Star.
London, England, 1829-01-09 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

Pursuant to Proclamation, the House of Assembly at
Jamaica met on the 18th November (or the dispatch of
business. The Speaker and the whole House went up
in the usual form to receive the Lieutenant-Governor's
Speech, which was as follows:
" Gentkoten of the Council,
" Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the Assembly,
" I have delayed calling you together until the latest moment.
In t►e hope that this Session would have been opened by the Earl
of Beintore, whom his Majesty has been graciously pleased to ap-
point to succeed the Duke of Manchester in the Government of
this Island. The advanced season of the year admits no further
delay, and I shall immediately submit to you the substance of such
instructions as I have received (tom Ms Majesty's Governmet.t. I
am persuaded you will enter upon the consideration of them with
your accustomed good temper.
" Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the Assembly,
44 I look to you with that confidence which my experience of
ynor liberality justifies, fur the usual supplies.
" Gentlemen of the Council,
Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the Assembly,
" As I am in hourly expectation of the Bari of Belmore's arrival,
permit me to avail myself of this, probably the last opportunity of
assuring you, that I shall always reflect upon the short period of
my administration with pride and gratitude—pride that his Majesty
should have deemed me worthy of being iutrusted with the govern.
meet of one of the most valuable possessions of the British Crown,
and gratitude for having uniformly been treated with a kindness
'and courtesy, the remembrance of which will case oaiy with
I my We..
The following Address was voted, and presented the
next day s

VIZ HUMBLE ADDRESS OR THE ASSEMBLY OY JAMAICA.
" May it please your Honour,
" We, his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Assem-
bly of Jamaica, return your Honour our thanks for your speech at
the opening of the Session.
" It is with deep regret we learn that this island is about to lose
the valuable services of your H as Lieutenant Governor.
" Whatever instructions your. Honour msy submit to ws, by
desire of his islajesty's Government, will be entered upon with per-
fect good temper.
" Your Honour may be assured that, in granting supplies for the
contingencies of the island, we shall act with as much liberality u
we can, In justice to the country.
" We thank your Honour for your kind espressions of regard
to the island. We trust you are convinced that, in quitting the
government of the island, you carry with you the esteem and respect
of the whole of Its inhabitants."

To which the Lieut. Governor returned the following answer—
" Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Assembly,
" I return you thanks for dais Address, and for the flattering
assurance you give me, that on retiring from the government of this
island Isbell carry with me the litCellll and respect of its inhabitants."
Four messages were sent down from the Lieut.-Go-
vernor—the first relating to the instructions received
by him from his Majesty's Government, relative to the
enactment of a new slave law; the second on the sub-
ject of the double duties; the third with the returns of
island pay and lodging money ; and the fourth with
the army contingent accounts.
The first and second messages were ordered to lie on
the table, and the third and fourth referred to a Com •
mince of Accounts.

In the sitting of the 21st, Mr. Hodgson, after a few
remarks, moved the first reading of - the Slave Bill
passed' in 1826, and disallowed by his Majesty. This
led to a Tay lengthy and angry debate. Several mem-
bers spoke in favour of the first reading then, in order

to save the time of the House, as the principle of the
different clauses could afterwards be discussed. Mr.
Atkinson was decidedly against receiving the Bill at
all, for the reasons he had stated in 1026. that it was
a stepping-stone for, requiring further ciince-sions; in
proof of which he cited a wailed .n train the instruc•
tions to the Governor, sent down by him to it. House.
where they actually requited more than that Bill con•
tai teal, although at tile same time they gave the Halm
credit fur many of the enactments in that Bill. He
hoped it would be rejected at once. Mr. Batty, Mr.
Turner, and Mr. Hyslop spoke on the same side. The
douse, at length divided, *lien there appeared, for re.
ceivir2A the. Bill 18, and, 17 against it.
atflffr sortie rut tber attempts en the part of the op.
posers of. the Bill 0 obtain
.its rejection, it was Onally '
agreed it
.should be read ,second time on that day
weelt.(26th), and a Calf of the House. was ordered for
that day. Ti,e following, Resolution was al-o agreed to t
That it be recommended to the House to direct the Rea
ceiver General to remk to the Island Agent, free s!‘ the
min of 3,000 guineas, to be paid to the order of Ma cam! Bir
John Keane, K.C.B. as a testimonial of the high sense this Home
entertains of•iiiransioent wakes es Commanding his Majesty's
Voices. and Isis able and upright Administration of the Civil Go-
'eminent of this island."
The call of the House was ordered to be advertised,
after which it adjourned.
The following ate the Messages sent down to the
House of Assembly of Jam.ica by Sir John Keane on
the 16th of November last: . .

