions requisite, there would
be no lack of the hands necessary.

By the packet-ship Europe, Captain Marshall, we
have received New York papers to the 2d instant, in-
clusive. The Europe arrived on Tuesday night, at too
late an hour for us to avail ourselves of the news which

she brought for our second edition of that day.
The Courier and Enquirer of the 2d instant says
that a better feeling was beginning to show itself in the

Stock Market, and that a considerable business was
transacted at advanced prices. The improvement ap-

pears to be attributed to the nature of the communi-
cation from the President of the United States Bank,
_ _

to the effect that no further demands for specie wou'

for the present be made by that institution in settle-
ment of balances. The business in foreign exchanges
for the packets was rather limited, and though the
market was fairly supplied with bills, some advance
was generally demanded by drawers, in consequence of
the United States Bank having declined selling for the
last few days. The Daily Express states that the
United States Bank does not draw for the present on
London. This, it is said, would be a severe disap-
pointment to many who have been in the habit of tak-
ing their bills at a moment's notice, and for vast
amounts. For the previous six months this institu-
tion had been a regular drawer at 1081 to 1091, and

in one instance at 60, thus keeping the rate not only
permanent, hut under the rate which would require the
shipment of specie; and whatever balances required
to be paid in specie, they had been the shippers. It is
urged that it would have been decidedly better for the
public that the Bank should be the shippers of specie,
than that the shipments should be made by a great
number of individuals. The transactions in exchange
on England had been limited at 8i to 9 per cent. The
demand for Cotton had been moderate, chiefly for ex-

port. Advices from Philadelphia to the Ist instant,
state that businesS was extremely dull, and the opera-
tions limited to a supply for immediate wants. The
scarcity of money was severely felt. The prices of
cotton were well sustained, and the supply limited.
Exchange on England was at 9 per cent.
The advices from Montreal are to the 28th ultimo.
In both provinces of Canada there prevailed the most
profound tranquillity. Sir John Colborne had sus-
pended the operation of martial law in Lower Ca-
nada.

Respecting the North-Eastern boundary question
we have the following information in the Courier and
Enquirer of the 27th ultimo :-
44 TII E NORTH-EASTERN BOUNDARY.—Messrs. Mudge and
Featherstonhaugh, at the date of our last accounts, were
actively engaged in their official duties, as the British go-
vernment surveyors of the North Eastern Boundary. They
reached Fredericton more than a fortnight ago, and immedi
ately commenced the requisite investigation at Government
House.
" The Fredericton Sentinel says they have been assisted
by his Honour the Chief Justice, and other individuals who
possess the requisite information. Of their intention, the
Sentinel says, that " the Scoudic will be examined to its
source, not the first lake, but the Farthest source or spring,
upon the westzrn branch of the same, which first mingles its
waters with those of the said river,' as described in the ori-
ginal grant of the country to Sir William Alexander ; whence
they can run a direct line to the highlands contemplated by
the treaty of 1783.
" John Wilkinson, Esq., civil engineer, who was engaged
i❑ the St. Andrew's railroad survey, and who is said to be
well acquainted with that part of the country, and also Mr.
Whitman, who was engaged in the same service, are to ac-
company the commissioners.
" We learn from the Augusta Age of the 20th, that Sir
John Harvey has written a letter to Governor Fairfield, in-
forming him that the commissioners appointed by Great
Britain are desirous of visiting the disputed territory to
ascertain the practicability of running the treaty line, We