The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-05 00:00:00

LIVER THEATRE.

Still Overflowing.—The Great Caledonian Magician has
been successful beyond any precedent—
YET 115 MUST SHORTLY CLOSE,
in consequence of his prior Engagements in London.
Those who have not seen the Wonders of the far-famed Ma-
gician must embrace the present opportunity.
N THIS EVENING, (Friday.) October sth, and
Every Evening during the ensuing Week, THE
GREAT WIZARD OF THE NORTH will Perform his
Feats, combining
Wonders! Art!! Mystery!!! Magic ! !!!
Seeming Impossibilities, Necromancy, and
THE GUN TRICK.
Admission—Boxes 2s. Pit Is., Gallery 6d. ; Children
under 12, admitted with Parties to the Boxes at ls. each.
Doors open at Seven, the Magician commences at Eight.
Carriages in attendance at Half-past Ten.
Lessons given in the Mystic Art.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Dr. Kanes third lecture will appear in our next.

7..L13c Eil.;),cupoot ,Staitharb.

FRIDAY MORNING, OCT. 5, 1838

(a' The Publication of the STANDARD commenced this
morning at 7 o'clock.

TAE WEST INDIES.—By her Majesty's packet Ty-
rian we have received papers and letters fyom Deme-
rara to the 16th, and from Barbadoes to the 23d of
August, with intermediate dates from the Leeward
Islands. The•advices from Jamaica reach down to the
26th of August, and from. St. Thomas' to the 3d of
September. Before we proceed to make any extracts
of our own from these papers we shall introduce the
summary of West Indian intelligence presented in the
city articles of the Morning Herald and the Times of
Wednesday, much of which is derived from private
sources, and is,- therefore, probably less tinged with
party exaggeration than the accounts furnished by the
colonial journals. •
The Morning Herald says—

" All the journals teem with accounts of the great
indisposition on the part of the emancipated negroes
to work; and in consequence many very important es-
tates
have been temporarily thrown out of culture ;
Which, of course, is a very serious injury to the pro-
prietors. The rates of remuneration offered to the ne-
groes varies from eight to ten dollars per month, with
in most instances, their cottage and garden ground
but in the island of Jamaica we find that overtures had
been made to give the negroes Is. Bd. per diem on su-
gar estates, which seems to be the governing rate of
all the 'colonies, and which in the end will, doubtlesS,
be accepted by them. This state of affirirs has, of
course, created much anxiety amongst our West Indian
proprietors ; nevertheless all the letters from the dif-
ferent islands concur in stating that they consider that
no ill feeling prevails upon the part of the freed ne-
groes, but that it was a mere question of wages. This
dispute upon the value of their daily labour was, how-
ever, expected to cause the introduction of task:work,.
or rather work by measurement, to a much greater
extent than has hitherto been carried on in those set-
tlements.

"It is generally considered, by all well-informed
parties, that the emancipated negroes are not fully
aware of their altered position in the scale ofsociety;
but that when the first ebullition of that feeling has
passed away, which might have been anticipated as the
consequence of their unconditional freedom, that they
will settle dawn to work. In fact, throughout all the
islands, it does not appear that there have been any
disturbances, although some petty thefts have taken
place in consequence of the absence of any preventive
police regulations. The intelligence altogether, has,
however, had the of of creating an advance in raw

- •
sugars to=day."
The Limes furnishes us with a very copious analysis
of the news, which we subjoin :
" Considerable excitement continued to prevail
among the black population, and corresponding appre-
hensions existed among the planters and white people
generally : so fir the symptoms of an approximation
to a friendly understanding about wages were as little
favourable as before. Some few instances are given
where the negroes had gone to work at 2s. 6cl. per day,
which was considered too high a rate, as Is. Bd. was
thought to be the Most that could be afforded by the
planters, and even by the governor. The negroes, in
many cases, however, were demanding as high as one
dollar per day, and carmen is. Bd. per mile for carting
sugar to the wharf, with the same sum for returning.
, In the parish of St. Ann, a pimento planter ha l offered
one half the crop to have it got in, but was refused.
In the mean time the towns were crowded with these
people daily, and on many estates not a soul was to be
seen but the proprietor with his immediate family. The
wandering habits thus contracted might not, it was
feared, be easily eradicated. There was abundance of
provisions supplied, and they were bringing to market
every thing that was saleable, stripping their provi-
sion grounds of all but what was necessary for their
own immediate subsistence. The produce they were
idling away, and lounging about the piazzas of the
the town by night as well as by day. Notwithstand-

