The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-08-25 00:00:00

TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 25, 1840.

We have received our files of the Jamaica Royal
Gazette and of the Jamaica Standard to the 18th of
July, inclusive. These papers contain much important
matter relating to the present position and.future pro-
spects of the island. We learn from the Standard that
the weather had been for some time of the most pro-
pitious character for taking off the crops ; but we are

sorry to add that they have exhibited a decrease upon
last year's ruinously small crops as great as that year's
was upon the one preceding. This decrease is not at-
tributable to the weather. It has arisen from the dif-
ficulty of getting labourers to plant the canes, and the
disinclination they have evinced to attend to the sub-
sequent processes in the cultivation. This is extremely
melancholy, and shows most strongly the necessity
that exists for the immediate interference of the Im-
perial Parliament on behalf of this once prosperous
colony. Sugar is likely to be much dearer than it is
even at present. It is to be hoped that the complaints
to which the great increase in the price of this neces-
sary of life will give rise wilt induce our legislators to
direct their early attention to the adoption of some re-
medial measure, which is now as much necessary for
the salvation from ruin of our West India colonies as
it is for securing to this nation an adequate supply, in
future, of an article of such general consumption. We
see no remedy of a practicable nature but the one for
which we have so long contended—
immigration. We
feel convinced that the day is not far distant when the
table of the House of Commons will be loaded with
petitions from all parts of the kingdom in favour of
West India immigration. The friends of negro eman-
cipation will soon discover that this is the only plan
that can be adopted for successfully working out the
" great problem" of free labour. We have reason,
therefore, to lOok forward to their co-operation in the
agitation of this important question.
The prospects of the coffee crop are described in the
Royal Gazette as highly favourable; but much will
depend upon the disposition of the labourers to secure
its collection. There is reason to fear that their idle-
ness or contumacy will frustrate the bounty of Provi-
dence.

With reference to the general condition of the island
the Royal Gazette remarks, that " estates are thrown
up—men of little property are gathering their all and
leaving our shores—tracts of country are without a
medical practitioner—the white population are every
day decreasing—our merchants feel the general dis-
tress—our shipping are leaving our harbours half
loaded, and having to take in ballast—trade is at a
stand—energy is paralyzed—and day after day distress
becomes lncLre apparent. Bold and vigorous measures
are our only safety; immigration is our resource; and
even these will not aid us without the powerful protec-
tion of government—government must protect us, or
our island falls." It is, indeed, plain that without im-
migration the island will become a dreary waste.
In proof of the great defalcation in the amount of

the coffee crops, the Royal Gazette has published a
statement of the quantity exported during -each of the
last four years. We request the attention of Messrs.
Sturge, Scoble, and Co. to the following figures :
Amount of Coffee exported in the years-
-1835 .. .. 27,362,7421b5.
. 1836 .. .. 19,446,059 „
1838 .. .. 13,551,795 „
1839 .. 8,897,421 „
• .
1840 (expected) .. 5,889,786 „
Sheaving a deficit in the quantity made and expected
for the present year of 3,007,633 lbs.

Much has been said at the anti-slavery meetings in
this country respecting the increased imports into Ja-
maica, which have been dwelt upon as indications of
the prosperous condition of the island. On this sub-
ject the Jamaica Standard has furnished the following
statement :

The gross amount of Jamaica Importations, from the
United States, British America, &c., &c., was, as published
in our paper on the 4th of September last—
For 1835 £1,718,763
1836 1,756,504
1837 1,504,223
1838
(Those for 1539 we have no means at present of obtaining.)
From this table, however, it is pretty apparent that a very
serious decrease in our general importations has been taking
place, to an extent nearly equalling the whole of our British
supplies put together—amounting, as between 1836 and 1838,
to the enormous deficiency of £310,000 !