'I Mr. SPIAILLR—I em commandel by his Honour
the Lieutenant-Governor to communicate to the House
the substance of certain instructions he has r ce wed
flora his Majesty's Government.
44 The House will naturally suppose that an object of
0 e hfghest importance in the estimation of his Majesty's
Government is a renewal of these salutary provisions
in favour of the slave population. which prtade- rne•
rally the Slave Act of 18'26, and which encourage. the
gratifying expectation that thee general measures for
bettering the condition of the slate population, which
have-at different times been brought under the erns'.
desertion of the Assen.bly, strongly urged by the %ma.
nimbus opinion of Parliament, will at last meet with a
favourable reception, and that the island of Jamaica (as
it is the most valuable colony belonging to his Majesty)
wi'l not confine itself to such measures of improvement
alone as have been pursued in other colonies, without
detriment having residud from them, but will act upon
a more enlarge.) and enlightened policy.
44 There are two leading objects, for the at'ainment
of which effectual provision should be made. The first
is the gradual elevation of the moral character of the
slaves, and the second it the just rights of property
which existing laws have vested in their owners. It
must be obvious to every man capable of reflection,
that. independently of the sacredness of the obligation,
which requi es that no impediment should be placed in
the way of slaves acquiring a knowledge of the great
truths of religion, there is no more certain mode of ad-
vancing their civilization, without cetriment or danger
tai society at I.rge, than by religious instruCtion.—
Amongst the enactments which will suggest themselves
upon this subject, there is.uone which appears more
(Toper, more becoming in itself, or which it is more in.
cumberit spots the Legislature of every Christian country
to enforce, than the due obser trance I f Sunday. It is
most de.i: able that Sunday should be to the slave popu-
Ishii it a day of entire relaxation, and open to be devoted
to ieligious dirties and to moral instruction.
" His Majesty's Government are aware, however,
that whilst provision is made for securing to the slave
sufficient time and opportunity fir religious instruction,
and every latitude is allowed with respect to the mode
of instruction, which the spirit of tole. ation demands,
it is very fir, notwithstanding, that certain local sego's.
lions should be established, to guard against those abuses
and that misapplication to which the best inst.tutions
are liable, and to obviate those disorders which might
be occasioned, or the apprehension of which might at
least be teasonably et tertatned, if an unrest' icted liberty
were pr resit ted to assemble considerable Indies of slaves
at un..eas. ruble hours, or withqut the previous sanction
of the it owner'. •
The in at ofject, in point of importance, is the ad-
mission of the evidence of slaves. It cannot be denied
that, by elevating the slave to the rack. of a I et son whose
evidence is admitted under the same testiicion only
under which that of free men is received, and by teach-
ing him that the avenues of justice are tint closed against
his testimony in any case whatsoever, an improvement
will be effected, as well in the character r f the slave
himself, as in the geaeral feeling and conduct of the
population at large.
" The experience his Majesty's Government have had
of the disposition of the Lrgsslatur e of Jamaica to bestow
a favourable consideration on this subject. by the quali-
fied admissi• n of slave evidence in the la as of 1826,
encourages a reasonable hope that the continued tran-
quillity of the Island, the peaceable and dutiful de-
meanour of the slaves, even when they found them-
selves suddenly deprived of a privilege which had been
so recently conferred upon them, and without the
knowledge of the causes which occasioned that tern.
porary deprivation, all concur in pointing nut the present
moment as peculiarly fit for conferring the privilege to
the slaves. of their evidence being received is, all Courts
without limitation.