ing the gloomy character of these accounts, it may be
hoped that the nature of the evil complained of would
bring its own remedy. The habits of the negro have
not yet been formed to that providence which induces
to look to the future, so that when the produce of their
provision grounds was so completely exhausted as to
leave then) no other resource, they would, in all pro-
bability, be induced of necessity to come to terms and
go to work. The differences appear to have been im-
prudently exasperated by the indiscreet zeal of certain
Baptist missionaries, who, if what is reported of them
be true in pact only, have been more eager for agita-

lion than conciliation. One of these continues to be
particularly alluded to; .being an individual who, on
the termination of the apprenticeship, had prominently

harrangued the free labourers on the subject of wages,
and himself arbitrarily fixed the rate. He (the- Rev.
Mr. Knibb) was said to have addressed the governor,
as well as made his appearance before the bench of
magistrates, to complain of a letter which had been
aedressed to him, from what quarter or if anonymous
was not stated, conveying threats that he should be
waylaid and murdered.' He had, therefore, sent
round to. collect his people to come and protect him"
and at the head of the large assembly so got together
came before the bench. But for him, he asserted,
'the town of Falmouth would ere- now have been laid
in ashes.' He was said to have boasted that he'-could
command the assistance of 10,000 armed men.' It is
clear that such conduct, if correctly reported, was
highly reprehensible as well as dangerous to the pub-
lic peace, and had he been aware of any such secret
plot against the public peace, it was his duty on every
ground to have apprised the authorities of the danger.
-Reports being spread among the negroes that he was
actually murdered, mobs collected in various places in
the parish of Trelawney, threatening that if such an
event had occurred they would murder all the buckras
(white men) and lay every estate in the parish in a
heap of ashes,' crying out, 'Now the buckras will see
St. Domingo.' More stress was laid upon these an-
gry ebullitions than perhaps they deserved, although
the exclamation: last quoted was calculated doubtless
to create uneasiness. The application to thegovernor
for the appointment of a special commission to inves-
tigate the affair of the threatening letter was declined
in a temperate reply. By way of appeasing the fer-
mentation, the governor hiniself had proceeded to se-
veral districts, addressing the negroes, and explaining
to them their real position and duties under the law
for the abolition of the apprenticeship. Precaution-
ary measures, it was understood, bad been taken in

the event of any outbreak, and the military force ju-
diciously distributed.

" The accounts from Demerara to the 14th of Au

gust were more satisfaetury. It was stated that the

free labourers on most estates bad resumed their em-
ploy ments, and were conducting themselves to the sa-
tisfaction of the managers.' The general rate of wages
was 8 dollars per month on a scale of seven hours and

a half per day, with a comfortable cottage and gar-
den, besides being found in medical attendance.' The
tour of the governor and his addresses to the negroes
seem to have been productive of beneficial effects.
"From Barbadoes, to the 22d of August, the intelli-
gence was not so favourable. Half of the field labour-
ers were said to be still unsettled, or refusing to work.
The spirit of insubordination and defiance of the civil

power prevalent had caused recourse to parades of mi-
litary force, the appearance alone of which, however,

ad been sufficient to prevent any actual disturbance.
"From Trinidad the dates are to the 22d of August.

The state of matters there was variously described, but
upon the whole was not so encouraging as might have
been expected. The negroes were in an uneasy hu-

moor, a great proportion not settling down to work
again, and a greater degree of uncertainty existing as
to the result of the new order of things than before. On
many estates the labourers had all left to a man; on
others they were insisting upon very unreasonable con-

ditions, one, and the least to be tolerated of which was,

the discharge of the managers, which if granted would,
of course, leave employers totally at their mercy. As

in Jamaica, hundreds of them had congregated in and
about town, and seemed disposed to become squatters
upon and about the hills in its vicinity. Large num-
bers were collecting together in the most retired val-
lies,' upon every spot which promised to demand from
them the smallest exertion in procuring the necessa-

ries of life. Various ordinances explanatory and re-
pressive had been published to regulate the powers of
justices of the peace, for determining complaints be-
tween employers and labourers ;' for punishing sum-

marily malicious injuries to property;' for 'preventing;
persons from settling on or occupying waste and un-
cultivated lands without authority ;' for the 'more ef-
fectual prevention of wilful trespasses on lands;' and
for 'establishing a system of rural police.' These se-
veral measures appear to be of a salutary character,

and well devised to meet the contingencies naturally
growing out of the new order of things, which in some

cases had, as will be seen, already occurred.
"From the island of Grenada papers to the 16th of
August record a similar state of things. The differ-
ences between the negroes and their employers were
far from being adjusted."
The journals which have reached us corroborfate
most of the remarks contained in the preceding ex-
tracts. We are sorry to find in the Jamaica papers
continued complaints against the conduct of the Bap-

st missionaries, who seem to emulate O'Connell
imself in their career of agitation, and probably

