The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-24 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA MAIL.

The mail steam ship, Clyde, arrived at Southampton
on Saturday from the West Indies. She left Jamaica on
the 23d of February.
The island of Trinidad had been alarmed by several at-
tempts at incendiarism; one fire, which broke out in the
Cooperage, on the sea lots, had totally destroyed the Ro-
man Catholic church, but by the great exertions of the
people it was prevented from extending very far.
The Duchess of Argyle, Philip master, 97 days from
Calcutta, had arrived at Trinidad with 290 immigrants,
being the first Coolie ship of the season. 267 were adults
and 23 children. They were all in excellent health, and a
larger proportion than usual of them were women, which
the Port of Spain Gazette calls "a pleasing feature," and
hopes will continue. There had been only seven deaths
on the passage, and two births.
The Barbadors Standard reports the continuance of
severe and protracted drought, and that, with the excep-
tion of a few very slight showers, there had been no rain
for many weeks. The old canes were in a wretched con-
dition from these causes, and little progress having been
made in cutting, the crop of 1846 will, it is feared, be very
short. The young crop has also suffered severely, and a
large portion will have to be replanted as soon as rain
falls. Some sugar has been made and sent to the market,
but of a very inferior quality, arising from the imperfect
and diseased state of the canes.

The royal mail steamer Medway reached Barbadoes two
days behind time on her outward voyage, having expe-
rienced the most boisterous weather for twelve days,
between Snutbampton and Madeira, six of which were
spent in the Bay of Biscay.
The weather in some parts of the island of Jamaica has
been most oppressive. In the district of Salt Ponds and
the Caymanas, in St. Dorothy, Vere, and parts of Claren-
don, the drought has been unprecedented. Not the re-
motest sign of verdure is visible amongst the pens; in
Salt Ponds the cattle are dying for want of food; none of
the parishes will yield an average crop. In other parts of
the island the rains have been very heavy. In St. Mary's,
till lately, it put a stop to sugar-making, and rendered the
roads nearly impassable.
The Jamaica Despatch notices with congratulations
the arrival of the Mandarin at "Morant-bay with a ship-
ment of Coolie immigrants from Calcutta.
Lieutenant Smythe, R.N., harbour-master at Kingston,
had died after a long illness. His memory is mentioned
with much respect, and the loss to his friends deeply
regretted.
In the ports of Cuba a new tariff went into operation
on the Ist March, by taking 20 p, r cent. off all exports.
Export cargoes have consequently been kept back for
this date. Tht tonnage of foreign vessels is, by a new
regulation, assimilated to the Spanish measurement,
which will increase the British duty about 25 per cent.
The " visit" is also now charged id. per ton.

imprrial Vatitanunt.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.

Sir R. PEEL, presented a petition, signed by a great ma-
jority of the commercial houses in London, praying the
house to pass the commercial measures now before them
as soon as possible.
Lord J. RUSSELL postponed his motion relating to the
state of Ireland, until after Easter.
A desultory conversation ensued on the best mode of
supplying food for the people of Ireland.

. .
'S'ir-R.-PEEL said, that after the tariff had been disposed
of, there could not be a more important subject for consi-
deration than the present condition of the poor in Ire-
land. It was a most important subject, which ought not
to be discussed piecemeal, but should be considered a sub-
stantive motion, after due notice had been given to every
member of the house. No impediment should be thrown
in the way of considering the present state and condition
of the poor in Ireland.
The house having gone into committee on the Customs
Act, Mr. PLUMPTRE, on behalf of the growers of Kent,
opposed the reduction of the hop duty ; but on a division
the reduction was affirmed by 91 to 44.
On the proposition for reducing the duties on the im-
portation of foreign silk manufactures, which embraces
several articles of the tariff, Mr. G. BANKES proposed to
omit this article, with all its items, from the tariff.—A
discussion ensued. On a division there were for the
amendment 114, against it 220.