" This privilege, important as it is to them, may be
conferred with perfect security ; whilst it raises the
character of tl:e whole class, it will be actually exer-
cised but by few. That exercise, too. will be occasional
and dependent on accident. It is a boon that bestows
no power; it merely removes an universal brand of
falsehood. •
" An objection may seem to arise from the chances cf
perjury ; but those are chances which accompany all
trial by the te.timony of witnesses ; and interests as near,
and prejudices as strong. as any which can be supposed
to influence the slave, either on behalf of his master or
against him, have always existed in every ,ociety, with-
out being found to endanger the general probabilities of
truth. Nor are the peculiarities of %%est Indian scciety
to be urged as a ground for exception from ibis genetal
argument. On the contrary, they add reasons why the
principle may be applied with especial safety. The Courts,
the Judges, and the Juries, are of a different class and
colour from the propost d witnesses, act:indicted for the
most past with the habits and tendencies of the slave ;
ac-
customed to measure his understanding. his moral sense,
and the accuracy of his perceptions ; and, protected by
all these advantages against the-danger ut any undue
influence or impression frdo Ws testimony, the proposed
privilege goes only to make that testimony admissible,

not to make it conclusive It establishes his competence,
not his credibility. Perjury, to be miachievnus, must
be consistent in all the circumstances of its 6co ion; and
the lower the rate of intellect employed in the contri-
vance, the less is that consistency to be apprehended.
It will hardly be maintained that the Negroes are of
so ingenious a turn of mind—so adroit in the fabrics-1
tion of falsehm.d, and so fertile in resou•ces for support
ing it, under the pressure of a public examination, as
to baffle the reach of truth more effectually than the
practitioners of ,raud io the great societies of Europe.
" These p•,ints his Honour the Lieutenant Governor
is !bore particularly instructed to press upon the consi-
• deration of the House of Assembly. •
14 The melioration of the condition of the slaves ge-
nerally embraces many other objects which have been
from time to time submitted to the attention of the
House; but it is useless to specify them, because it might
• seem to imply an opinion either that the attention of
the Legislaturehad at no time been sufficiently alive to
the importance of these measures, or that there exists
so rooted an indisposition to entertain some of them as
to leave no hope of their being ultinAstely adopted.
" Such an opinion would not be justified by the pro-
ceedings of. the Legislature of Jamaica. His Majesty's
Gov. rnment believe that motives of sound policy, as
- well as those of a more elevated character, will induce
the two branches of the Legislature to lead a favour-
able ear to the repeated appeals which have been made
to their judgment and to their feelings upon this most
• important and interesting subject. But the calls OR the
Council and Assembly tender every day more and more,
' urgent, as a measure of necessary policy, the substantial
improvement of the condition of the slaves.
" The instructions of his Majesty's Government are
so clear, and their expectations so reasonable, that his
Honour the Lieutenant• Governor is unwilling to in.
cumber the question by any observations of his own.—
The desire, however, which his Honour feels to put the
Council and Assembly in possession of every informa-
tion *Welt can be useful to them, leads him to repeat
the assurances of the extreme regret which his Majesty's
Government fat in recommending his Majesty to re-
fuse his consent to the Slave Act of 1826. That the
great importance of that Act was folly acknowledged,
and although some clauses were introduced into it which
occasioned its rej ••ction, his Honour is persuaded that
means may be found of accomplishing all the real ob-
jects those clauses contemplated, without offering any
violence to the feelings of ministers of religion, or any
violation of that spirit of toleration which his Majesty
had always professed."