7rom the same selfish and ambitious motives as those

by which their Popish exemplar is influenced. These
men cannot be considered, by the utmost sti etch of
charity, to have the interests of the negroes at heart.
They would best consult the welfare of the newly
emancipated apprentices by urging them to return to
their employment, instead of inducing them, by in-

flammatory harangues and unreasonable suggestions,
to live in indolence. We all know the almost phy-
sical inclination of the negroes to habits of idleness.
It is, therefore, a matter of the utmost importance that
they should be encouraged to contract habits of Indus-

.ry at the very outset of their life of " liberty and

independence." Every possible expedient should be
resorted to for the purpose of 'inducing them to go to
work peaceably and contentedly. A regard for their
own ultimate welfare should prompt the missionaries

to use their best exertions for this desirable end.
From the following extracts it will be seen that the
aspect of affairs is somewhat improved ; but much
remains to be done before the anxieties of those who
are interested in the prosperity of the West' Indies
are • finally removed. The conduct of Sir Lionel
Smith, the Governor, is very loudly complained of in
the Jamaica papers. The Jamaica Gazette of the
18th of August remarks—" We publish to-day the
correspondence to which we alluded to yesterday ; and
however his Excellency the Governor may be deceived
by partial reports from partizans or factionaires—and
however he may flatter himself that every thing is
going on prosperously, yet lIE must recollect that if
any unpleasant consequences follow, no plea of igno-
rance, or of having been deceived, can avail him ;
becauSe, although a hireling and contemptible press
may suppress, palliate, or contradict the truth, or
metamorphose a vain wish or expectation into a posi-
tive fact, yet Sir. Lionel Smith cannot deny that he
has been abundantly warned by the numerous com-
munications which have appeared in this paper, and
spontaneously forwarded to this office from every
direction at almost the same moment, clearly and
•unequivocally proving that there could be no plan or
concert, as has been wilfully practised on the other
side, to misrepresent the actual state of the island.
"We implore Sir Lionel Smith.to discard from his
counsels the evil counsellors who infest his Vice-Regal
Palace, and in the name of our injured country we de-
mand that Justice for the proprietors of Jamaica, which
has hitherto been denied them; for, independently of
the wrongs which have been inflicted on them by a fo-

reign commission; every means have been adopted
to degrade, humble, and trample their spirits in the
dust. Such a bastard policy cannot endure much long-
ger ; for as uncivilized blacks have been assisted in
knocking off the fetters of slavery, so will civilized
men now that the last link (the apprenticeship) has
been destroyed, oppose every tyrannical invasion upon

their liberty, and, demanding-, will adopt every lawful
and constitutional means to enforce what is right and
just.
" We trust Sir Lionel Smith will see reason to pause

in his career of mispolicy, or he may bitterly repent
the fatality which will attend his blind adherence to a
partial system of government that cannot elevate, but
can alone degrade the human mind."

And in another paragraph the same journal re

marks—

"As the negroes are, under the advice and direction
of Knibb, and the rest of the Baptist crew, exacting
exorbitant wages, as we know of no law which can
force a proprietor to pay more wages than his means
can afFotd, and as Sir Lionel Smith is countenancing-
these mischievous political parsons, we must remind
His Excellency of the fate of the Dorset labourers,
who were transported for a similar combination to ex-

tort them."
We are sorry to find from the same paper that the
negroes are compelled by Mr. Knibb, and his kindred
agitators, to deprive themselves of the means of future
subsistence for the sake of enabling thepselves to stand
out for t high rate of wages. We learn from the jour-
nal which we have already quoted that " the markets
had been so glutted with provisions for the last few
days, that many an unfortunate negro had been obliged
to carry his baskets, or drive his donkeys home." This
continued drain from their grounds and their stocks
must necessarily be felt hereafter. The negroes are
now evidently living " from hand to mouth," as the
proverb says. They are snatching the produce of
their lands as soon as it attains maturity, to enable
them, by its sale, to provide for their present wants.
This improvidence of the future will entail upon them
many serious inconveniences, especially in those cases
in which they have been, owing to their refusal to
work, turned out of their lands.