We have received our files of the Guiana Chronicle
to the 10th of July, inclusive. They do not contain
any political news of importance. It appears that the
" Voluntary Immigration Society of British Guiana"
has been reconstructed, on principles which are calcu-
lated to secure a most desirable object, namely, the
union of all parties, without reference to politics, in
strenuous endeavours to procure an accession to the
labouring population of the colony. The principles-
upon which the new society is based are described by
the Chronicle as equitable: in the extreme. It recog—
nises the propriety of .every subscriber contributing to
promote immigration according to his means. The
same journal suggests that he ‘vho takes the larger
number of immigrants should be called upon to pay
more than he who takes a smaller number. We are
glad to hear of such an unanimous determination on
the part of the planters and merchants of British Gui-
ana to promote the influx of fresh labourers, and we
trust that their exertions will not pass unrewarded.
The colony only wants an addition to its industrial po-
pulation in order to render it one of the most prosper-
ous countries on the face of the earth.

In our last we made some remarks upon the alleged
mis-appropriation of the funds of the. Catholic Bazaar,
qualifying our statement on the subject by saying that
" if our information was correct" the proceeds had been
applied in payment of the rates and taxes of those
parties who have been placed on the registry through
the instrumentality of the Protector Association. In
reference to the statement to which we allude the fol-
lowing letter appeared in the columns of the Albion of
yesterday :

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ALBION.
Sin,—ln the leading article of the Liverpool Standard, of
August 21st, I have read the following sentence :
' One of their priests, whose name we know, at a vestry
meeting, in Seel-street Chapel, told his hearers, that he
thought the poor would be best relieved by having their rates
paid, to enable them to vote, at the next election, for the
/candidate who would support religious liberty; and, there-
fore, the funds obtained at the bazaar would be applied to
that purpose."
In reply, I beg leave to say, that no vestry meeting has, at
any time, been held in Seel-street Chapel ; and, moreover,
I declare, in the most distinct language, that neither I, nor
either of my colleagues, whose authority I have for making
this declaration, did, at any time, or in any place, make use
of the language imputed to us. •
HENRY BREWER,
August 23d. Incumbent of Seel-street, Chapel.
In reply to Mr. Brewer's note we beg leave to state
that our observations did not apply either to him or to
any of his colleagues of Seel-street Chapel, and, we
may add, that we have reason to believe that our in-
formant was wrong in stating that the meeting at
which the above " declaration" was made took place
in that chapel, but that it was held in a dif-
ferent part of the town. Mr. Brewer's contradiction
does not invalidate the general statement, respect-
ing the accuracy or inaccuracy of which. he does
not venture to say a word. Will he or any of his
brethren candidly inform us in what manner the above
funds have been actually employed ? If such informa-
tion should be' nunished us, with vouchers far its cor-
rectness, we shall willingly give it plummy.

The period is rapidly approaching for the prepara-
tion and revision of the lists of municipal voters for
the several wards in the borough. It is scarcely ne-
cessary for us to remind our readers of the persevering
and strenuous efforts which the Popish and radical
factions are making to swamp the registry. The manu-
facture of mushroom voters, from the cellars and pig-
sties of the most abandoned purlieus of the town, is
proceeding as actively as ever, and the funds devoted
to the purpose appear to be as exhaustless as at the
commencement of the attack upon the independence of
the town on the part of the Protector Society. Our
conservative friends must, therefore, immediately bestir
themselves to counteract the exertions of their oppo-
nents, or else they must give up all hopes of political
ascendancy in Liverpool. They have no time to lose.
They ought to remember that upon the issue of the
approaching municipal election will depend, in a great
measure, the fate of the next struggle for the representa-
tion of the borough in parliament, An accession of
strength in the council-room will inevitably tell in fa-
vour of either party. This consideration alone ought
to prove a stimulus to the zeal of the conservatives.
Personal exertions, however, are not sufficient of them-
selves to meet the emergency of the case. To contend
with the powerful phalanx now arrayed against us, we
must have liberal pecuniary contributions. These are
absolutely necessary, and we hope that they will be op-
portunely supplied.