SECOND MISsAOR.
. " Ma. Sramtaa-1 am commanded by his Honour
the Lieutenant Governor to bring down to the House
an extract of a dispatch from Mr. Huskisson, bearing
date the 17th of February last; and also extracts of
dispatches bom Sir George Murray of the 11th ofJune
and the 17th of July, telative to the disposal of duties,
which were collected here by the officers of the Cus'.
toms, under the authority of an Act of the Imperial
Partisment, passed in the sixth year of his present Ma.
je%ty'o reign, cbap 114, between the comenccment of
the operation of that Act and the period when its ope-
ration was superseded by the arrangement which now
"The House will perceive the disposition his Majesty's
Government feel to meet the wishes of the Assembly,
and to give full effect to an arrangement originating
here, and which the 11.. use has approved of. His Honour
therefore trusts, that the Assembly will meet the spirit of
conciliation which these instructions manifest, with a
corresponding desire to bring this long agitated questioe
to a satisfactory termination.*
RETRACT PROM MR. HUSICIIHON'S DISPATCH, DAVID
lEll• 17, 1828.
" On the subject of duties, received by the Collector
of the Customs under the provisions of the 6th George
IV. c. 114, it appears by the Resolutions of the House
of Assembly, that a sum of 33,0906 bad been received
by the Collector, before the receipt of duties by bite
under the Act was allowed to be superseded by the ax.
•tangement which now subsists.
" According to the original intention, these dodo
were to be paid into the Colonial Treasury, after do.
ducting from them the salaries t.f the officers of the
Customs. But the Assembly would not receive payment
of these duties unless paidover entire, and therefore they
have remained in the hands of the collector. According
to the arrangement which now subsists, the salaries of
the officers are provided for by the Assembly, and the
doles have ceased to be levied by the collector. Under
the e circomstancerthe Assembly claims for the colony
the entire sum of 35,09 W.
• "If the pravisiuu male by the Assembly for the
salaries r f the officers of the customs was retrospect ve.
and extended to the period during which these duties
were collected, then it will be proper that the entire
duties should be paid over. 11,•on the other hand, these
salaries were not provided for during this period, the
-provision must be made by a corresponding deduction
from the dimes, unless the Assembly shall prefer to
make it in some 11 ler way.
“The Assembly will be aware that his Maj sty's
Government, by sanctioning the existing arrangement
14 the mei; t of the dut es by the Receiver•Geteiel,
• and not by the Collector, have taken upon themselves
the oestion•ibitity sit suspending the operations of the
6th Gee. IV. cap. 114, in this partieulai. Notwithstand-
ing such suspens;oii, tie provisions . I this Statute must
contiLue to be the law until repealed. Bat his Majesty's
Government will be rsady on their part to legalize and
perpetuate the existing arrangement. by submitting a
new law to Parliament, whenever the Assembly shall
have reneeted permanent the provision for the Offi.as
of the Customs.
RETRACT PROM SIR GRAMM MURRAY'S DISPATCH,
DATED 11Tt1 JUNG, Ib2B.
" The proposition is, that the Assembly should give
permanency to the provision which they have already
made for the officers of the customs, on the understand-
ing that his Majesty's Government will thereupcm sub.
' mit to Parliament the expediency of repealing s much
of the 6th Geo. IV. cap. 114, as directs a deduction to
be made by the officers of the customs from the gro s
proceeds of the duties collected under that Act, and of
further repealing that pat tof the Act which directs that
the duties shall be collected and received in the first in-
stance by the King's Collector. I have only therefore to
direct you to submit the substance of Mr. Husk irons
dispatch of the 17th of February last lot the considers
tion of the Assembly; and if they should be willing to
pass a law, making a permanent provision fpr the Cu.-
tomb. use offiCirs in conformity with this arrangement,
but not willing that it should take effect before the 6th
Geo. IV. cap. 114, shall have been altered, you will not
object to the introduction of a clause is to the Act of the
Colonial Legislature, to render its operation iontingent
upon the passing of an Act of Parliament for she amend-
meta of 6 G. IV. e. 114, in the particularlio question."
atTRACT PROM SIR oneacia MuRRAYS DISPATCH
DAVID JULY 17, 1828.
de With reference to Mr. Huskisson's dispatch of the
7th of February lad, I have to request that you will