As it may be interesting to many of our readers to
learn the actual condition of the several parts of Ja-
maica, we annex a few extracts from the correspondence
of the Jamaica Gazette. A letter from the parish of
St. George's, dated August 14th, states—
" Since the Ist of August nothing has yet been
done towards the cultivation of sugar. On the other
hand, what little was left oh the ground then by the
Stipes, &c., has since become a prey to the cattle. The
labourers have likei'vise taken every advantage of their
squatting commission, or three months' notice, in ap-
propriating it to the rooting up of the provision
grounds, &c.—leaving the place fruitless to any others
the industrious planter may wish to employ. The
house servants have also deserted, leaving us to cook
for ourselves. It is supposed that not above one-
third of the lately-made free population are now in
the negro houses. Where they are gone to we have
not yet ascertained; and what are left maintain such
silence as I never witnessed before, and calmly refuse
to tak eanything less than 12s. W. per week, inde-
pendent of their houses, grounds, &c.—a sum which
must launch the proprietor in debt. I presume to

have, some little knowledge of the negro character,
and think all so strange, that I deem it. expedient to
be p repared with ammunition and arms underour very
pill° ws. Although a Stipe:cannot come on a property
row to play his old mischievous -pranks, he can still
advise the people to disagree with their employers
and managers. It is said one of them told a gentle-
man not far from this district, that the peasantry • of
this parish would hold a meeting on Gualta Vale
Course, for the purpose of raising their wages. We
woulld be happy to enter into any fair agreement with
our ,old servants, would they leave their evil advisers:
however, they had better beware, as spies are on the
look-out."

The following extract from a letter dated Manchio-
nea.l., Aug. 14, shows the state of affairs in the parish
of St. Thomas in the East :

" The signs of the times are bad; we'are all at a
stand-still here, as yet, and no appearances of any
chance of a resumption of labour. Some are demand-
ing 3s. 4d., some .55., and even as high as ss. 10c1.
wages.a-day, with house and grounds. I have offered
work by the job, and that at the rate of 20s. per acre
for weeding rattoons, by which an able person can
easily earn ls.3d. to ls. Bd. a day, with house and
ground to cultivate—and cane holeS to dig at the same
rate as I used to pay them on Saturdays, when they
had only that one day a-week, viz., sd. for twelve
holes, at which an able person ❑sed regularly to earn
3s. 4d., and frequently 4s. 3d., daily, deducing now
10d. a•day for house and ground, having clear 2s. 6d.
or 3s. 4d., as the person may work, but no one will
turn to work. They say they are not to take the same
wages now that they are free as they used to do when
they were apprentices.. They evidently want a large
sum of daily wages, and do little or nothing for it.

Oa a neighbouring estate they have come to some
sort of terms, and the men were out yesterday work-
ing on the highway, I had occasion to pass that way,
and came suddenly upon them, found them in a group
with several baskets and hoes on the grouni, and the
party quite idle. On seeing me they jumped to their
hoes, and pretended to be hard at work, in quite a
similar way as I have seen in the olden time. How
this is to end, God knows! Our late special magis-
trate always gave opposition to the scale of task-work
approved of by the governor. This may in some
measure account for their not taking any job work;
and there is a certain gentleman who resides in a very
conspicuous house, in the shape of a fine castle, on the
top of a hill not far off, who, I have no dotbt, has a
good many words to say in ruling the roast.
"P. S.—l have thought it now necessary to give
notices to quit; to avoid excitement, I did not do it

before."
Mr. Edward Peart writes thus from the parish of
Manchester :

"Let no one persuade you that the negroes in the
slightest degree, evince the least symptom of gratitude
for the boon of freedom which has been conferred upon
them, the reverse is the case; instead of being cheer-
ful and happy at the change, they appear sullen and
discontented, and when spoken to are insolent, and
the offers made, liberal as they are, to induce them to
work, have been received with utter contempt, and
even the most respectable persons treated with insult.—
How long this will last,- God only knows. Two weeks
of idleness have now elapsed, during which, besides
the use of their houses and grounds, each labourer
might have earned from ten to fifteen shillings, and
where in a few partial instances the people turned out
to work on the Monday, after the Ist of August, a se-
cret influence was exercised to induce them to dis-
continue. This is neither more nor less than the re-
sult of bad advice. Would the political tuountebank
of this parish, instead of extorting under ridiculous
pretences, and for the purpose of keeping up agitation,
the money from the negroes, instruct them to save it,
and work for more, then they would be in a greater
degree usefully employed, than by seeking for them-
selves ephemeral fame at the expellee of the peace of
the community."

•
The same gentleman *marks— ,
" Every labourer went cheerfully to work on Ist
Monday in August, on my property, and continue to
go on, though great pains have been taken by emis-
saries to dissuade them from it, saying they ought to
wait till the Queen sends word what wages they ought
to work for !"