A MAN SUFFOCATED.—On Sunday, at noon, the body of
a man was found lying on a layer of bricks at one of the
brick-kilns, east side of Vauxhall-road. He had arrived, in
pursuit of employment, only on the preceding day from
Sheffield. He is believed to have lain down at the "kiln on
Saturday night, and, having slt until the fire approached
where he lay, was suffocated. The police should not permit
persons to sleep near those brick kilns.
Worksop, the magnificent seat of the Duke of Norfolk,
and very recently purchased by the Duke of Newcastle, is
announced in our columns to be sold in one lot by Mr.
George Robins. The original cost exceeds .1.300,000, and it
i to be offered to unreserved competition. The great capi-
talist, all the leading builders, and such noblemen as propose
to erect a splendid mansion, will find this an opportunity not
to be disregarded. A canal passes through the estate, which
will convey the materials to any part of England.
Intsll WIT AND WISDOM.—An Irishman, going into one
of those booksellers' shops, which the other day decorated
their windows and doors with a gratis supplement of the
paper of which they professed • to be the agents, endorsed
with• six large letters " GRATIS," asked•for " a few. of these
papers." `.How many? " says the shopkeeper. " Well,"
replies Paddy, " I'll take MU a dozen for the present."
The shopkeeper, having carefully folded up each copy, and
handed all the six to Patrick, mentioned the simple fact that
they were sd. each ; at which announcement Paddy looked
amazed, and pointed knowingly to the word " gratis" on
the window. "Oh !" says the shokeeper, " the supple-
ment alone is gratis." `'Ah ! then," exclaimed Paddy, I
shall have six supplements."—This reminds us of another
Irish story. Paddy, having gone to a French master to in-
quire his terms, was told, " Two guineas for the first month,
and one guinea for the second." "Oh ! then," says Paddy,
" I'll come the second."

IMPORTANT INVENTION.—WC have seen plates of several
useful inventions and improvements applicable to steam
navigation, &c., by Captain George Smith, R.N., who has
recently visited Liverpool. Amongst the most recent is a
plan by which, at a comparatively trifling cost, any ordinary
boat may, on emergency, be converted into a life-boat, and
as it is likely that when it becomes known it will be generally
adopted, we shall briefly describe it. The whole apparatus
consists of two cylinders, or long cases, made of AV Intosh
cloth, or any other waterproof fabric, with hoops like a wind-
sail, and of sufficient length to reach from the fore-thwart to
the after oue. Both ends of these cylinders are made water-
tight, with the exception of a small valve at one of the ends.
These will pack or go close together, (in a small space,) and
are to be stowed, each in a small locker, under the fore-sheets
bf the boat, when not wanted. When required, they can be
extended under the thwarts (which will protect them) to
their full length, the valve being kept open to admit the air.
When secured close to the sides of the boat the valve is to_
be closed, and they become strong air-tight chambers, giving.
all the buoyancy and advantages of a permanent life-boat.
For the small boats belonging to pilot-boats, and other small
vessels, these would be found to be of great service. They
might also be applied to the quarter-boats of larger ships,
converting each into a life boat. The cost would lie com
paratively trifling. Various applications of the waterproof
cloth have appeared in life-buoys, bags, &c., and we have
seen a ball or buoy, somewhat similarly extended, the inven-
tion of the Rev. Mr. Williams; but we have met with no-
thing of this kind so simple and apparently so admirably
adapted for the conversion of common boats mto life-boats.
Another recent invention of Captain Smith, relates to the
paddle-boxes of the steam-vessels
,; but as it is about to be
applied to two of the iron vessels now in course of building
by our townsman, Mr. John Laird, (of Birkenhead,) for the
great expedition to Africa—and which we shall hereafter no-
tice—a very brief account will here suffice. The object is;
in place of boxing or boarding in the upper part of the paddle-
box, to fit over each a safety-boat, bottom up, but so secured
and provided with davits, so constructed that not only is the
spray of the wheels as effectually covered in, but the boats,
when required for ordinary work, or for the rescue of life,
may be turned over and put into the water in a very few mi-
nutes. This plan has already been adopted, and much ap-
proved of, by several vessels out of the Thames.