We understand, from other communications, that

this idea, viz., the hope that the Queen of England
will interfere on behalf of the negroes, is very preva-
lently entertained. It is not difficult to guess the au-
thors of this foolish delusion. .
Another letter from Manchester states—
" I beg the favour of your contradicting a statement

that appeared in The Despatch of the 10th, dated from
Providence, .saying that this property was cleaning
coffee at Ss. 4d. per acre; such not having been the
case. Some of the people turned out on Monday the
6th, and worked till Thursday the 9th, (for which they
were paid at the rate of 10d. per 100 trees,) and have
not since resumed their work, but are still skulking
about among their houses, saying; as I am informed,
that they won't go back unless they get Is. 3d. per 100
trees, which it is impossible to afford to give."
A letter from the parish of Hanover, dated August

4, states—

" Up to the present moment not an estate has gone

to work, although fair and liberal wages have been
offered, and such is the pertinacity with which they
maintain the strike, that on many estates they will not
even attend to the stock who are eating the very canes
that would enable their employers to raise money to
pay them ; yet people are to he found, who secretly

tell the deluded creatures not to work under 2s. 6d.
per day—a sum no estate in this parish can afford to

give."

From St. Elizabeth we learn, in reference to the
advice of the Governor, in his proclamation, that the
negroes should " spare their Wives for heavy field
work, as much as -they could," that considerable mis-
chief has been effected. One letter says—
" You are our best friend in giving publicity to our

ideas, and in making known our present grievances;
so I waive apology for trespassing on your columns.
It is impossible for words to express the injury done
to proprietors by the above unguarded expression from
the Governor. All our people insist upon it, that the
Governor recommended them to make their wives sit
down at home—and every effort from proprietor, at-
torney, overseer, or minister, is unavailing to convince
them to the contrary. With us, if the husband turns
out, the wife will not, and vice versa."
Here we must stop for the present. We have, how
ever, much more to add to the same effect.

THE "LIVERPOOL" STEAM SHIP.--It gives us much
pleasure to announce that the splendid steam-ship
Liverpool, belonging to the Transatlantic Stearn-ship
Company, was brought out of dock yesterday. Not-
withstanding her immense size, she received not the
smallest injury. At the moment she cleared the outer
gate three cheers were given by all on board, Which
were heartily re-echoed by an immense crowd on the
pier. Scarcely had she been safely moored in the ri-
ver, near to Seacombe, when we observed numerous
flats alongside, deeply laden with coals, for her voyage
to New York, for which city she starts on the 20th in-
stant. This noble ship is certainly a credit to Liver-
pool, and the celerity with which she has been fitted
up reflects the highest honour upon the spirited com-
pany to whom she belongs. We have no doubt that
her speed will be found fully. equal to that of the
Great Western, if it does not exceed it.

FIRE.—On Wednesday morning, in opening the Grand
junction Railway Office, Lime-street, the treasurer's office was
found to be on fire owing to some soot having ignited between
the facing of the tire,
grate and the breastwork of the chimney,
which communicated with the floor and set tire to it; fortu-
nately it had not extended far when discovered ;. but if it had
taken place a few hours earlier, the range of offices, as well
as the adjoining buildings for their coach repairs, might have
been entirely destroyed.
An interesting meeting was held, at the Adelphi lintel, on
Tuesday, of the members of the seven freemasons' lodges of
Liverpool, to consider the propriety of joining and sup-
porting a new life assurance company, which proposes to ap-
propriate a tenth of the annual profits to the benevolent
objects of masonry. Some vay eloquent speeches were de-
livered, especially one from a parliamentary agent of the
name of Northhouse, who gave an interesting narrative of
the progress'of life assurance societies, and made a powerful
appeal in favour of the one for which he was professionally
concerned. The resolutions in favour of the company were
passed unanimously, and it was determined to form a branch
board for Liverpool.
ARRIVALS AT THE GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL.—Lord
Sondes, Mr. and Miss Cheeves, Mr. Willcox, Miss Pearson,
Lady E. Featherstone, Mr. and Mrs. Newbury and family,
John Austen, Esq., Mr. and Mrs. Pannell and family, Hon.
T. H. Thurlow, Mr. and Mrs. Steele and family, Lady Shaw
Stewart, Capt. Henderson, C. Boden, Esq. and family, Mrs.
Currie, John Walker, Esq. and family, C. Newton, Esq.,
Col. Jones, Gen. Beresford, Mr. Protheroe, Mr. Bateson, Mr.
John Watts, Col. Gore Langton, D. Napier, Esq , Mr. and
Mrs. Wilson, T. Farren, Esq., Lord Dunsaney, Matthew
Harding, Esq., Mr. and Mrs. Morgan and family.